Associated Press/The process of building homes with 3-D printing
A new generation of innovative technology has been emerging, and it is aiding the way that humans function and pose solutions to longstanding problems. From small scale to industrial, 3-D printers are recently being utilized to surprising extents; some that even have the potential to rapidly solve nationwide housing shortages and compensate for medical anomalies.
3D printers perform additive processes to manufacture technology. Imagine repeatedly stacking blocks until a recognizable image is formed. The mechanisms inside a 3-D printer are similar, except layers of materials like resin, plastic, metal, and concrete are deposited and fused on top of one another. Depending on the model of the printer and its internal material, the process of creating a model or molded prototype is fairly efficient, easy, and cheap.
3D-printing versus Additive Production
Among the three-dimensional community, there is a slight difference between the terms ‘3-D printing’ and ‘additive manufacturing’, or ‘additive production’.
3-D printing has been identified as a movement that carries the connotation of artisan culture. Craft devotees and technological beginners have manipulated the field into an array of Etsy shops and relatable knick-knacks.
On the other side of the market, 3-D printers are convenient for manufacturing specific items like prosthetic limbs and certain automobile functions.
According to an article entitled “What is 3-D Printing?” By Hubs Protolabs Company, the niche form of printing gained especial traction from companies like MakerBot and Ultimaker in a period before 2010, whose leaders sought to revitalize the machines in the eyes of consumers by offering accessible tutorials and articles with concise instructions on their websites.
On the other hand, additive manufacturing, abbreviated as AM, is correlated with lucrative industrial pursuits. The field of additive manufacturing is newly decorated with global solutions to humanitarian problems.
The Breadth of 3-D-printing: Housing
Associated Press/Mighty Buildings Company/A 3-D printed house part being transported in Livermore, CA
Multiple businesses and builders around the world are now using 3-D printers for more sustainable home construction, as opposed to the outmoded extensive time and labor associated with conventional construction.
According to the Associated Press, “They (businesses) say these technologies could help address severe housing shortages that have led to soaring home prices, overcrowding, evictions and homelessness across the U.S.”
Needles of the almost utopian aspirations associated with the premise of 3-D printed housing, the field is still extremely specialized; the two most prevalent businesses in the market- ICON and Mighty Buildings- have only set up less than 100 housing units combined. This could be due to popular uneasiness by home owners regarding the durability of 3-D printed buildings.
Proponents of the innovation note that 3-D printing decreases and almost eliminates the necessity for tangible human labor during a juncture in history when new housing workers and builders are few and far between; especially after the financial crisis of 2017 and 2018.
Jason Ballard, the CEO of the notable 3-D printing housing company ICON, cited that its systems are capable of performing the labor of nearly 20 workers across a plethora of industries. And, the mechanisms can work 24 hours a day, so projects no longer have to account for humans’ energy capabilities.
Sam Ruben, the co-founder at Mighty Buildings, assumed a perspective on sustainability, “With 3-D printing, we’re able to print exactly what we need. The process can eliminate nearly all construction waste, which can add up to savings of two or three tons of carbon per housing unit.”
In a small village near Nacajuca, Mexico, builders are creating homes in less than 24 hours each through the use of a jumbo sized 3-D printer. The houses can withstand extreme weather conditions like earthquakes and rumbles, which are common in the nearby areas. It is clear that, at least at first, particularly underserved communities are taking the brunt of these newfound 3-D processes.
The Breadth of 3-D-printing: The Battlefield
3-D printers don’t stop at building houses. They are also providing crucial provisions to Ukrainian soldiers, like tourniquets. Without them, members run the risk of bleeding out and perishing, or being susceptible to infections. Cases like this were prevalent during the onset of the Ukrainian war.
The Washington Post reported that Jacob Kaminski, a graduate student in the robotics department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, initially applied his knowledge to the problem by creating multiple prototypes of the tourniquet until he had refined the design into something that could be consistently printed with reliability.
Now that the design is accessible to the internet, almost 5,000 reclaimable tourniquets are in transit to Ukraine, where they will be put to good use alongside soldiers and their camps.
The Breadth of 3-D-printing: The Medical Field
3-D printing technology easily fills gaps and disparities, whether small or large, in our everyday society. This statement doesn’t stop at medical anomalies; in fact, 3-D printers have recently surpassed prosthetic technology.
A biotech company in Queens, New York called 3DBio Therapeutics has crossed this threshold by using 3-D printing to create an ear implant from a patient’s preexisting cells.
The patient, a 20-year-old woman born with an unconventionally small and disfigured right ear, was involved in the company’s first clinical trial related to regenerative tissue manufacturing. In an article on the topic published by the New York Times in early June of 2022, 3DBio Therapeutics reassured the future of the ear transplant.
“The new ear, transplanted in March, will continue to regenerate cartilage tissue, giving it the look and feel of a natural ear (and the patient’s untouched left ear).”
Although discussion around the 11 person clinical trial is exciting for the company and the future of tissue and organ engineering, a lot of questions and outcomes remain up in the air when it comes to future health complications or procedural failures.
The Future
As startup initiatives surrounding 3-D printing increase, the positive opportunities are unavoidable. In several realms, including global health, infrastructure, and outreach, 3-D technology is making an impact. Staying informed on these advancements is crucial to noticing its worldwide footprint.
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