In which Industry sectors is 3D printing used ?

Which industries use additive manufacturing?

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Cross-industry use

Since the invention of 3D printing in the 1980s, it has developed rapidly and opened up more and more areas of application. The next few years will show that this development is far from coming to rest After all, 3D printing is one of the most important future technologies of the 21st century and will continue to convince new markets and users of its positive features and advantages. Starting with the almost limitless freedom of design, the possibility of achieving drastic weight reductions, through to tool-free production or function integration, in which components can be combined directly into a single part, thereby saving assembly steps. Therefore, industries that have already discovered additive manufacturing for themselves are using it for the following purposes, among others:

Rapid prototyping: Fast production of sample and functional models, directly from existing CAD data
Small batch production: economical production of single items, spare parts or small batches
Customized products: Cost-effective adjustments according to customer requirements
Complex geometries: shapes that are difficult or impossible to produce using traditional methods

Not only large high-tech companies use additive manufacturing in their processes. The proportion of small and medium-sized companies from various industrial sectors has been increasing for a long time. You can find a selection of these industries here:

Aerospace

Aerospace is considered one of the first industries to use additive manufacturing. For more than three decades, complex lightweight parts have been manufactured here that are not possible using classic processes. Not only is it one of the largest markets, but through it, some of the most innovation in the 3D printing market is being driven and promoted. Since even small weight savings in aircraft and spacecraft have an extremely positive effect on subsequent operating costs, the developers and engineers responsible are actively taking advantage of the great freedom in the design area. Not only plastic-based processes such as selective laser sintering or the FDM process are used here. Selective laser melting (metal 3D printing), which is much more expensive, also pays off for these lightweight aircraft parts.

Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering is the largest area of application for additive manufacturing. Especially in the development and production of individual parts or small series, for which traditional manufacturing methods are not economical, 3D printing enables a fast, flexible and cost-efficient alternative. The market launch of end products can be realized much faster and it is possible to build products fundamentally differently. 3D printing is also being used more and more in plant engineering, e.g. for the procurement of spare parts or for the rapid creation of brackets, mounts, etc.

Medical technology

The advantage of additive manufacturing in medical technology is obvious: products tailored to a patient can be created cost-effectively and quickly. As a result, it is already possible today, to manufacture e.g. prostheses, implants and dentures with the correct fit. Ongoing research gives hope that so-called bioprints will also be used more and more in the future. This term describes the additive manufacturing of everything from bones to tissues to organs. Furthermore, more and more medical equipment is being manufactured using 3D printers. As an example, the production of mask holders or individual parts of ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic can be named here.

Architecture

Architects are increasingly using 3D printing to convert their plans into true-to-scale models. By means of this three-dimensional visualization option, planned structures can be presented in a much better way to potential clients. Before the advent of 3D printing, such visualization models were usually made by the architect himself in laborious and extremely complex manual work. Through the use of additive manufacturing, the time from the idea to the completed building object could be significantly shortened in this industry. This is because one of the fundamental advantages - being able to implement iteration steps quickly - comes into play here as well.

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Interesting facts about 3D printing

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Industry sectors