Applications of 3D Printing

A longtime resident of Charlotte, NC, Bryan M. Wood has worked in the financial services industry for nearly two decades. With an extensive background in data entry and artificial intelligence, Bryan M. Wood serves as a data management executive at Bank of America in Charlotte, NC. Outside of his professional pursuits, he takes an interest in drawing and painting, and 3D printing.

A 3D printing creates a three-dimensional object via a complex computer program that integrates a layering method. It is more sophisticated than traditional inkjet printers that print in 2D due to their additional layering functionality.

It creates objects by layering materials (typically powder-like plastic) and using software to aid in the layer-by-layer printing of the object. Thus, 3D printing is an additive manufacturing process. There is no limit to the design and shape that could be accomplished with this technology. The 3D printers can create objects, such as sunglasses, bike handles, and ventilators.

The application of 3D printing also extends to research and development. Traditionally, manufacturing businesses always have to create prototypes to test run inventions, which is usually expensive. A 3D printing can help create models that can serveas prototypes without spending a lot of money (sometimes millions) on prototype generation. 3D printing is also faster and could reduce the time required for prototype generation by up to 10 times.