It’s 3D-printing predictions time! Dr. Jeffrey Graves, president & CEO of 3D Systems offers his predictions of what developments to expect in the coming year, enabled by this transformative technology.
What follows is Dr. Graves take on AM in 2024:
Throughout 2023, we’ve continued to see significant advancements in the use of additive manufacturing (AM) to fuel innovation across both industrial and healthcare markets. The technology has been transformative in a variety of industries, but I anticipate in 2024 we’ll see AM generating greater momentum in semiconductors, durable consumer goods, aerospace and defense, medical devices, and dental.
Across industries, I anticipate the integration of AM for production applications will continue to make important strides in helping to mitigate supply chain disruption. Industry-leading manufacturers continue to realize that AM enables them to take control of their supply chains by manufacturing locally. This in turn helps reduce costs by reducing the number of suppliers and removing the need for costly logistics providers to move components across geographies. This also has the potential to positively impact the environment by minimizing manufacturers’ carbon footprints.
The trend toward controlling the supply chain is demonstrating very strong traction in healthcare, especially in the production of medical devices at the point of care. Leading providers are investing in additive manufacturing solutions that are housed within hospitals and surgical centers to produce personalized devices such as implants and surgical tools. As we move through the coming year, I believe we’ll see the adoption of AM by healthcare institutions accelerate as surgeons and providers strive to produce devices that can positively impact patient care and the patient experience.
I also expect AM’s ability to enable the personalization of devices will play an important role in the dental industry. Digital dental solutions are already widely used to produce prosthodontics, orthodontics, and implants. In 2024, I anticipate a shift from AM playing an integral role through indirect production for the creation of molds to the direct production of devices. Additive manufacturing’s ability to enable not only the production of patient-specific devices but also mass customization can yield an unmatched method for everything from custom surgical guides and implants to dentures and orthodontic appliances.
Moving from healthcare to industrial applications, the semiconductor industry continues to face significant challenges in its ability to address the ongoing chip shortage brought on by the pandemic. While AM has demonstrated advantages in semiconductor capital (semicap) equipment for more than ten years, I anticipate it will play a growing role in the coming year for its ability to accelerate time-to-market and enable the production of parts with improved performance. This will be possible due to additive’s ability to deliver incredibly complex parts with exacting accuracy that would not be possible to achieve using traditional methods. Additionally, these unique parts can improve how semicap equipment operates, thus enabling faster production and reducing the time to market for the much-needed chips.
I believe AM’s ability to accelerate innovation will also play a key role in consumer goods. As the barriers to entry have become lower, the adoption of AM as a production technology continues to accelerate. This is becoming abundantly apparent in the durable consumer goods industry where AM was once viewed only as an enabler for prototyping which could shorten product development. As we move into 2024, I anticipate many consumer goods manufacturers will continue integrating AM into production workflows for many applications, especially in the electronics industry. Consumers continue to seek out the latest technologies that help facilitate how they both communicate and manage their personal lives. AM’s ability to catalyze the pace at which companies innovate will not only enable faster product development times but also enable the development of products that push the possibility of what can be delivered to give consumers never-before-imagined capabilities.
About 3D Systems
3D Systems launched the 3D printing industry in 1986 and has been leading additive manufacturing innovation ever since. Our broad portfolio of hardware, software, and material solutions spans from plastics to metals, and is backed by industry-specific engineering expertise housed in our Applications Innovation Group. We take a consultative, application-focused approach to solving your most difficult design and production challenges. The combination of our solutions, expertise, and innovation helps our users defy conventional manufacturing limitations and maximize the value of additive manufacturing.
Headquartered in Rock Hill, South Carolina, with offices, manufacturing facilities, and Customer Innovation Centers around the globe, 3D Systems has the expertise and resources to advance industries.
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