3D Printing, a Maturing Technology

It is likely that more articles on 3 D Printing (or Additive Manufacturing) have featured in mainstream media over the past two years than during the entire 25 years that the technology has been around. This paper briefly introduces the 3D Printing technology and explains the unique benefits compared to traditional manufacturing methods. Some of the most important reasons why the technology is currently attracting so much attention are discussed. Significant improvements in equipment, materials and software have enabled high end applications for 3D Printed end use parts. This is illustrated by examples of some of the most successful applications. Moving towards real manufacturing also brings new challenges in quality assurance. This paper presents a software solution for data management and quality assurance in 3D Printing. At the same time, low end variants of the technology are becoming more and more affordable for consumers. The question is raised whether people will be printing their own parts at home in the future.