At the same time as AI, 3D printing technology is rarely men
2019-02-01 admin
At the same time as AI, 3D printing technology is rarely mentioned now?
However, at the industrial level, it may be another matter. After all, any technology is constantly maturing, and 3D printing is still promising in related fields such as industrial transformation and medicine. For example, many products have a tendency to be customized in small batches and multiple varieties, which is very suitable for 3D printing technology, or 3D printing technology will be useful in the design field. It can be seen that although this technology may not be as popular as AI, the prospects in some areas with special needs are still very worth looking forward to.
Recently, XEV (X Electrical Vehicle Limited), a startup company, said it will launch a 3D printed electric car called "LSEV" this year. In addition to the seat, chassis and glass components, the main components of the car are all 3D printing technology. Usually, the number of parts in a car will be around 2,000, while the number of parts in an LSEV is only 40 to 60. The official also said that the strength of LSEV is 4 to 5 times that of conventional cars, and the production cycle will be shortened by three-quarters compared with the average car. The car is priced at $10,000 (about 68,000 yuan).
3D printing, seeing this word has a familiar and strange feeling. I think that AI and 3D printing technologies have almost emerged at the same time. However, the current situation is that AI frequently appears in various industries, and the application is more extensive, and 3D printing technology seems to have no heat. Except for occasional experimental results, it seems that it has not been as popular and applied as AI.
On the surface, this situation is the performance of 3D printing technology. In fact, otherwise, because every new technology is born through a tortuous process, it can be popularized and recognized by the public.
Regarding the prospects of 3D printing technology, the Economist once commented: “3D printing makes it almost as cheap to produce a single item and mass production, which cuts economies of scale. Its deep remoteness to society may be the same as in 1750. The steam engine, the 1450 printing press and the 1950 transistor, can no longer be expected. It has developed rapidly and has a huge impact on every relevant field."
This explains to some extent that 3D printing is a technology with great potential. The reason why it is not popular now is because it is indeed hindered by some defects.
On the one hand is the limitation of materials. In theory, 3D printing can produce many items, but the current synthetic material technology is limited, usually suitable for printing soft items. However, many products have stringent requirements on the toughness and strength of materials, and 3D printing is currently not available.
This means that although the technical level is feasible, but the actual operation is not yet mature, 3D printing technology can only produce some products that are less demanding on materials. As for what aerospace parts or human organs are almost no It may be completed. 3D printing wants to be popular, and can only wait for the technology to mature further.
On the other hand, the industrial application of 3D printing is still in the scientific research stage, and it requires a lot of manpower and material resources for research and development. For this technology that does not see revenue in the short term, few companies have the willingness and strength to invest huge costs.
Another important point is the public opinion environment. In fact, 3D printing has taken shape since the 1980s, and it has only suddenly become popular in recent years.
In 2015, when Obama visited Techmer PM in Tennessee, he saw the legendary supercar "Shelby Cobra", which was completely reproduced by American Oak Ridge National Laboratory using 3D printing technology. Since then 3D printing has become more popular, but in fact the United States has invested more than 20 million US dollars in this area. So this "hot" is more of a hype than a real technological advancement.
In fact, the threshold for entering the 3D printing industry is not high, but the industrial output value is limited. Therefore, the low-end 3D printing market will become a hot spot, while the high-end market is difficult to survive due to technical difficulties and high R&D costs. Therefore, 3D printing is very difficult to popularize in the consumer market. It can even be said that 3D printing in the consumer market is just a concept, and the tepid state will continue.
However, at the industrial level, it may be another matter. After all, any technology is constantly maturing, and 3D printing is still promising in related fields such as industrial transformation and medicine. For example, many products have a tendency to be customized in small batches and multiple varieties, which is very suitable for 3D printing technology, or 3D printing technology will be useful in the design field. It can be seen that although this technology may not be as popular as AI, the prospects in some areas with special needs are still very worth looking forward to.