Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
the human body. Design software and computer simulations are getting better
and better, yet even the best designs don't always work out exactly as planned
once they're in physical form.
Making the best custom parts (better)
One of the fastest-growing applications of 3D printing is custom, end-use parts.
Custom parts aren't prototypes. They're the real thing. If you prowl community
forums, people who have their own 3D printer at home swap advice and design
iles for replacement parts for standard household appliances from doorknobs
to shower curtain rings. Some people 3D print knobs, gears or other antique
or discontinued parts that would be extremely expensive to make by hand.
Since custom parts don't beneit price-wise from economies of scale, small,
skilled 3D printing service providers are inding new business opportunities. Car
and motorcycle companies—even the company that created the Mars Rover—
use 3D printed custom parts to build working versions of a concept vehicle or
machine. After all, it's critical that million-dollar vehicles be taken for a real
test-drive.
The medical industry and dental industries are heavy consumers of 3D
printed end parts since their products must interface closely and precisely with
the body. Custom-it dental braces and crowns, previously custom-made, are
increasingly 3D printed. Hearing aids and prosthetic limbs are printed from
data scans of a patient's ear canal or remaining mirrored limb.
Aerospace companies use 3D printed custom parts in commercial airplanes.
Next time you ly in a new airplane, check out the adjustable air duct over your
seat. An airplane air duct is a perfect example of a highly custom and costly
part that does not beneit from an economy of scale. Especially since unlike
toothbrushes, only a few new airplanes are made each year.
When we visited another small service provider in a rust belt in the Midwest,
he showed us a semi-translucent, plastic 3D printed object he had been tinker-
ing with. The object looked vaguely familiar but dificult to precisely identify. It
was about the size of a garlic press and was made of several round, interlocked
sockets and gears.
We couldn't place the odd looking gadget until its designer enlightened us.
“This is a 3D printed air vent for a 747,” we were told. Aerospace manufactur-
ers are eager to cut down on part assembly. The parts of a 3D printed air vent
can be fabricated in a single, already assembled piece.
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search