Investigating The Operational And Economic Effectiveness Of 3D Printing Technology For Manufacturing In An Essay.

Discuss about the Commercializes 3D Printing in Aviation.

You are the Head of ICT in a medium-sized manufacturing organisation that was established around 10 years ago. The Head Office of your organisation is based in an industrial suburb of Melbourne in Victoria. Currently your organisation has both retail and corporate clients, and has various retail branches within Victoria and is just starting to move into online business operations. At the moment the organisation is mainly producing computers and printers for businesses in Victoria. The organisation is now exploring options to expand the business in the next five years to other States of Australia and to the Oceania region, as well as expand its e-commerce (on-line) activities. As a part of their expansion plans the organisation wants to look at the prospect of expanding into the use of 3D printing to create products cheaply and effectively. They feel that is a way that the business could expand without the need to create a large amount of infrastructure in other locations across Australia and in the Oceania region. They are concerned about the security, authentication and other technology problems that it may face as it looks to expand its business.

The CEO of your organisation has recently heard about 3D Printing Technology and its various uses in manufacturing. She has asked you to investigate the technology and types of applications that use 3D Printing Technology with the prospect of deciding if 3D Printing Technology would be an efficient and effective way to expand the business. You have to complete this investigation in the next three weeks and draft a report with some recommendations for the next Executive Management meeting.

3D printing is increasingly becoming one of the most disruptive technologies of the 21^st Century. The key benefits lie in its use for cost-effective manufacturing of products in a way that allows the designers to first test their design solutions before rolling them out for full scale commercial manufacturing. The technology is changing the ways manufacturing businesses operate; it opens up new avenues and possibilities that allow companies to better achieve their corporate goals. However, much of the benefits is still anecdotal; there is a need for thorough and systematic investigation of the potential and evidence-based benefits of the technology prior to decisions to commit to its investment and utilization. This report aims to meet this need.

The purpose of this report was to investigate the operational effectiveness and economic efficiency of the use of 3D printing technology for the manufacturing of products. The report presents discussions on the technology and types of 3D printing, benefits of the technology and its applications in medical and manufacturing industries. The report also looks at the key issues and limitations of 3D printing technology. Recommendations are provided to guide corporate decision on whether or not to invest in the technology as a strategic means for achieving its operational and goals.

Types of 3D Printing Technology

Investigations were based on in depth review of existing literature and other secondary information sources with a view to synthesizing the current state of knowledge on the key aspects being investigated.

The 3D printer technology is also called additive manufacturing. A procedure involves the development of three-dimensional objects that are solid from a digital file. The 3d development incorporates the use of additive methods.  The additive process involves the creation of an object is done by successively laying down layers of materials until the whole object is formed. The layers are visualized in the form of a thinly sliced horizontal cross section. The printing works through the development of a virtual design that one would want to create, the designs comprise computer-aided design.  It involves the help of a 3D scanner. 3D printers take plans from the PC and apply them on this present reality objects. 3D scanners are likewise used to examine a question or plan and make a 3D model of it at that point print it on the material utilizing a 3D printer. The technology has entered the business sectors of Australia and has a tendency to completely build up the modern world through its ability and reasonableness. It can be demonstrated as groundbreaking for a large number of the organizations, business purposes and even local employment. At the display, it may appear to be hard to comprehend the genuine employments of the technology and the across the board of employment that is anticipated (AlAli, Griffin & Butler, 2015).

3D printing can incredibly change the economy of China and Australia due to its inventive uses and reasonableness. These printing innovations can upset the assembling segment particularly the little scale enterprises which create plastic items, for example, holders, catches, brushes and so on once the 3D printers wind up moderate and famous, these articles could without much of a stretch be supplanted by the 3D printed objects. The economy of China can absolutely change once the costs of 3D printing diminish. Additionally, 3D printing could get colossal changes the directions of the web use as there will be controls practised on what individuals are permitted to print and so forth.

3D printing is also named as added substance fabricating as it alludes to the way toward printing a three dimensional protest of any shape utilizing advanced technology. It is called added substance fabricating in light of the fact that the printing is finished utilizing layers of materials which are set down in an unexpected way. This strategy is an advanced method which contrasts from various perspectives from the machine strategies that were customarily utilized. The conventional techniques depended on the strategies including evacuation of materials, for example, cutting (de Jong & de Bruijn, 2013). This is the reason they were known as subtractive procedures while 3D printing is known as added substance process. This paper centers on various research around 3D printing advances and its applications in different modern fields.

Applications of 3D Printing Technology in Medical and Manufacturing Industries

The 3D printing utilizes the advanced technology and these printers were at first made by China. These printers came in the late 1980's and as far back as then they have been progressively utilized everywhere throughout the world. In the start of the 21st century, as the computerized technology turned out to be more well-known and propelled, the development in the offers of the 3D printers was significantly watched (Manning et al., 2018). The offers of these printers expanded in different parts of the world where they were utilized for new and imaginative purposes. Steadily, as the deals and the request developed, the expenses of these printers fell enormously since they were first fabricated. A portion of the reasons for which these machines were utilized were in modern uses, design, adornments, aviation, building, restorative, instruction, data frameworks and numerous others

There are numerous advantages and applications of 3D printing which is the reason it is enormously utilized as a part of the world today. Numerous originators utilize the 3D printing strategies to quickly outline the ideas and transform them into 3D models or fast prototyping. It likewise takes into consideration the quick plan changes which empower the fashioners to complete their work quickly and easily utilizing the up and coming innovations. The makers are likewise permitted to create the items quickly on request as opposed to on the substantial run, which additionally builds the administration of the adequate measure of stock and decreases the distribution centre space (Tack et al., 2016). 3D printing methods can help the general population living in remote areas to create the items that would be difficult to reach to them generally. 3D printing must be a onetime cost in light of the fact that once the creators and organizations have purchased the apparatus for 3D printing; they can spare a ton of material and cash which is utilized as a part of subtractive methods of assembling. The material in this system is penetrated, cut and shaved off; henceforth crude material can be squandered. 3D printing is favoured likewise in light of the fact that it enables the articles to change the idea of assembling for instance by enabling the clients to download the documents utilized as a part of printing 3D questions in their own particular homes including electronic gadgets (Custer, 2013).

Not only these enterprises but rather the flying and car businesses additionally to a great extent utilize the 3D printing strategies to create parts. Additionally, craftsmen utilize these printers to influence figures and engineers to make models for their activities. Archaeologists make 3D outputs of delicate ancient rarities and after that print the duplicate of the protest. Similarly the scientists' copy, for example, a skeleton of the dinosaur for the show. 3D printing is utilized by the doctors to make portable hearing assistants, prosthetics, bone drafts, fake teeth and they can likewise reproduce models utilizing 3D strategies of organs, and inner structures of the body appeared in CT outputs to get ready for surgeries. 3D printers can make numerous models and models from the PC helped plan illustrations. Creators generally utilize these printers to make models, models and furthermore the last items. There are numerous things that come within the scope of these items. These things are shoe outlines, wax castings for gems making, furniture plans, instruments, blessing things and toys. There are a few different things utilized as a part of the day to day life of individuals which are delivered utilizing 3D printing procedures (Griffith, 2012). This causes the planners to make new outlines, quickly deliver them and make them alluring for the clients.

Key Issues and Limitations of 3D Printing Technology

Today the architecture world is incomplete without 3D printing, designing and tessellations. The technology advancement has brought us to a situation where nothing can be done without the use of computer software. Thus, the ideas have become more complex and creative while the execution has become faster and easier. Tessellations provide many benefits to the architects as well as the clients and the new designs such as the London City Hall and the Louvre in Paris show that tessellation can contribute to creating landmarks. These buildings have their own importance and beauty which is loved and commonly demanded nowadays. These buildings save space and energy consumption by the advanced techniques used. If all modern architects start using these techniques, many benefits can be enjoyed.

3D printing helps in rapid prototyping that is a collection of techniques purposed to quickly manufacture mockups and then operational parts for testing or demonstration. Making these operating parts are made with the help of 3D printing technique where the process starts with first creating 3D solid. The solid is then sliced into layers which are then scanned into lines, mimicking the layer to layer physical building process (Gu et al., 2015).

Additionally, Texas Company is researching on the possibility of preparing food in space using the 3D printing technology. Food preparation in space would help to improve life support mechanisms including managing means of feeding the crew during their deep space missions. The Texas Company is researching to enhance food stability for long durations, safety, variety, acceptability and nutrition stability for space missions. Additive manufacturing provides promising opportunities to acquire the best means of food and other basic needs during deep space missions. For example, ongoing research shows the possibility of developing 3D printed meat. Moreover, 3D printing has shown the possibility of developing a bionic ear with an antenna to facilitate them in responding to sound stimuli. The research aims at establishing the combination of electronics and bionic products, but the artificial ear is not designed to replace the natural ones.

However, 3D printing has many limitations that include limited materials; the processed products are not totally accurate, the high cost of the technology, the limited size of manufactured products, moral limitations and production limitations. For example, the process of processing artificial ear is degraded Gods work of creation that is immoral. Furthermore, he prepared products are mostly for testing or demonstrating and thus their accuracy is questionable. In addition, the production process is questionable because the whole process takes minutes to produce large quantities of products and the production date or stamp must be misleading. Other materials that can be used are metals such as gold but the research on their use has not yet been accomplished.

Recommendations

Fixed controls are critical in light of the fact that later on the 3D technology can likewise be utilized to make weapons and their ammo which are illicit in China. In this manner, controlled directions are essential to ensure that China's economy is under control and controls. Blades, holders and explosives may likewise be made which must be controlled. Nonetheless, 3D printing in China and Australia can bring an extremely positive and gainful change in their economy and general frameworks. The 3D printers can repair anything from autos to medicinal issues of human bodies (Cho et al., 2018).

Notwithstanding the use of the technology in an assortment of segments on the planet, the design is another field that is helped by the technology. The development business is described by the utilization of a few machines yet principally work with a few devices for the reason building up a specific need. The building squares are collected together as per the designer's details to think of the coveted structure. The heading of progression in the technology could permit the evasion of the pre-creation to organize in the development business and consider the manufacture of the physical model by the printer. It could likewise help on the factor of efficient with regards to the production of the 3D model of the structures. The 3D printing could permit a quicker making of the models with enhanced exactness using laser shafts. The models made would help in the real development process with the essential slip-ups noted and redressed utilizing the model. Moreover, the mechanical progression could permit, or production of huge printers that utilizing the coveted material can print a whole building and along these lines effortlessly make a bequest.

• Aviation and automotive industries such as Toyota and Nissan also largely use the 3D printing techniques to produce parts for their different products.
• 3D printing is used by the physicians to make hearing aids, prosthetics, bone drafts, artificial teeth and they can also replicate models using 3D techniques of organs, and internal structures of the body shown in CT scans to prepare for surgeries
• Moreover, artists use 3D printers to make sculptures and architects make models for their projects.
• Archaeologists make 3D scans of fragile artifacts and then print the copy of the object. In the same way the paleontologists duplicate, such as a skeleton of the dinosaur for display.

An additive technology in the 3D printing, objects are not developed from the selective addition of material as opposed to the moulding of subtractive machining. 3D develops objects from cross-sections in the new 3D printer they are built as a monolithic arrangement or from subcomponents. The new Hp 3D technologies have two great features they possess machines that smooth parts with excellent details and also produce excellent strength. Hp Multi-jet fusion technology is the new brand and technology; it offers lucrative services such as excellent speed and good control over properties and parts found in other 3D printing procedures. It works through a layout of a thin layer of material in the working area. Besides, it has a carriage that has an Hp thermal Inkjet connecting left and right, printing along the area of work. It transforms each layer direction of carriages for optimum productivity (Hodgdon et al., 2018).

Methodology

The equipment is one of the leading and easy to obtain quality models easily for visualization any prototyping testing. It also uses additive manufacturing technology in displaying successive layers that are ABS to come up with a print up of three dimensions. The up mini 3D printer is effective it prints out at conveniences and gives the print out any time one wants it (Inition, 2012).

3D with the metal is an 1880’s printing method. The printing is applicable in the construction of worn motor shafts. In addition, spray welding gravity fed powdered metal has was applied in conjunction with oxygen acetylene torch. The technology has developed over time NASA developed a selective metal technique that has been successful in the building of rocket motor components out of steel. In future, the metal printing technology will offer high-resolution parts (Li et al., 2016).

There are many file types used in the 3D printing, but they are also dependent on the design software used, the type of particular brands of printers and the 3D scanners compatibility. The common file types sent to the 3D printers are; STL, the standard file type connects with 3D printers and CAD software.  Also the OBJ format it signifies 3D geometry, it is used because many design software’s accepts this file. X3G file is also used because of its compatibility with most 3Dprinters. Lastly, PLY is also used because they are scanner generated models that have to be transferred to design software before they are transferred to 3D for printing. The format name of the new 3D printer is 3MF consortium; the format will ease 3D printing and will successfully run Windows ten operating system (Jiayi, 2013).

Whatever we make using 3d printing technology like helpful field develops the organs or military makes machines or masters make improvement contraptions, it will be generally particularly humble than the initial ones and with a couple of changes in the technology, it will be to a great degree upgraded later on. 3D printing strategies are propelling step by step however yet they have not been progressing enough that they are utilized for large-scale manufacturing. At present their speed is moderate and this restricts their utilization. There are numerous apparatuses used to conquer this issue, for example, by utilizing machines that consolidate with printers and increment their speed. This can be to print the various hues, numerous prints in the meantime and utilizing distinctive polymers. The point is to expand the printing speed while printing numerous articles and utilizing less cost of capital than two machines as a solitary controller might be utilized. New printers likewise offer two print heads with a specific end goal to build the speed and creation amount at one time (Murphy & Atala, 2014).

The 3D printing technology is to a great extent being utilized around the world. It started in America yet it has a broad scope of its apparatus and uses in China and Australia. Specialists and industrialists have utilized the new technology in China as the progressive 3D printing fabricating were progressing. Keeping in mind the end goal to start the propelled technology of 3D printing everywhere on a China, numerous colleges, for example, Beijing University is chipping away at an examination which would analyze the business sources that are a leap forward for the 3D printing systems to deliver huge segments for aircraft (Wang, 2017).

Conclusion

Currently, 3D printing has evolved to manufacture many products that have attracted high adoption of this innovation. The advantages of using additive manufacturing outweigh the disadvantage thus encouraging more people to adopt the technology. Besides many applications in various fields, the technology recycles wastes that are generated by any process of modelling which makes the technology environmentally friendly.

References

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Cho, W., Job, A. V., Chen, J., & Baek, J. H. (2018). A review of current clinical applications of three-dimensional printing in spine surgery. Asian Spine Journal, 12(1), 171-177. doi:https://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/10.4184/asj.2018.12.1.171

Custer C. (2013). How will 3D printing change China. Assessed online on March 12, https://www.techinasia.com/3d-printing-change-china/

Griffith C. (2012). Entry-level 3D printers are coming to market for about $1000. Assessed online on October 23, https://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/exec-tech/d-modelling-can-be-a-precarious-process/story-e6frgazf-1226500969291

Gu, Q., Hao, J., Lu, Y., Wang, L., Wallace, G. G., & Zhou, Q. (2015). Three-dimensional bio-printing. Science China.Life Sciences, 58(5), 411-419. doi:https://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/10.1007/s11427-015-4850-3

Hodgdon, T., Danrad, R., Patel, M. J., Smith, S. E., Richardson, M. L., Ballard, D. H., . . . Decker, S. J. (2018). Logistics of three-dimensional printing: Primer for radiologists. Academic Radiology, 25(1), 40-51. doi:https://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/10.1016/j.acra.2017.08.003

INITION. (2012). 3D Printing in Australia is on the up! Assessed online on December 03, https://thinglab.com.au/news/up-printer-australia

Jiayi L. (2013). China commercializes 3D printing in aviation. Assessed online on February 18, https://www.zdnet.com/cn/china-commercializes-3d-printing-in-aviation-7000011377/

Li, J., Chen, M., Fan, X., & Zhou, H. (2016). Recent advances in bioprinting techniques: Approaches, applications and future prospects. Journal of Translational Medicine, 14doi:https://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/10.1186/s12967-016-1028-0

Murphy, S. V., & Atala, A. (2014). 3D bioprinting of tissues and organs. Nature Biotechnology, 32(8), 773-85. doi:https://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/10.1038/nbt.2958

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Wang, S., Wang, L., Liu, Y., Ren, Y., Jiang, L., Li, Y., . . . Li, H. (2017). 3D printing technology used in severe hip deformity. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 14(3), 2595. doi:https://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/10.3892/etm.2017.4799