3D printing has been around since the 1980s, but it was slow to take off because the peripheral ecosystem such as materials, software, robotics, 3D graphics and the Internet had not yet evolved. The technology was used mostly for industrial prototyping applications.
With the proliferation of computer graphics and CAD (computer-aided design), better 3D printing materials, improved process reliability and the Internet, 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM) took off exponentially in the mid 2000’s.
Why custom 3D printing?
The major factors propelling this exponential growth are the range of materials and accessibility through services. Until the mid 2000’s, 3D printing was possible only with relatively soft plastic, severely limiting its prototyping applications. Since then, the range of materials has increased dramatically, making it possible to create high-resolution, strong and functional products that are ready for end-use.
Download the white paper to learn how custom 3D printing is now applied across diverse fields including aerospace, automotive, consumer products, medical and education. It is revolutionizing many fields and disciplines, demonstrating that almost every industry could benefit in some way from this technology.
