But suppliers can't just think about innovations in materials; they also need to consider how those materials will fit with additive manufacturing processes, such as:
Fused filament fabrication
Laser metal deposition
Selective laser melting/sintering
Binder jetting
Stereolithography
Forward-thinking suppliers are looking beyond the materials, bringing innovative processing techniques to market as well. Norsk Titanium, for example, has developed a rapid plasma deposition technique that it uses to create large structural parts for Boeing aircraft at scale.
Big opportunities in three big markets
The opportunities are there for suppliers who know where to look, and the three biggest markets for additive manufacturing – the aerospace, automotive and healthcare industries – are the best places to start.
Aerospace
3D printing gives aerospace companies the ability to innovate with complex components that couldn't be produced using traditional techniques – and products can be created faster and cheaper. In an industry characterised by short production runs of parts, the on-demand capabilities of additive manufacturing make good commercial sense. And 3D printed components are a big part of the industry's lightweighting efforts to save fuel and reduce the environmental impact of air travel.
Case in point: Lighter flight control components
Where it once machined, trimmed, drilled and assembled forged metals, Liebherr Aerospace now 3D prints flight control components using a titanium alloy. This has helped Liebherr create a high-pressure hydraulic valve that's 35% lighter than its conventional predecessor, while still offering the same performance.
Automotive
3D printing quickly found a home at automotive manufacturers, where it's still used for rapid prototyping. Today, additive manufacturing is used to create customised vehicles, produce on-demand spare parts, and reduce material wastage. But, much like the aerospace industry, it's vehicle lightweighting that really makes the most of 3D printing, helping manufacturers create lighter structures and reduce the number of components by optimising designs without having to worry about production complexity.
Case in point: Fuel-efficient car parts
Engineers at the University of Nottingham are working on ways to reduce the weight and improve the performance of car components by 3D printing complex lattice structures that lower the density of the part.
3D innovation: Michelin reinvents the wheel
A 3D printed concept wheel developed by Michelin uses a honeycomb structure that requires no air, is fully biodegradable, and has a tread that can be replenished by a 3D printer so that it lasts for the lifetime of the vehicle.
Healthcare
While dental applications are the biggest use of 3D printing in the healthcare industry, the technology is increasingly used by medical professionals to create customised prosthetics and medical implants. Surgeons now often rehearse procedures on precise 3D printed models built from scans of patients, helping increase the speed and quality of surgery. And soon, it's likely we'll see 3D printed pills that contain multiple drugs with different release times.
Case in point: 3D printed blood vessels
3D printing full human organs isn't quite with us yet, but researchers have already created 3D printed ‘organoids' (smaller versions of human organs used for research). A team at Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea has even created functional blood vessels using a 3D printer.