3D printing rockets in popularity during 2012

3D NEWS> 3D PRINTING

According to Google Trends, interest in 3D printing in 2012 grew at its fastest rate yet but is still significantly less searched for than 3D TV.

Google Trends indicates how often a particular term is searched for relative to the total search-volume.

The term "3D printing" was coined by MIT grads Jim Bredt and Tim Anderson back in 1995 but it was not until 2011 that interest started to pick up and 2012 was the year that 'additive manufacturing' really captured the public’s imagination.

The inaugural 3D Print Show in London, October, was phenomenally successful. The sell-out event was reported across the world and it will be followed by similar events in Paris and New York in 2013. During the trade day, over 1500 journalists and press pass holders watched a musical performance by a band only using 3D printed objects, visited a 3D printed art gallery and explored a large exhibition of bizarre objects.

2012 was also the year that 3D printing became ‘affordable’ as several desktop 3D printers were launched on the marketplace and serious attempts were made to simplify the design and printing process.

It was during the 3D Print Show that Bartosz Cieluch, an experienced Polish car manufacturer, launched the CB Printer. The 1750 Euro device weighs just 8.2 KG and all printers prepared for the event sold out.

3D System’s Cube printer was launched in January and can be yours for $1500 which extrudes a type of ABS plastic layer by layer, to build up objects such as earrings, robots, planes, mugs and doorknobs.

MakerBot launched their fourth generation machine – the Replicator 2, which has an impressive resolution capability of 100 microns and 410 cubic inch build volume, costing $2200.  It was recently reported that Ford intends to place Makerbot replicators on every engineer’s desk in 2013 as a "commitment to engineering." 

Cloud 3D printing and design services also gained popularity where people can download designs or even make money by selling their own digital designs for others to print at home. Makerbot’s Thingiverse is an online collection of over 25,000 free digital designs from iPhone covers to figurines.  8.5 million ‘Things’ have been downloaded since 2008.

i.materialise is another 'Ebay for 3D printing' service. People upload their designs for sale in a gallery and once a month, a fee is paid for every item/blueprint sold.

Sculpteo, a French company only founded in 2009, also allows people to open their own digital design store. The company have developed online tools and workshops to make it easier to design 3D printed objects.  Sculpteo will expand its 3D print-by-mail service in 2013, after the company scored $2.5 million in funding earlier this month.

Shapeways also offer an online market place but have greater ambitions.  So the company can 3D print anything on demand, they have opened a New York production facility in Long Island City, Queens – the biggest consumer-focused 3D printing factory in the world. Nine industrial-sized 3D printers turn digital blueprints into solid physical objects at its fastest rate ever: In 2012 Shapeways printed more than a million items and the plan is to expand that to 50 printers filling 25,000 feet of floor space in time for the 2013 holiday season.

2012 also saw the opening of the first 3D printing store, taking the technology out of the labs and homes of hobbyists into the mainstream. In November, MakerBot opened its first retail store in New York where people can get designs printed, purchase 3D printers and even have their head scanned and printed in the in-store 3D photo booth. 

But 2012 also generated discussion about how the technology could pose new challenges. 3D printed gun part designs were being made available on the Thingiverse site. The site’s owner MakerBot recently removed the templates (although some can still be found) but a new site, DEFCAD sprang up.  On the home page it states: “This site is a makeshift response to Makerbot Industries' decision to censor files uploaded in good faith at Thingiverse, specifically firearms-related files. We are hosting as many of the pulled files as we can find.”

Many were also concerned when reading the story that digital rights management is set to become part of this new semi-digital economy. Nathan Myhrvold, former Microsoft CTO and founder of patent holder Intellectual Ventures, has managed to get an expansive patent on 3D printing DRM.  The idea is that you would load a digital file into your computer and before any printing could take place, you would have to connect to a remote server that checks to make sure you have authorisation to print the object.

But whilst there was a hint of the negative, 3D printing was one of big tech stories of 2012 and is only likely to get bigger. The possibilities for medical, automotive, fashion and interior design are endless.

2013 is likely to continue to see 3D printing technology reduce in costs, improve in resolution and gain further interest. Available soon for pre-order, the Form 1 uses stereolithography rather than the extrusion technique used by existing desktop machines to offer professional grade results for a comparable price.

Developed by a trio of MIT grads, the Form 1 will potentially bring professional-grade 3D prints to the home hobbyist after raising almost $3 million via Kickstarter.

Giant stationary retailer Staples will launch 'Staples Easy 3D' in the Netherlands and Belgium early next year.  Customers will upload designs to the Staples Office Centre who will use paper based 3D printing technology to materialise the designs using an Mcor Technologies IRIS printer – a 3D printer that builds objects up to A4 in size, layering 0.1mm thick paper on top of each other. The objects will then be available for in-store collection. (Watch the promotional video ).

3D printing is still very niche and there are many hurdles to overcome before the technology can become anywhere near mainstream. 3D printing at home will not be a practical part of people’s lives any time soon despite the domestic focus. The Fabaloo blog says: "There was a definite shift towards the general consumer during 2012, and somewhat less focus on personal 3D printing's traditional market, the kit-making hobbyists. MakerBot, for example, moved to assembled-only printers. An increasing number of offerings were pre-assembled, offered simplified interfaces or other functions and services specifically geared towards consumers having less knowledge of 3D printing."

BBC Click recently highlighted the knowledge gap of consumers and, aside from bespoke designs, there are few genuinely useful applications due to high costs and low quality in comparison to goods you can buy in-store.  For example, printing a spare cooker knob in the home with today's technology would not make financial, practical or aesthetic sense. The technology is still catching up with expectations but things are moving in the right direction.

This year, scientists at the University of Warwick printed electronic circuits using silver and carbon nanotubes. Using the raw material, Carbomorph, they were able to print a simple but functional computer game controller. In the medical field, researchers at University of Pennsylvania and MIT printed a lattice of arteries that could transport nutrients and oxygen.

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Limited materials are also an issue but it is hoped that 2013 will extend the count even further.  As of the end of 2012, 3D printer manufacturer Objet now offer 17 cartridge-ready materials and a further 106 Digital Material composites which can be manufactured during the Objet Connex 3D printing process to produce precise mechanical and physical properties. Sand, chocolate and porcelain have all been used to build up objects but metal is considered the next frontier and incredible progress is being made here thanks to laser technology (you can read an excellent article about 3D printing with metal here).

Despite 3D TV not proving as popular as predicted in 2010, the search-term '3D TV' was also popular in 2012 and significantly more than '3D printing' although there was an 11 point decline on this time last year. The UK continues to be the most curious about 3D TV and the Google Trends forecast service predicts a significant drop mid next year but another big rise by the end of 2013.

2013 will be a very interesting year for 3D printing – perhaps a must have gift on next year's holiday season shopping list? – Let us know your thoughts below!

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