3D Printing – the what, the how and the future

3D printing is the process of creating a three-dimensional object from layers and layers of material generated by a computer design. It’s also called additive printing because you add layer after layer to generate the finished object. Each tiny layer sticks together to form a solid item and each layer can be very complex, meaning 3D printers can create moving parts like hinges and wheels as part of the same object.

Reports place the earliest 3D printing during the 1980s in Japan with subsequent developments in both France and the US but frustrations in the patenting process for the Japanese and French innovators saw an American furniture manufacturer, Charles Hull file the first patent for stereolithography. Hull had become intensely frustrated at being unable to create small, custom parts for his designs and developed a system for creating 3D models by curing photosensitive resin layer by layer. He went on to found the 3D Systems Corporation which released the first commercial 3D printer in 1988.

We purchased our first 3D printer in 2005 and it revolutionised our design process. We use it for rapid prototyping and making parts during the design phase of our various products so we can test ideas and components quickly and cheaply. When we’re in the early phases of designing products it’s essential to get form and function correct so we create initial models to check that the circuit boards fit in properly, ensure parts match together and that we have the right dimensions. The advent of 3D printing has made this process a lot quicker and more affordable as it saves us having to go to mould tool houses or make objects with CNC machining. Rapid designs allow us to test form and function of both parts and enclosure housings prior to investing in more expensive in rim moulding tools for the final product. We even used it to make face masks for NHS staff during the pandemic.

I wasn’t exaggerating when I said it’s been revolutionary; it even allows us to customise tools and jigs to assist on the production line for devices that go through production. When we were making the tracking device for Pfizer, we had to punch out 6,000 sim cards a week so to speed up production we made a jig with some 3D printed parts that pushed out multiple sim cards at the same time saving us time and the customer money.

Things have come such a long way from the early days of 3D printers which were more often used for printing out versions of the Millennium Falcon than miniature components. Aside from Amsterdam’s 3D printed steel bridge and the University of Maine’s boat which remains the largest 3D printed vessel in the world, today’s printers are capable of creating internal body parts and custom prosthetic limbs which is truly fascinating. My personal favourite was a study carried out at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine where a team of bioengineers implanted synthetic, 3D printed ovaries into sterile mice which went on to give birth to healthy babies. This sets the stage for possible developments for fertility treatment in humans and other incredibly beneficial applications.

You may even have read of 4D printing which refers to a process where traditional 3D printing methods are used to produce a model using materials or designs that will react or change shape when triggered after printing. In other words, 4D printing actually adds the fourth dimension; time.

4D printing offers a huge range of applications, especially in rehabilitation work and the medical field. One possibility is printing implantable devices that need to pass through narrow tubes before expanding. We’ve been in conversations about a potential project to create moulded casts that move and develop as the patient heals. This kind of thing is truly ground-breaking and we would love to be part of such a project.

Here at Morgan, our massively flexible production facility not only caters for high volume, low value manufacturing, we are also specialists in prototyping and concept creation for early stage product development. This is hugely useful when presenting an idea to potential investors. It’s always beneficial to have an actual product rather than CAD designs, as if you have something tangible with form and function, it helps people to relate to that so much more as touch is a key sense and 3D printing allows people to see the actual product, rather than a picture. We like to make things as early as possible so we can test, identify and resolve flaws early on to create the best possible end product.

If you’d like to find out more about our capabilities and how we can help you, please do drop me a message or give me a call. I’m always interested in conversations about innovation and product design.