Looking at various 3d printing developments throughout this year so far, the need for 3d printing services in conjunction with 3d design is not slowing down whether you are a consumer or have industrial needs. As various companies that display their newest generations of product at trade shows throughout the world, seeing what artists and hardware engineers can do together to find solutions and efficiency in the modern market place is awe inspiring. This week I tuned into the Maker Faire Milwaukee as well as TCT Show in Birmingham, UK to see companies from Europe, Asia, North America and I am sure others come together with great new products that make creating new prototypes and future products faster and more reliable than before. Whether it is the brand new Form 2 from Formlabs, the new Polaroid 3d printer, Makerbot professional models, Lulzbot next generation machines, or many of the other 3d printers and new filament products that were also present at the show, there is a lot of new life coming into the market.
While I am looking forward to getting the Photocentric 3d Liquid Crystal Pro that I ordered (which was also present at the TCT Show), I know I am very excited to see how the industry grows and the world continues to adopt rapid prototyping into the future. The software that 3d printers use keeps getting smarter, the material stronger and more reliable as well as more diverse, and the 3d printers gain a huge array of traits ranging from ultra detail, accuracy, tiny or gigantic build size, and increased speed.
Looking into what is happening now there will be many steps in the future toward making products that aren’t just static but dynamic as well. New 3d conductive filaments and metal based filaments will bring many new applications to the table for more streamlined robotics as the process keeps getting more and more refined. Using multiple machines to create a finished 3d collaborated print will speed the process as well with different machines handling different needs of each project. I recently looked into these materials for artwork as well as durability enhancement for my designs whether they are from Colorfabb or from a local Wisconsin company called Virtual Foundry.
With my business just starting, the future looks really good for conceptual design to practical everyday application using the tools available. I look forward to showing my new creations with you and giving you insight on just what is possible.