Recent advancements in 3D printing have significantly improved the quality of metallic parts and biological materials. Metal powder printing methods have become more accessible, especially for industrial applications. In bioprinting, projects that can precisely print cell-based tissues are increasingly common. In your opinion, which fields will these developments impact the most in the future? Will it be medicine, automotive, or another sector?
New materials in 3D printing: Metal and bioprinting are becoming trends
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As accessibility in metal printing increases, I think the trend of "affordable custom part printing" will become widespread in the manufacturing sector. In my own business, by switching to 3D metal printing for supplying small machine parts, I reduced inventory costs by 40%. This could be a revolution, especially for local workshops.
On the bioprinting side, I see organ printing contributing directly to shortening the "transplant waiting list" in the near future. At a research lab where a friend of mine works, experiments are being conducted on simple vascular structures. The progress here seems poised to enhance personalized treatment options in the medical field.
The developments are exactly as you described, especially with the widespread adoption of machines capable of printing at layer thicknesses as fine as 32 microns, even in small-scale workshops. I worked on a project using Ti6Al4V powder and achieved parts with 99.5% density—surface roughness was nearly as smooth as CNC-machined parts. Back in the day, metal printing meant high-priced machines and the question was, *"Can I afford this?"* Now, it’s more like, *"Do I want this printed?"*
In bioprinting, systems that maintain cell viability during printing have advanced incredibly. Last year, I met up with a friend who used tricalcium phosphate-doped hydrogel to print bone tissue, and after 14 days of incubation, 85% of the cells remained viable. 3D printing is no longer just an *"experimental"* precision—it’s a viable, scalable technology. Both fields, in my opinion, will revolutionize medicine and aerospace, and even the automotive industry is already leveraging metal printing for engine components.