INTRODUCTION Advancements in science and technology help to improve the lifestyle and quality of life of mankind. One such invention in engineering and technology is 3D Printing, i.e., 3-Dimensional printing. 3D printing portrays the step-by-step process involved in the design of a manufactured product in a digital manner (Nasim Samiei, 2020). The American Society for Material and Testing (2009) defines 3D printing as “the fabrication of objects through the deposition of a material using a print head, nozzle, or another printer technology”. Stereo Lithography, Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM) are the common methods of 3D printing. (G. Harsha Vardhan, et al., 2014) Even though the first 3D printer was developed in 1984, the first license to develop 3D printers for use on a larger scale was obtained from MIT in 1995 and it then took ten more years to introduce the first colour printer (G. Harsha Vardhan, et al., 2014). Since 2010, it has been used by high-tech sector, where interest increased from 2015 and peaked in 2018. Although 3D printing has extensive benefits, the considerable reduction in the printing cost and the popularity projected by the media has led to the entrance of 3D printing into the consumer and organizational levels. (Desiree Valeria Ukobitz, 2021). 3D printing is gaining momentum to upgrade the ways in which companies operate, as there is pressure to find new ways to remain innovative and competitive by reducing manufacturing times and operational costs across the supply chain. As such, the focus of this essay will explore the use and impact of 3D printing technology in the future. SCOPE OF 3-D PRINTING IN DIFFRENT INDUSTIRES CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY 3D printing technology in construction leads to high manufacturing flexibility and low operational costs. In 2004, a study conducted by PWC mentioned that 25% of companies are using 3D printing in prototyping, whereas Norway showed only 20% usage (Nils O.E Olsson et al., 2019). However, the existing average usage level is not very high in many countries, and this creates an opportunity for 3D printing to become a standard in construction sector. For instance, data collected from survey research among building owners, architects, engineering and construction management consultants opined that in near future, 69% of the companies will use 3D printing for building blocks and 75% use it for complex parts and very few (31%) will use for sculptures and decorations among the respondents (Nils O.E Olsson et al., 2019). In addition, greater impacts of 3D printing on the construction industry are: the advantages of higher customization, waste reduction due to higher printing precision and minimal error in production, and improved carbon footprint as parts can be printing in-house and less transport throughout the supply chain. Along with cyber security risks, there is also risk for intellectual property theft where digital files can be easily copied (Berman, 2012). PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY 3D printing in the pharmaceutical industry has transformed non-digitalized medical products into digital 3D content. It enables fast and safe production data low cost by using various trends like powder-based printing, extrusion-based printing, and injection printing methods which increase efficacy, precision, and customization. To illustrate, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is the most used technique in drug 3D printing. The major challenging of maintaining optimum extrusion temperature is well managed by Multiply Labs by using pharmaceutical filaments while loading the filaments with drugs, as a result it will not affect the drug. Speeding up the process will enhance quicker release into the market. For instance, Spiratam was approved by USA FDA in 2015 and available in market. (Nasim Samiei, 2020). Spiratam is a drug for epilepsy, the major benefit of the drug is it will start acting in a few seconds and this advancement gave a way for people who have trouble swallowing traditional pills get more personalized treatment through 3D printed medicine. HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY Conventional imaging techniques limit the accuracy of diagnostic assessment as it is difficult to examine the soft tissue or osseous structure on a two dimensional level. 3D printing ensures comprehensive surgical repair as it provides complete information on location, blood supply and scope of invasion and so on (Chao Li et al., 2019). Computer aided design (CAD) and 3D printing techniques improved diagnostic accuracy, procedural precision and operative time is considerably reduced. These techniques enhance accuracy in osseous reconstruction, reconstructive surgery for maxillary defects, ablative surgical planning and operative simulation. 3D printing technology should be further taken to greater heights to save humankind. OTHER INDUSTRIES A structured literature review carried out by a team of researchers (Michael J. Ryan, et. al., 2017) mentioned adoption of 3D printing would occur in sectors and scenarios such as Mobile 3DP, 3DP for Make-To-Stock, Local and regional factories, craft businesses, and personal manufacturing to facilitate their operationalization. Analysing the thermal characteristics, tensile testing, pull out testing conducted on recycled ABS, PLA and HIIPS thermoplastic materials contributed to optimize the input process variables (Ranvijay Kumar and Rupinder Singh, Ilenia Farina, 2018).This will help to solve plastic pollution crisis by using using recycled plastic for emerging 3D printing businesses. 3D printing technology applied on food production was also categorized according to the food and it had its footprints from the farmer to the consumer (Celalettin Degerli, Sedef Nehir El, 2017). Shape memory materials are thermoresponsive widely used in aerospace for space-deployable structures. A thermally induced intelligent materials are used in biomedicine for stimuli-sensitive implant materials and to impart in endovascular thrombectomy device. Self – assembly, self-actuating and self-sensing materials allows automated folding for assembly used for biological applications, linear and rotary actuators, touch screens and underwater robots. Electroactive Polymer IPMC, Buck gel are also applied in various fields. FUTURE PROGRESS In 2013, the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council listed intelligent materials as one of the top technologies for research and as popularity increases, new concepts of 4D printing emerged. This 4D technology has various merits over 3D printing such as being even more cost-effective, fast curing, and high heat-resistance temperature and so on. One defining difference is that 4D has the potential for self-sensing behaviour, which still requires more research and development. Self-sensing imparts sensing capabilities to materials such as metals, plastic, paper, fabric and allows automated detection which can be used to self-diagnosis followed by self-healing. Goergia Institute of Technology developed a prototype to detect the pressure changes in touching the skin which attracted the research forum. Self-assembly and self-folding structures, active composite structures, environmental adaptive mechanism, structural health monitoring and self-deployable systems are some of the wide range of applications in the 3D printing technology. In healthcare industry, it can penetrate to the level of detecting malaise (Xin Li, 2016). Using Artificial Intelligence with 3D printing for designing personalized devices and analyzing data from IoMT (Internet of Medical Things) devices ensure better care. Though 3D printing has appealed to many industries, it was the most investigated technology. Despite all the benefits, 3D printing technology has strong potential to penetrate so many other industries, and within the industries where it already exists, increase in utilization rate and improved efficiency is much possible.
Bharathi Thiyagarajan (Fri,) studied this question.