Aug 25, 2015 | By Simon

As the world's leading information technology research and advisory company, Stamford, Connecticut-based Gartner, Inc certainly knows a thing or two about trends that are happening in the additive manufacturing space.  

While we all know that 3D printing has been advancing steadily in recent year, few us actually know where or why, yet some recent insight from Gartner just might explain why.  

In a newly-released “Hype Cycle for 3D Printing 2015” report from the company, Gartner researchers are claiming that a large amount of 3D printing growth in the past year has been linked to advancements in medical applications and certain specialist applications are already becoming the norm in medical care.   

"In the healthcare industry, 3D printing is already in mainstream use to produce medical items that need to be tailored to individuals, such as hearing aids and dental devices," said Pete Basiliere, a research director at Gartner.

"All of the major hearing aid manufacturers now offer devices that are personalized to the shape of the customer's ear.  This is evidence that using 3D printing for mass customization of consumer goods is now viable, especially given that the transition from traditional manufacturing in this market took less than two years. Routine use of 3D printing for dental implants is also not far from this level of market maturity."

Like most other technologies however, 3D printing still comes with its fair share of limitations and many applications are yet to go mainstream, however everybody from scientists and researchers to students and engineers are defying those limitations on a seemingly daily basis.  Among other revolutionary applications that are seeing an increase in use include 3D printed hip and knee replacements, which improve healing times and function of the implant as well as an improved success rate in more complex operations.  

According to Gartner, next up on the horizon for mainstream adoption - within the next decade - is bioprinting.  Among other applications for bioprinting include producing living tissues for human transplant and life science research and development for different industries.  

"Some of these R&D systems are already capable of printing cells, proteins, DNA and drugs, however there are significant barriers to mainstream adoption," explains Michael Shanler, another research director at Gartner.

"The sheer complexity of the items to be printed and the high maintenance requirements of these systems mean that initial deployments will be mostly limited to specialist service providers. We see mainstream adoption increasing as the systems become more diverse in their functions."

Although there has been significant growth with the use of 3D printing in medical applications, the industry is still seeing a steady rise of interest in other markets, too.  According to the company, 3D printing for hardware prototyping has for many years been the only mainstream use of the technology, however within the next five years it is likely to be joined by many technologies that will spur much wider use of 3D printing outside of specialist fields.

"Advancements outside of the actual printers themselves may prove to be the catalyst that brings about widespread adoption," added Mr Basiliere.

"Technologies such as 3D scanning, 3D print creation software and 3D printing service bureaus are all maturing quickly, and all — in their own way — have the potential to make high quality 3DP more accessible and affordable."

Among other driving factors that are ultimately going to shape the near future of 3D printing include the ability for consumers to create their own goods with CAD programs that are tailored for them, as well as the decreased cost of 3D scanning technologies which allow consumers to easily replicate the world around them.

Additionally, the rise of 3D printing services has made it increasingly easier for consumers to ‘play’ with the technology before purchasing their own 3D printers.  As more consumers continue to experiment with printing through these various services, we’ll also see more consumers investing in their own 3D printers.   


 

Posted in 3D Printing Applications

 

 

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