Computer Aided Design

As more companies look for innovative ways to grow their business amidst various challenges, cutting-edge technologies like 3D printing can be a great asset and a competitive edge.

Also known as additive manufacturing, this new method has been growing tremendously in recent years as more companies embrace this technology to improve their processes from rapid prototyping to production, tooling, and marketing purposes.

In terms of product development, additive manufacturing is considered more efficient. And it presents many significant advantages compared to traditional manufacturing methods.

Here is how this revolutionary technology can accelerate your product development and give your company a competitive advantage against its rivals.

3D Printing Delivers Timely Development of Prototype 

Product development involves different stages and processes that turn the product from concept to market availability. 

Prototyping is a part of the product development framework where the sample of the product is being developed at every stage of the development to share and present with stakeholders. 

However, the traditional method of developing prototypes is costly and behind schedule due to adjustments and errors that take time to correct.

But with the use of innovative 3D printing technology, developing a prototype is both timely and cost-effective. Manufacturers can use inexpensive technologies and materials in creating a proof of concept using additive manufacturing. 

And if there’s a last-minute adjustment or error, it does not take a lot of time and money to correct the mistake.

With the help of this method, companies can showcase the whole concept and functionality of their product without wasting time and money.

Allows You to Embrace More Possibilities and Creativity

With additive manufacturing, you can embrace more possibilities and have creative freedom to create any design you like, even if it involves complex geometries.

Thanks to the impressive accuracy of additive manufacturing, even in complex geometries and other special designs.

Customize Product and Prototypes Quickly and Efficiently

Customization of the products and prototypes during every stage of product development is part of the business process and product development framework.

For small businesses, customization of their products on a large scale is more accessible, cost-effective, and efficient with 3D printing technology.

In the medical fields and the aeronautics industry, customizing implants or prosthetics and creating exact machinery pieces using this method are common practices. This method allows product customization more efficiently and rapidly. 

Results to Higher Customer Satisfaction 

Another proof that additive manufacturing is a viable manufacturing process for your business is its potential to generate higher customer satisfaction through its efficiency.

In adopting this cutting-edge technology, the resource costs and manufacturing time are reduced, which results in more satisfied customers because of the product quality and shorter delivery time.

Final Thoughts

The disruptive power of additive manufacturing is becoming more evident as more companies embrace this revolutionary technology.

The potentials of this method are changing the business model in the way products are designed, developed, bought, and delivered.

The birthplace of the COVID-19 disease was in Wuhan, China. The first officially reported outbreak for it was reported to the authorities on December 8, 2019.  On a global scale, the number of afflicted patients afflicted with this disease is growing exponentially. As of March 27, 2020, the death exceeded 27, 300 fatalities. 

As of this writing, the death count has exceeded 812,812 and counting. Meanwhile, there is a growing concern around the world, due to the insufficient supply for face shields, testing kits, ventilator valves, and N95 respirator masks. Besides those essentials, there is also an imminent shortage of supplies for personal protective equipment or PPEs. 

One important thing that this pandemic rendered us all to realize is that we need to have in place an adequate production and distribution of PPEs. They are essentially important during trying times like this. 

The 3D printing Perth industry, or the additive manufacturing sector in general, can be tapped into for a solution to this imminent scarcity of PPEs and other essential COVID-19 equipment. 3-dimensional printing is a robotic and highly adjustable platform that allows us to have a tailored deposition of biomaterials guided by a high-caliber computer-aided design system. 

Such a high-end software application is substantial in formulating layer-by-layer custom designs under controlled composition and architecture.  

Face Masks

N95 respirator masks offer us 2 advantages over other types of face masks such as paper, surgical, or the commonly used nowadays cloth-type face masks. 

They offer greater efficiency at filtering (95% filtering efficiency) 0.3-µm airborne particles and,

To ensure an adequate seal, they are fit tested for users. This way, small droplets won’t stand a chance of ingressing anywhere around mask edges. 

The office of the CDC or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highly recommends the use of N95 masks, but more so for the health care professionals who are delegated with handling and care of the COVID-19 patients.  

3D printing Perth technique can be taken advantage of to come up with custom seal designs that will help enhance a face mask’s level of comfort and fit. To make this possible, 3D laser scanning can be used to exactly scan facial topography and parameters.  

Face Shields

Commonly used material for face shield production includes polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate and polyester, and several other synthetic polymers. These biomaterials come in a transparent form, thus providing your end-products with high-optical clarity. Besides, they are also lightweight, the reason they become preferred material to use for this purpose. 

Polymer materials are easy to use and can be printed seamlessly using 3D technology. The best part about these materials is they can be custom designed to the specific requirements of health care professionals who are attending to the needs of COVID-19 patients.  

Ventilator Valves

These are accessories, attachments whose main purpose is to help in facilitating the delivery of oxygen at fixed amounts for patients who are afflicted with acute respiratory distress. This also includes COVID-19 patients. 

Additive manufacturing technology can be utilized for the production of ventilator valves via a filament extrusion system. This is sometimes referred to as the powder polymer-laser bed fusion process which is capable of printing single-use valve sets. 

3D printing machines can be used for custom designing the different valve elements with the use of biomaterials such as polysulfone and polyamide, silicone rubber, and polycarbonate.  

While all of us are standing witness to how the COVID-19 outbreak evolved right before our very eyes, the gravity  PPE shortage is becoming even more serious. 3D printing Perth industry, together with the whole additive manufacturing universe, this sector can be tapped into to help resolve these deficiencies at the earliest.