3D Printing Firsts in 2015

Over the last few years as 3D Printing has crossed the divide from niche business manufacturing and prototyping applications into the broader consumer domain, our articles have regularly featured news and comments on the topic.

As we approach the end of 2015 we can report that 3D Printing has continued to evolve, so it’s interesting to see how many new breakthroughs and innovations there have been this year

In fact, 2015 has been a particularly good year for 3D printing, with many radical new advancements. Here are some of our favourites for this year:

3D Printing of Human Tissue

Traditionally, 3D printed parts and components are produced as three dimensional, solid objects made from plastic materials. 3D Printing using soft materials is a challenging process because each layer the part requires support from the layer below.

In this specialist field, known as 3D bio-printing, it is not uncommon for scientists to print ‘scaffold’ designs of human parts – structures that while not organic or living, could potentially be used as a based on which to grow human tissue.

However, in October 2015, as reported on the BBC website, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in the USA adapted a 3D printer to print with soft biological materials such as collagens, alginates and fibrins, all of which appear naturally appear in the body.

The interesting point about this is that the ability to print with soft biological material as the base material has the potential to open the door to new methods of human tissue creation – meaning that the need for transplants could be substantially reduced, or even eliminated.

Instead, damaged organs could be repaired using material that is literally printed to order.

3D Printing of Human Cells

Along similar lines, October 2015 also saw researchers at the UK’s Heriot-Watt University announced a major development in 3D stem cell printing.

The team of researchers managed to print induced stem cells, derived from a donor’s own adult cells, which are capable of developing into almost any other cell in the body.

As reported on the University’s own website, the exciting possibilities opened up by this development, are that it could “pave the way for producing tissues on demand from patient specific cells”.

The result would be a reduction in the need for animal testing and the ability to create genetically-tailored drug testing regimes specifically for individual patients.

In terms of the 3D printing technology used, the breakthrough came from a valve-based technique that was gentle enough to print highly sensitive ‘induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells’ which can be used as a genetic blueprint to generate a wide variety of tissue types including liver, heart and brain cells.

The ability to 3D print these cells without damaging the cells’ biological functions has the potential to revolutionise organ transplants and develop drug testing for the specific DNA profile of individual patients.

3D Printing of Aircraft Components

When it comes to the aerospace industry, 3D printing is beginning to play a huge role in the manufacturing process.

Aircraft manufacturers stand to benefit from 3D printing technologies because they offer the potential for creating aircraft that are both lighter in weight and have improved aerodynamics, enabling more fuel-efficient travel.

In 2015 Airbus announced that it produced more than 1000 flight parts for use on its A350 XWB aircraft, which began delivery in December 2014.

The 3D printed parts, which were made on an advanced Stratasys 3D printer were used instead of conventionally manufactured parts to help the manufacturer introduce more flexibility into its supply chain processes and to enable it to meet delivery commitment deadlines.

In a development that has long been championed by Prototype Projects, this clearly shows the viability of using 3D printing for manufacturing (known as ‘additive manufacturing’).

Additive manufacturing has the potential to offer manufacturing companies lower operational costs, speed up time to market, spread manufacturing burden wider across the supply chain and integrate new functionality.

The Airbus parts were produced using a highly specialized material called ULTEM™ 9085 resin for FDM, which is certified to an Airbus material specification. The parts, which weigh less and are incredibly strong, are also flame, smoke and toxicity compliant.

As these technologies continue to make remarkable strides in the aerospace industry with companies like Airbus broadening their adoption in the production of their aircraft, it’s reasonable to project that 3D printing has the potential to revolutionise the industry.

3D Printed Replacement Teeth

Researchers at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands announced that they have found a way to 3D print teeth and other dental implants using antimicrobial polymers.

3D printing of dental implants is of course not new, but the material used in this process and the process used to print with it are both revolutionary. With the market for dental implants already with billions of dollars in the USA alone, this has far reaching commercial implications.

According to this article in Smithsonian, this development out of Groningen is significant because the material used to manufacture these teeth effectively kills the bacteria, Streptococcus mutans, which collects in the mouth and causes tooth decay.

For the Dutch researchers, the key was identifying the right material to use with the 3D printer. To do this the researchers embedded antimicrobial quaternary ammonium salts inside existing dental resin polymers. Having obtained the right mix, the material is then printed in the conventional way on an SLA machine and cured with ultraviolet light.

There is still a long way to go before this 3D-printing scenario becomes commercial viable, but it’s exciting not least because of the role that 3D printing already plays in the dentistry industry.

Conclusion

As we prepare for 2016 at Prototype Projects, we expect to see many more developments and innovations.

In fact, the pace of innovation is, if anything, only set to increase.

So: tighten your seatbelts and get ready for more ground-breaking 3D printing advancements!

FIND OUT MORE

To find out more, take a look at the information on our other 3D printing technologies – SLS Rapid Prototyping, Stereolithography, FDM Prototyping and DLP.

If you have any questions, please contact Prototype Projects on 01763 249760.