Over the last few years, there has been a substantial maturing of the 3D printing—also known as additive manufacturing—market, followed by an increased perception of 3D printing as a viable manufacturing method. Today, industrial 3D printing has reached its tipping point and is expected to go mainstream in a way that will revolutionize the manufacturing industry as well as the economy. The technology is considered as an integral part of the Manufacturing 4.0— the nexus of technology in the modern manufacturing space.
As a massive cost cutter and technology that speeds up the product development process, Additive manufacturing has emerged steadily as a mainstay for rapid prototyping. The strengths of the technology lie in those areas where conventional manufacturing reaches its limitations. Additive Manufacturing allows for highly complex structures that can be extremely light and stable. It provides a high degree of design freedom and product customization even in serial production as well as the optimization and integration of functional features. Today, the technology is moving beyond just prototyping into the first-run production, allowing for true market testing and rapid design iteration. For example, today, Ford is using 3D-printing to mass produce low-volume parts for its cars. In addition, 3D printing is also being used to create several iterations of various designs to test and gather feedback on, allowing companies to determine the best model. Smaller companies are expected to reap great benefit from this technology, introducing new, innovative products without huge inventory expense.
With escalating applications of the additive manufacturing technology, eventual blurring of the line between prototype and product is not a far-fetched idea. The millennials are hungry for customizable goods, and 3D printing is filling those boots.
In the light of this, to help companies chose the best 3D printing technology solution provider out there; Manufacturing Technology Insights brings forth a competitive list of “Top 10 3D Printing Solution Providers - 2019”. The edition features leading companies that are delivering cutting-edge technology solutions aimed at assisting businesses in the manufacturing sector to realize the immense potential of 3D printing in optimizing their business processes.
