This is why we have written our guide, so we can help you get beautiful results that will last you a lifetime and become a part of your holiday memories. So sit back and relax, while we guide you through some of the best materials and ideas for this Christmas. Enjoy!

3D Printed Home Decor

One of the first things to decide on when wanting to print any type of design is which material to use. For indoor use we highly recommend PLA filament, as it has great properties, is among the more affordable options, comes in many colors, and with the invention of glow in the dark filament in the form of Geeetech PLA, you can even create ornaments that will look great at night too.

In order to help you decide, we have chosen a few examples below, that we will examine closer to determine what makes them great options and help you decide the best 3d printer filament. You can also design your own 3D print Christmas tree for instance, and use Christmas PLA to get the best results.

Christmas Tree

One of our favorite 3D printing ideas is to design with a glow in the dark PLA filament to create beautiful Christmas trees that can be placed anywhere in the house for a lovely ornament that gently lights up the area.
If you want to display your Christmas tree during the day, the standard green PLA filament would be a good choice.
You can also get a lot of details on your prints, due to the smooth surface and slightly glossy surface. It is also a fairly strong material once printed, meaning your ornaments and decorations will last many years.

Christmas Reindeer

Another favorite of ours is the Christmas reindeer prints. The image above is printed with an affordable and easy-to-use sand gold PLA filament, while the image below has used a red PLA filament.

This gives the models a nice sheen, plenty of detail and due to the PLA material, they are also environmentally friendly, meaning you can print many models without worry. They are mainly suitable for indoor use, so place them in your windows, shelves or hang them on your Christmas tree directly.

3D Printed Tools

Ornaments are not the only 3D printing ideas that spring to mind when in the holiday spirit. Using Christmas PLA you can also create some amazing pieces of tools and containers that can help you hold up your Christmas socks, store small presents and much more.

Gift Box

This gift box for instance uses a combination of 2 colors, a simple green or red PLA filament, and then a silver or gold silk PLA for the ribbon on top. This creates a fantastic reusable gift box, that can be used for years to come and looks fantastic.

With this design you can even save money on wrapping paper, as the lid comes off and reveals the present inside. While you could print the ribbon with a normal PLA filament, we highly recommend using a silk filament in order to get a lovely shine that feels high quality and fits the spirit of Christmas even better.

Cookie Mold

Since PLA filament is safe to use in food products, this gives you the option of designing your very own cookie molds and trays. Let your children enjoy their favorite animals, movie characters or other designs, and make a lovely family activity out of this simple print.

All you need is some creativity, some PLA 3D printer filament and a few hours to get started. There are already many different designs available online for you to download and print directly, or you can spend some more time designing your very own 3D models in a simple style.

Guide for Christmas Sale

If you are looking for good deals on 3D printer filament, you might want to consider Geeetech and its special Christmas sale. Currently, Geeetech offers some of the best 3D printer and filament sales available and provides quick shipping and a large selection of colors to choose from.

Most Affordable Sale

Currently, Geeetech offers big bonuses and sales on a number of items in its store. For instance, you can become the new owner of an FDM 3D printer for as little as $244, which has been discounted from its original price of $599 and is among the best 3D printer for beginners!

PLA is one of the best options for your Christmas decorations. It has a low melting point which makes it work well with the majority of standard 3D printers, and does not warp much since it cools down quickly. And luckily, you can get it on sale right now in PLA bundles for as low a price as $55.20 for 6 kilograms!

And if you are looking to print beautiful Christmas ornaments to hang on your Christmas tree, then consider the tricolor silk PLA filament bundles that are also on sale for a great price.

How to Get the Discount?

1. All you need to do, is visit Geeetech and choose items that you need, such as Geeetech filament or something else.

2. Then click on your desired item, to visit the detailed page.

3. Next, locate the discount code that you find on the product image.

4. Select your location from the top menu to see your shipping options.

5. Now you can proceed to checkout, by clicking “Buy Now”

6. Click “check out”.

7. When you click “check out” the system will ask for logging in to the account so that you can track your orders easily. If you already have an account you can log in, if not, please create a new account for new customers.

New customers will get a $5 coupon sent to their email address, which can be used for any future purchases.
By the way, the coupon for new customers can’t be used with the Christmas coupon together. So if you want to get the biggest discount, you can separate your order to use both coupons once you log in.

8. Finally, enter the Christmas code to get the discount, and confirm the order to receive the items as soon as possible. Merry Christmas!

Fortunately, we can refer to 3DSage’s unique method of getting a beautiful look without using sandpaper.He printed a model of the skeleton as a demonstration. All you need is a can of spray paint that combines well with plastic (such as Rust-Oleum) and a bottle of Fast Drying Polyurethane – Clear Satin. Let’s get started!

The first step is to check whether there is dirt or dust on the 3D printed model and make sure there is nothing superfluous on the surface.Apply a spray paint of your choice to the model, followed by a quick coat of polyurethane.

Next, to make the coating dry faster and prevent drips, you should carefully place the model under the fan.At this point you can see that the mixture of paint and polyurethane will blend into the layer, making up for any holes or unexpected imperfections and working best with thin layers and patience.3DSage said he waited for a whole day before adding the final coat of spray paint.And the time interval between layers is 20 minutes in order to prevent discoloration and make up for defects.

When it comes to the benefits of his craft, The Maker says it allows him to print faster with a greater layer thickness.This process will mask any rough and unsightly appearance.And you can choose any color of paint.In this way,you get a smooth print model that doesn’t require polishing or other post-processing techniques.

PERI GmbH built Germany’s first 3D-printed residential building in Bekum,Beckum, North Rhine-Westphalia. The house consists of two-storey detached house, each with about 80 square metres of living space, and was built using a 3D building printer.

3D building printing has fundamentally changed the way we build and the process of residential construction.Leonhard Braig，director of production and supply chain at PERI GmbH, said: “Because this is the first building of its kind, the printing speed we proposed was slower than the actual speed.”adding that they hope to take this opportunity to gain more experience in their day-to-day operations, as this will help them make greater use of the technology to make the cost come down in their next project.

The first 3D printed building in Germany was designed by MENSE-KORTE ingenieure + architekten fora design firm named Hous3Druck GmbH.To build it, PERI used 3D printers of type BOD2 for printing., which can be moved from anywhere in the building along its metallic frame and only needs to be calibrated once.

“With conventional construction methods, this would only be possible at great financial cost.” said Waldemar Korte, partner at Mense-Korte. He thought the printing process allows designers more freedom in residential construction.

The building consists of triple-skin cavity walls filled with an insulating compound. During the printing process, the printer takes into account all the pipes and connections to be laid later,such as water pipes,wire way,etc.

BOD2 allows workers to perform work within the print area during printing.This means manual work, such as installing empty pipes and connections, can be easily integrated into the printing process.

Example #1:

3D Printed Dress and Jacket

The dress, named Rose, was certainly the centerpiece of the collection presented at the Met Gala.The garment was worn by model Jourdan Dunn, consists of 21 3D-printed rose petals – each petal measures 53 cm and weighs 0.4 kilos.They were produced on a SLA 3D printer – the process was managed by Protolabs’ 3D printing department.Each petal includes a coat of primer and a coat of chameleon-effect automotive paint.Besides, the dress is modular: petals (up to 37 in all) can be added to increase the length of the dress.

In 2016, Ministry of Supply released a 3D-printed jacket for $250 that quickly sold out.Because the jacket is 3D-printed, it has no seams, which makes it very comfortable to wear.Although it has no seams, the garment still has joints to fit the outline of the body.

The jacket was made on a 3D robotic knitting machine, a process that uses less material than traditional knitting.It’s thought that using traditional methods wastes 15-30% of the material.

Example #2:

3D printed accessories

Every day, more and more jewelers are using 3D printing to produce rings, bracelets, necklaces and similar products.

What you see above is a sterling silver bracelet that mimics patterns found in nature.The maker, Nervous System, first 3D printed the model in wax and then cast it in pure silver.

Metal 3D printing is a perfect technology for watchmakers, both for prototyping and production of end-use pieces.

The Lo Scienziato timepiece from Panerai uses a fully 3D-printed titanium housing made by direct metal laser sintering (DMLS).If you want to see the Panerai on your wrist, you’ll have to pay up to $170,000. 

The actress Katie Holmes wore a 3D-printed collar produced with resin machine on her dress. It represents pearly purple palm leaves and required 56 hours of 3D printing and finishing.

VIP TIE is an Italian company known for its 3D-printed ties.VIP TIE combines luxury and innovative high-tech design.The whole process of making one tie can involve a complex mix of complementary procedures and materials: craftsmanship, embroidery, 3D printing, exotic leather, mother-of-pearl, carbon fiber, silver, gold and silver plated solid.

XYZ Bag is an Italian brand behind the Dada collection of customizable 3D printed handbags. Each bag is connected by a leather strap and a 3D-printed outer shell with a fabric lining.For each bag, the customer has to choose between several design options based on 3 different products.Once the model is selected, it is designed in CAD software.

The company uses SLS technology to make components, although they have recently integrated the one developed by HP, Multi Jet Fusion. These bags cost between 290 and 330 euros, which is quite expensive, but also reasonable for 3D printing products.

Example #3:

3D printed footwear

The big companies in the shoe industry have been developing solutions for mass customization for years.Not only does 3D printing allow these companies to prototype faster, it’s also a great solution for mass customization.

Companies in this field, including Adidas and New Balance, have started producing 3D-printed midsoles .Nike, meanwhile, is experimenting with 3D-printed “uppers”.

Annie Foo is a high-end footwear designer who uses 3D printing technologies in her manufacturing process.She explained that she has always been so obsessed with the combination of existing footwear manufacturing methods with modern technologies and materials to create something new.She uses 3D modeling software to design complex shapes to make her shoes look more aesthetically pleasing.Her final works for the runway were made with HP’s Jet Fusion 4200 machine, using PA12 (nylon).

You must be disappointed when seeing blobs marring our 3D prints.,which is commonly called“zits” ,can occur due to the frequent start and stop of extruder as it moves around.These blobs on your model represent the position where the extruder began to print a part of the outer shell and then returned to the same position after printing the perimeter.Without leaving a mark, it’s hard to connect two pieces of plastic , but here we figure out two tips to keep the blobs from occuring on the surface of your print.

Tip 1:add a negative extra restart distance

Finding out where they are occurring is vital to reduce blobs.You should make sure if blobs happen at the beginning of the perimeter,or as the perimeter finishes printing.If it is the former, the extruder is most likely priming too much plastic.To solve this problem,you can attempt to adjust your retraction settings,add a negative extra restart distance. For example, if your retraction distance is 2.0mm, the extra restart distance decreases by 0.4mm, and each time the extruder stops, the filament will be retracted 2.0mm .But when it starts again, 1.6mm of the filament will be pushed back into the nozzle.You ought to keep tweaking this number until there are no blobs.

Tip 2:turn the “coasting” setting off 

If you find that the blob is happening as the extruder finishes printing a perimeter,it is posssible that the built-up pressure inside the extruder nozzle pushes out more plastic than expected. In this instance, the best solution is to turn off a setting called “coasting” just before the end of the perimeter ,which can relief some of the built-up pressure within the extruder.Try turning this feature on and increasing the value until the blobs stop appearing.

So that’s the solution to the blobs. Now I am printing a larger Pokemon toy.I can’t go wrong this time, for the sake of my beloved girl.

Source:　https://www.simplify3d.com/preventing-blobs-on-3d-print/

Whereas 3D printers using the same technology and marketed for about the same price usually do not vary much(theoretically) in terms of print quality, the results of post-processing can vary greatly depending on your expertise and skills. Simply put, you take either 100 percent blame or credit for your finished 3D prints.

So, what processes are involved in post-processing?

•Cleaning

In FDM, cleaning usually means to remove support structures from the object.

As we know, there are two types of support material: soluble and insoluble. Insoluble material is relatively strong and can only be removed with a spatula,knife or sheer brute force,leaving the model and print platform vulnerable from possible damage.

If you are lucky enough to own a dual extrusion setup, you may want to use soluble material for your supports. Soluble materials such as HIPS and PVA, can be dissolved in water or Limonene.

Check out our previous blog on how set up your 2 extruder 3D printer.

•Fixing

One way to circumvent supports is to have your model printed separately. This means you will have to manually attach together your parts. ABS prints can be welded or glued together using acetone. Here is a tip you should heed: when creating joints or keys for a model, make sure to create joining features large enough for the 3D printer to create them cleanly. Thumb of rule is that features should be larger than 4-5mm in diameter. Glued components should be secured together using rubber bands, and cyanoacrylate glue should be used to spot glue around the connecting areas. If seams are rough or have gaps, bondo or filler can be used to smoothen them.

•Surface finishing

Sanding

Layer lines are the bane of models printed using FDM technology. Carefully sanding the surface of the model with paper should get rid of the lines. This process requires delicate skills and great attention. Start with higher grit to lower as you go. Do not sand in one place for too long as friction-generated heat could melt the material. The downside to manual sanding is inconsistent results, as well as being laborious.

Smoothing

To give the print a glossy finish, chemicals are sometimes used. For example, Acetone and THF are used to smoothen the surfaces of objects printed with PLA and ABS. The problem with this technique is that it can not be controlled: sometimes features are melted off that should remain. On top of that, vapours can be harmful when inhaled.This can be avoided using closed chemical cleaning machines.

•Coloring

Coating and Painting

Surface finishing is often followed by painting. Parts need colouring would ideally be printed using white material. A layer of primer is usually applied before the model is painted,followed by another stage of sanding. Painting is usually done manually using a brush or spray(at an arms length). It is highly recommended that you hang the object in an open, dust-free,well ventilated space. This will allow you to paint all surfaces evenly without having to handle the model while paint is drying. The painted object should be ready to polish after 1-2 days.

Credit: beamler, 3der

Are you a seasoned player in 3D printing, wondering what you can do with all your 3D designs, models and 3D printer, aside from keeping them as a hobby ?   

If either of the above scenarios apply to you, you are not alone. Alex, China born and bred, now 27, working and living in Europe, first got into 3D printing when attending university in France. He says one summer afternoon in his sophomore year he ,together with his other three classmates was invited to a small gathering at a local student’s house. At some point his friend showed the guests his 3D printer and started to print a Japanese cartoon character on it. Alex was amazed at how capable this little(well, not exactly little, but Alex thinks so ) machine is.

A few days later, Alex decided to get one himself. So he went online in search of the same 3D printer model his friend was using. As it turns out, the same machine being sold online is priced at $399,not a small expenditure given that he was a student studying overseas and his middle-class family background. He somehow summoned up the courage to ask his parents to buy if for him. According to Alex, his parents were mad at him at first. They wouldn’t get it why he would want to buy such a “useless” but expensive thing. And they were worried that their only son would abandon his study as a result of “playing too much with the machine”.

Long story short, in the end, Alex was able to convince his Dad to buy the printer for him by promising to focus on his study and to return home with a degree,which he did. Fast forward to 1.5 years ago, Alex purchased his first geeetech 3D printer–A20M, and has become a fan of geeetech ever since.

To date, a great number of people still have not heard of desktop 3D printers,just like Alex and his parents years ago, and 3D printing is more of a industrial concept than an everyday conversation topic.

It is projected that 3D printing will be the next big thing in the years to come,with 3D printers for home and office use being more affordable and capable.A similar pattern can be drawn in the developments of smart phones and 3D printers. Smart phones in the early days were expensive,not so “smart”, and known to few.However,a decade later almost everyone owns smart phone. So now is probably the best time to monetize your 3D printing skills and expertise before 3D printers become ubiquitous.

Here are 5 ways to make money with your 3D printer and 3D printing know-how.

Sell Your Design.

One of the best ways to make money using a 3D printers is not to have one. Isn’t it amazing? If you have 3D models/designs you think are great but do not own a 3D printer, put them up for sale.The world is in want of great designs. .

Sell Your Work

If you are a creative creature, why not turn your creativity into reality and sell your work online? Take photos or make videos of your works and make them known to others. Share them on your social media:Facebook, Ins. Twitter. Those impressed with your work may be willing to pay for it. Photos/videos of your printed objects are promotional materials to get customers.

Prototyping

Another way to make money off 3D printing is to sell 3D printed prototypes to local businesses and companies. One advantage of this business model is that you do not have to rack your brain trying to come up with great designs or models. Chances are your clients have a team dedicated to it. All you are left to do is get them printed. It of course would give you a leg-up if you have a good command of 3D modeling (CAD) software.  

Printing Services.

As pointed out above, not every one owns(some choose not to ) a 3D printer. 3D printing has been widely used in education, medical, robotics,architecture,jewellery and many other industries, this means there is always a market for printing services.  Let others know what your printer is capable of and your rates for such service,and you are all set.

Teaching 3D Printing.

As of today,3D printing is still not commonplace, but is getting more attention and interest from the public, and 3D printers are being introduced into classrooms, offices and homes due to their versatility,causing a gap between the demand for 3D printers and supply of experts, specialists, who understand 3D printing and know how to operate those machines, flying in the face of the fact that desktop 3D printers are becoming more and more user-friendly. All this makes teaching 3D printing technology a lucrative business.

That concludes the list of ways to make a living off 3D printing.

Any questions or ideas? Leave us a comment. We would love to hear from you.

Can you define Artificial Intelligence(AI)?

The word “Artificial Intelligence(AI)” hits the brain. First of all, it is the ability of machines to behave probably like humans.  It is an algorithm with several numbers of code lines. Due to which machines are able to behave, perform, and make decisions like humans. Therefore, it is also called as “Machine learning”.

As the name, here machines made to learn, collect information, analyze it, made to make a decision, and perform the required task on its own ability. So, nowadays there are lots of developments taking place in this field. As a result, we can experience AI in our day to day lives. For example smartphones with face, fingerprint, voice recognition, and smart assistants like Google assistance, Siri on Apple, etc. Similarly, in electronics Alexa by Amazon, Google homes, Google Now.

Finally, today’s topic how the combination of AI and 3D printing going to help additive manufacturing(AM)? Is AI gone help the 3D printing process? If yes then how.

Merge AI and 3D Printing?

What’s the result, combining AI and 3D printing technologies with additive manufacturing. Whenever a new technology is built, it comes with pros and cons of its own. Hence, let’s see the chemistry between AI and 3D printing in brief?. The aim is to see what can be done? How it’s gone to help 3D printing? and finally, its disadvantages.

3D software with AI

Any 3D printing project requires 3D software to complete the print. The software is used for a 3D model, which is CAD software. So, AI will be very useful in modeling the 3D design. In order to get the desirable print. Solidworks recently came up with Solidworks  Xdesign, along with AI. Therefore Autodesk built Dreamcatcher. This software can develop hundreds of designs in a few hours.

AI-based software help to detect errors quickly and easily in real-time. Due to which there will be no loss of time and prevent waste prints.

One of the companies based in London, AI Build developed an automated AI-based 3D printer. The printer with a smart extruder that helps to detect problems. The “AiMaker” is a 3D printer that comes with a robotic end-effector which is attached to industrial robotic-arm. Hence, able to 3D print large objects with great accuracy and high precision. Through its sensors and camera’s collects the data by advanced AI algorithm. Therefore, helps to solve problems and make a decision for achieving the best print quality.

Automatic 3D Printers

By automatic 3D printing workflow, high precision and can have great reproducibility. So, these 2 problems can be overcome by AI, which are the biggest problems of additive manufacturing.

A team from the College of Science from Purdue got support from the National Science Foundation. The team developed a new model building algorithm and computer application for geometric accuracy that will potentially increase the part of printing. The technology quickly helps to print with high precision and accuracy. It even works with different machines and for traditional printing.

Next is an example of an automated 3D printing workflow. 3D printing should undergo several steps, from the creation of a CAD file, undergoing preparation of slicing software, and then final print. AMFG ( Autonomous Manufacturing) a London-based company offers the best solutions for this. At AMFG to automate all the manual tasks such as data collection, cost tracking, planning construction. The software is used to optimize production capacity by machine utilization, planning production orders all of this is improved by AI automatically. Material selection can also be automated, based on the requirements the part to be printed. The software makes a recommendation on the material for the best results.

One more example, a project Artificial Intelligence in 3D printing, Real-time 3D printing control. The author of the project Mr.Reino Iuganson was studying Materials processing technology. For more information on the project Click here.

Therefore, still, there are many steps that require human interventions so the company is also trying to overcome them slowly. Post-processing is one of those steps. So, it is important to automate that step.

The new range of materials and designs

The sequence of AI and 3D printing will bring new material and design that will be helpful for them. The new range may be compatible with the industrial sectors. For Aerospace you always need high-temperature materials. Therefore, one of the best examples of this is led by Prof. Ing. Frank Brückner, Head of the Business Area Generating, the futureAM project launched by the Fraunhofer Institute IWS in 2017. The printing counted at Fraunhofer and AMCD(Additive Manufacturing Center Dresden) for aircraft. ” The engines operate at high temperatures where performing more effectively. As a result, most of the materials won’t fail at temperatures above 1200 degrees.

Some new high-performance materials require fine-tuning of these very complex materials of all process parameters. Finally, AI comes in the picture where data is collected through the sensors of 3D printing. And, then they are analyzed using AI to identify the errors then they are fixed using humans which are not recognizable. The task takes too long to analyze the large data but AI can process it within seconds.

Another example of optimizing the 3D printing process given by a startup Printsyst. The Printsyst is effectively trying to do best with its AI engine. The patented AI algorithm is to identify the functionality of the parts and improve them to provide the best print results. With the previous project experience of successfully integrated additive manufacturing. Through which it can estimate component costs, manufacturing and delivery times. It can also help to improve the quality of the printed product. This increases productivity and reduces error risks.

Finally, there are tons of examples related to the merging of AI and 3D printing. Are you fearing the association between these two?.

Menace of merging AI and 3D printing

Any new technology comes with pros and cons, also with the number of risks. As we know that already in the 3D printed world printed gun and about AI they can overtake the humans. Now think if these 2 are made one what’s the result?. As a result, we know that 3D technology can reproduce many objects. When combined with AI then our privacy and safety could be at great risk. You can learn about Astro dog is the best example. What happens if it goes beyond it?

But on the other, we can see the benefits, after the combination of AI and 3D printing technology. So, people are experimenting with what is possible or not?

Future of combining AI and 3D printing technologies

Finally, we are at the end of the discussion, we know that these 2 technologies are going to play major roles in the upcoming years and that’s not far away. When they are combined, the process will be faster and smarter. The AI algorithms are going to reduce the manual process and repetitive process.

As a result, it is still in its inception stage, think when it can make wonders in its early stages. When it comes to the adult stage it can do thinks that we can’t even imagine. The combination of AI and 3D printing may bring smart innovation, increases productivity, more efficient and bring companies a competitive edge. They can bring a wonderful innovation together and that’s for sure. What do you think?

Make the best of Geeetech 3D printer only @ Geeetech official site

History of 3D Bioprinting

Why 3D Bioprinting?. In contrast, to the invention of SLA (stereolithography) in the year 1984 by ”  Chunk Charles Hull“, and due to the lack of organ donors. 3D bioprinting came into the picture, 1988 when  Doctor Robert J. Klebe presented his work Cytoscribing. Hence, a technique of micro-positioning the cells to create tissues in 2 or 3 dimensions using Inkjet printer.

As a result, a researcher from the University of Wake Forest Professor Anthony Atala followed the footsteps of Dr. Robert forged first bio-printed organ, that’s kidney in 2002.

In 2003, the first-ever 3d printing organs introduced. Due to the efforts done by Thomas Boland of Clemson University.  As a result, he got patents for using Inkjet printing for cells.

The initial findings of him, cellular structures using 3D printing known-as Bioprinting. Therefore, led to the development in the production of tissues and organ structures. So, this led to more aggressive research in the field of organ transplants.

3D Printing Bio-Inks

The on-going development in the field of 3D printing is bioprinting which is one of the main sections of the additive manufacturing world. These bio-inks are helpful for patients who require transplants. Therefore, due to the lack of donors with an increasing number of patients need a transplant. To reduce these people started a journey towards bioprinting.

As a result, every year many people wait for a perfect matched transplant of the organ. That may take too long, even some of them die waiting for the transplant. So, there is a huge demand for the organs but, chances of getting them are lower than you even imagine. That’s how the story of patients require an organ transplant. As per the information provided by the World Health Organization in 2008. The data analyzed for 104 countries, that spoke for 90% of the population worldwide. Therefore, around 100,800 people needed solid organ transplants.

In 2018, one of the Biomedicine agency of France performed analysis. That data looks like 5,781 transplants performed while 22,000 patients are still waiting.

In The Making Of 3D Bio-Inks

Hence, you might be thinking what are these 3D bio-inks? In creating these bioprinting 3D printing plays an important role. Cells and biomaterials are paired together with layer-by-layer deposition to form cellular structures that certainly should have similar properties of the human tissues. Undergoing this process may require N-number of bio-inks to conceive the original tissue structure.

Furthermore, advancement is required in this field to successfully establish a human organ. If this is succeeded then it seems like the future of the medicine is going to rock the lives of the patients. So, for this many companies, universities, laboratories, and industries have already participated in this ongoing race.

Methods Of  3D Bio-printing

Above all, there are lots of challenges that one should face while printing the organs. The biggest challenge among them is high cost and people don’t have any idea or complete knowledge of it. There are several techniques to bioprinting those people came across let’s discuss them. Due to these new emerging methods may lead us to success.

Inkjet Bio-printer

The bioprinting technology is mostly based on classic inkjet prints. Therefore, even slight alteration made to FDM 3D printers. To obtain similar prints as that of inkjet printers. In this method, the bio-ink materials are deposited layer-by-layer and there are called biotins. On a hydrogel support or a culture plate, these biotins are placed.

The technology is even classified into thermal and piezoelectric method. Both methods are based on biotins. In thermal technology, heat helps to make air bubbles. When busted that provides pressure to vomit ink drops. Likewise, piezoelectric use electric charges that rack up in solid materials. In this method, piezoelectric polycrystalline ceramic present in each nozzle, if used too many damages cell membranes. Scientists successfully progressed in printing molecules, cells & membranes using this process, even stepped in the study of cancer & its treatment.

In 2010, the company named Organovo built the first laboratory of 3D printing. Organovo collaborate & started working with Invetech developers to create the first bioprint. Organovo being the leader linger bone tissue & liver tissue printing. The company uses inkjet prints and currently working on reproducing human tissue for the liver. That will repair the damaged parts of the liver, this will extend the life of the organ till the patients get a transplant.

SLA( Stereolithography)

The process has the highest precision in manufacturing. The technology uses ultraviolet light to stiffen the photopolymers. To control the light intensity the process uses digital micromirror arrays. Moreover, the process suitable for the production of layer-by-layer hydrogels that are sensitive to light. The printing time depends on the thickness of the print.

The disadvantages of using this method are more compared to others. The technique needs development due to a lack of biocompatibility &  biodegradability of polymers. The harmful effects of toxic reagents, UV rays that may cause skin cancer, and unable to remove print medium structure.

Bioprinting By Extrusion

In this process, the biomaterial is extruded by coordinating the movement of a pressure piston or a micro-needle above a fixed support. The biomaterials used are generally solutions. We need to assemble the 3D model to complete it after the layer-by-layer extrusion. One of the advantages is that it provides room temperature treatment. The most popular bioprinters use this technique. It is the evolution of inkjet bioprinting like the EnvisionTec Bioplotter.

Laser Assistant Bioprinting

The process is distributed in 3 parts: a laser source, a plastic film of biological material and a receiver. The process uses a laser as the main source of energy to deposit biomaterial in a receptor. The illumination of film thus causes evaporation. The liquid biomaterial in the form of drops go-to receiver. The substrate contains a bio-polymer or cell culture to overcome cell adhesion. As a result, helps to develop them.

The unique advantage of laser bioprinting is the nozzle-free & contactless process. It also enables high-resolution cell printing & droplet control of biotin.

The French leader Poietis has successfully recreated hair in partnership with L’oreal. It allows precisely deposited cells in a particular geometry. Therefore French are even trying to recreate hair follicles. The solution for growing hair and alopecia problems.

Acoustic Wave Bio-printing

Uses kind of acoustic tweezers, a microfluidic system in which each cell is manipulated, and superficial acoustic waves. This process helped researchers to identify where the waves would meet. At the meeting point, waves form the knot which helps to capture individual cells. Then collected to form 2D and 3D models. The process provides high performance in terms of movement precision. The method was developed by Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania State University, and MIT.

The technique needs development, a few months ago new application that is a functional ovary by the University of Northwest, in Illinois. Spanish researchers developed human skin. Hence, there are many more.

SWIFT Process

The abbreviation of SWIFT is Sacrificial Writing Into Functional Tissue. Process researched by Harvard Wyss Institute a new bio-printing technique. The method in which bio-impression of blood vessels on living tissue. It prints vascular channels in the living matrices composed of building blocks of organs taken from the stem cells. SWIFT is an easy process, which only focuses on printing the vessels. Those are build living tissue rather than creating an entire organ. The prints are made from the patient’s own cells. Used for therapeutic medicine to repair and replace human organs.

Problems Of 3D Bioprinting

The 3D bioprinting may cure the patients by all means, but only when there is a compatible match of the organ that needs to be transplanted. Even after, prefect compatibility if the body doesn’t support the artificial organ than what?. Still lot of research should be made on these aspects 3D bioprinting.

Another problem is speed and increase in the resolution. Higher resolution provides better interaction, compatibility, and control of 3D microenvironment. Speeding up may provide commercially available to all the needy.

The choice of the cell source is very important for bioprinting of the organs. If the choice of cell source is wrong then the entire process is in danger. So, the process needs more focus on all these aspects.

Future Of 3D Bioprinting

Bioprinting has a brighter future than any other technology. Due to its widespread applications in almost all the sectors. Now, even it is uplifting itself in the field of bioprinting. After successfully printing the heart, cornea, cartilage, bones, tissues, liver and skin.  Still, it has a long way to go. With the help of other powerful technology AI, the researches and scientists can easily identify perfect cell sources, combinations of biomaterials.

In the upcoming decade, we might see the success of the 3D bioprinting. That will be considered as the greatest advancement in the medical field with more 3D prints, and organ transplants. In turn, going to help needy patients. There is still a lot to discover by the researchers and scientists. But, this dream will be true as soon as possible.

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Past History & Developments in 3D Printing

In the early days, the 3D Printing was known-as Rapid Prototyping(RP) technology. It was product development within certain industries to create prototypes. Dr. Hideo Kodama was a Japanese Lawyer to file a patent for RP technology but due to his bad luck, it failed by some reasons. Then in the year 1984, the major advancements took place in this field by Chunk Charles Hull’s invented SLA (stereolithography) through which 3D models were created using digital data files completely built-in 1992. On the other hand, SLS (Selective laser sintering) came to the picture.

After this many of them got familiar with 3D printing. The first-ever 3D printed organ human bladder made drastic changes in this field. The RepRap(Replication Rapid-Prototyper) invented by Dr. Adrian Bowyer in 2005. It is also called as Open Source Movement. This was when 3D printing came in the limelight of the audience. The potential 3D printing was so high that it led to the launch of website Kickstarter in 2009 which is the largest creative and merchandising global crowdfunding platform.

People were curious to learn more about 3D printing technology. After its evolution in 1999-2010 incredible wanders. Technology started to step the doors of each person. People started to learn it, tried to get familiar, and created immensely great things, designs and many more.

Modernization due to 3D printing in 2019

Advances in 3D printing in the past decade were quite amazing. Let’s have a look at major trends in 3D printing one by one. In what all fields it has set the benchmark.

1. Bio-Prints

The 3D printing made fabulous innovations in the field of pharma. As you all know the first-ever 3D human organ was invented that led to further innovations. Later tremendous innovations took place in the field of medicine.

The Israeli researchers and scientists first-ever 3D printed heart on April 15, 2019. That was a miniature 3D printed heart made from human cells but the heart that can’t beat, so can’t be used for human transplantation for now. But it gave new hope that scientists might invent such a heart which can be used to save many lives.

Even 3D printed living tissues were developed with various advancements in technology. Researchers are trying to ease the 3D printing technology and develop the organs that might help in the coming future for living creatures. The tissues are successfully tested and implanted in lab animals, they are working fine. Soon success can be seen in tissues that can be implanted in humans.

Pharma field has found lots of advancements after the World’s first 3D printed drug was approved by the FDA that is Spritam. The 3D printed medication can help patients in many ways. How 3D printed medication can help?

Now, 3D printed cornea can be used for transplant without making any delay for the needy. After the invention of the world’s first human cornea in the year 2018, lots of advancements are taking place.

3D printing is also evolving in the field of dental. It has made tremendous advancements even in this field. So we can save many lives in the future through 3D printing and its innovations.

2. DIY Prosthesis

The DIY & well-customized prosthesis can help people with lost body parts such as legs, hands, arms, and even facial construction is possible using 3D printers. These also reduced the commercial cost of the prosthesis. And are now available for use by printing through normal 3D printers.

These prostheses can be customized according to the needs of the patient’s body structure. They are lighter, stronger, cheap and perfect fit. The designs that are not available in the market or produced by the medical industries.

Many volunteers are joining hands to help the needy by designing and distributing through e-Nable website that is lead by e-Nable volunteers organization. Now by seeing this even engineers and scientists joined the hands with volunteers organization from all over the world. Even there are some companies trying to make prostheses for animals or pets.

3. Musical Instruments

You can print instruments using 3D printers. One of the examples of the 3D printed instrument that made a buzz on the internet last year is the Zero 3D printed Guitar. Also, known as Worl’s first 3D printed Guitar that is eco-friendly can be made from waste.

These are even cost-effective and light in weight with stylish customizable designs. That provides a modern cool look with the best properties and sound.

4. Mass Production

For on-demand mass production and design, each and every company is heading towards 3D printing. This technology is not only helping industries in mass production but also making a profit to the companies by taking lesser time to produce the products, not much money is required, no labor cost and if, production is high then sales will be more if more sales then more profit.

So many of the companies are trying to implement 3D printing technology for mass production and design. Even some countries like the US and Australia are using 3D printers for making military products and testing the maintenance of navy vessels.

5. Progressive New Materials

As many of us can see that there are a variety of 3D printers and filaments. With these people keep experimenting and they stumble on finding something new every now and then. Many universities, companies, and the military is trying to experiment with the 3D printers. Some of the examples are US military is on a mission to innovate composite ceramic body armor using 2 different ceramic and also succeeded in producing standard armor.

Researchers at the University of Boston created a metamaterial that helps to improve the MRI scan quality and speed. There are many more such examples where 3D printing is continuously making an effort to provide better and useful new materials.

6. Shelter Homes

To build a home it takes months to years for completion. And for construction companies to build a complete apartment it may take several years.  But through 3D printing made their job easy and time-consuming. The startup company Apis Cor build a 3D printed home within 24 hours and there are many other examples.

These homes can be lighter, cost-effective, stronger, good quality and less time-consuming. With all the safety measures the house will be completed in one day. Also, these printers are movable and can be moved anywhere.

7. Aircraft and pilotless aircrafts

On YouTube, you might have seen many hobbyists have done fabulous jobs in these fields. The hobbyists create all their parts using 3D printers. So they are trying to customize them in a way they want. Due to their advancements using 3D printers even military and aircraft industries are interested and try to catch their hack of making drones and aircraft parts.

Hence, by using 3D printing the parts are lighter, stronger, efficient and with greater advancement than the traditional one. Some companies already started to work on it. If this is possible then they can create drones within a week of time. We will get well-designed, hallow in nature, and completely sealed aerospace parts in lesser time.

 8. Electronics

Many companies trying to 3D print electronics to create nano-scale electronic goods. Even these electronics should be tiny, flexible and thin. So that all the electronic goods should get cheaper and functional electronics.

Not an end, but a new beginning

The technology so far nailed itself in each and every sector. All the sectors from cars- aircraft, machines- massive production, electronics- gadgets, food-kitchen, clothing-dresses, medical-dental, and so on.

Hence, the future of 3D printing is very bright enough to outstand with other technologies. In the upcoming years, we might see 3D printed cars, hearts that might beat, aircraft, drones, gadgets, and all products. Therefore more customizable and affordable products which are not available now or we haven’t see them before.

I hope there are lots of exciting things or innovations of 3d printing gone come and we have to wait with our eyes focused. That will make our lives easier, comfortable, and affordable. This change might not be an end but can be a new beginning for good or bad. Let’s look out for further great 3D printing innovations this year.

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