3 Applications for 3D Printing in Orthodontics and Oral Devices
The traditional method used to produce oral devices is time-consuming and inconvenient for patients. It is a multi-appointment process that involves creating manual, oral impressions and outsourcing them to a dental lab for fabrication. Device turnaround can take 2 to 4 weeks to complete. Dentists can accelerate the process by switching to a digital workflow that utilizes an intraoral scanner and 3D printer. Intraoral scanners eliminate the need for manual, oral impressions, and 3D printers produce oral devices more quickly than conventional processes.
How 3D Printing Is Improving the Footwear Manufacturing Process
Traditional footwear manufacturing is a time-consuming process that often limits designs. With high tooling costs and production limitations, initial designs, tooling, and prototyping can take months to complete and require significant investments. The final product design must fit the production method, and processes, like injection molding, can constrain the design. Products need to be developed so that tools can be built for mass production. Designers who work with injection molding must often reconfigure their product layouts to meet production criteria after the prototyping stage.
What Types of Materials Are Used in 3D Printing?
Many manufacturers’ first exposure to 3D printing was through fused deposition modeling, in which plastic filaments extrude through a nozzle during printing. Materials used in 3D printing were formerly confined to plastics and weak metal alloys that could be extruded at low temperatures. The scope of 3D-printable materials has grown considerably to include various metals, polymers, organic materials, ceramics, and even biological materials.
How to Use 3D Printing Processes to Scale Up Manufacturing
Traditionally, a 3D printing process supported only functional prototypes or finished products. With advancements in 3D printing technologies and materials, the same machine and 3D printing process can produce prototypes and finished products. To scale, connected 3D printers can seamlessly print the same product at a 3D printing smart factory, making it easier to get a new product onto a production line for high volume manufacturing. Here’s an overview for getting a design into high-volume production with 3D printing.
Footwear Manufacturing Industry Analysis: Evaluating the Impact of 3D Printing
By the end of 2020, the total revenue connected to 3D printed footwear production is projected to reach $1.4 billion, an upward trend over the last few years. According to…
Benefits of Additive Manufacturing for High Volume vs. Low Volume Manufacturing
There are many considerations in choosing high volume vs. low volume manufacturing. Additive manufacturing offers a viable option for any volume. It also enables manufacturers to implement a more agile business model with less risk. Here’s how additive manufacturing is reducing the gap between high volume vs. low volume manufacturing.
3 Advantages of 3D Printing Over Traditional Manufacturing
3D printing is often perceived as slower and more expensive than traditional production methods. Many companies incorrectly assume it to be inaccessible because it’s different and more complex. However, improvements in 3D printing technologies and increased material performance have made additive manufacturing a viable alternative. Increased agility, reduced costs and risks, and onshoring will accelerate product design through production more effectively than traditional manufacturing methods.
How to Enhance Sustainability in Footwear Manufacturing
The short lifespan of footwear, especially running shoes, leads to large amounts of waste. Most shoes are non-biodegradable and end up in landfills where they can take 30 to 40 years to decompose. 3D printing can increase sustainability in footwear manufacturing and the final consumer product.
3D Printing: An Alternative to Injection Molding That Requires No Tooling
For companies looking for a more cost-effective and agile alternative to injection molding, 3D printing presents a unique opportunity. To create product variants, additive manufacturing can easily refine designs digitally instead of making new molds. Eliminating tooling reduces capital expenses and product turnaround time, and increases design freedom. Read on for a more in-depth breakdown of these advantages.
From Design or Prototyping to High Volume Manufacturing and Automation With Connected 3D Printing
3D printing is allowing companies to improve manufacturing capabilities, whether in-house or leveraging contract 3D printing services in a smart factory. Companies in many industries can see multiple benefits when they use 3D printing smart factories for high volume or low volume/high mix manufacturing. Here’s how companies can accelerate the go-to-market of new products from prototyping to high volume manufacturing.