3D Printing and Product Design

Sydney Living Museum's 3D-printed death mask of the legendary Captain Moonlight and Dita Von Teese's 3D-printed gown testify to the versatility of the increasingly popular 3D-printing technology. Keenly noted in industries ranging from car manufacturing to consumer electronics, that versatility is increasingly being harnessed to revolutionize product design.

As reported by USA Today, the versatility of 3D printing is particularly appreciated at the Ford Motor Company's Dearborn, Mich., design facility, where the technology is used to make prototypes and models of everything from transmissions to engine covers. Designers at the facility also exploit the versatility of 3D printers to make slight variations of the same component for testing, a process that is typically many times harder when using conventional processes.

That benefit is linked to the other way 3D printing is changing the world of product design: making it easier to detect design flaws. In many industries, catching design flaws involves taking prototypes through torturous tests, and the process tends to be lengthy and expensive when using conventional prototyping methods. For instance, Ford Motor Company designers and engineers would take four months and $500,000 to produce an engine intake manifold prototype using conventional custom machine tools. As of October 2014, the same component can be completed in four days at the far lower cost of $3,000 using 3D printing. It is such numbers, among other factors, that are increasingly drawing businesses to 3D printing. The reduction in both cost and time means designers even in small, cash-starved startups can iterate multiple variations of the same component as they work to weed out problems in their products.

The increasing adoption of 3D printing is also forcing changes in software development. 3D-printed products begin life as models on a computer screen, so specialized software is needed to create those models. According to Green Biz, low-cost and free software is increasingly used to create 3D models. In response, Autodesk, the company behind the popular AutoCAD computer program, released a free 3D-modeling demo application in 2013. Dassault Systemes, a French company also famed for its CAD software, has a collaborative cloud-based community design platform called 3DVIA.

The collaborative approach to product design has become a popular way of monetizing 3D designs. For instance, Quirky, a product development company located in Manhattan, allows innovators to post product designs on its website. Participating community members then suggest refinements to the design. The product is then prototyped, manufactured and sold, and the revenue is shared between Quirky, innovators and community members. Makerbot's Thingiverse community operates on a modified form of the same model, allowing users to post free designs for download and eventual 3D printing.

3D printing has companies racing to ensure that current and future workers are comfortable with the technology and its associated product design software platforms. A number of companies are not only training employees but also sponsoring or providing training labs in educational institutions.

Due to its versatility and lower costs, 3D printing is becoming an increasingly popular way to revolutionize product design in industries as varied as fashion and car manufacturing. Even the most traditional of crafts have not remained immune to the march of this technology. 3D printing has changed the way companies, designers and the general public think about product design, prototyping and manufacturing.

Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net