Will 3D Printing Replace Traditional manufacturing? And How 3D Printing Works Briefly.

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Will 3D printing replace traditional manufacturing? The short answer is even as 3d printing currently exists, and although it’s evolving rapidly, for the short term, no. It’s not going to replace it. It will thrive alongside it and be a part of it. 3D printing is actually considered “additive manufacturing” where you’re adding to the material to manufacture a product or design.

There’s no doubt that printers are getting better, and more innovative, and prices, procedures, and materials are rapidly becoming more palatable for home use. And there is a differentiation between home use, hobbyists, and professional industrial use that should be understood.

Currently, additive manufacturing is done with resin or extrusion. Extrusion, which is used for less-detail intense designs typically, is just a plastic polymer that is heated until it melts and is extruded at intervals with the nozzle moving laterally across the moderately heated bed, building upon itself as it gets higher. Which is referred to as the “Z axis” (up/down). There are many different designs of type, and many inventors trying to improve upon them constantly. The 3D community is largely open-source, which means anyone can fork and contribute to the code.