63 Ways 3D Printing is Changing the World

While 3D printing made waves in 2014-2015, the buzz surrounding the game-changing technology has since cooled off. However, in 2019, 3D printing technology continues to change the world and the way it works.3D printing is disrupting almost every major industry in the world. It’s making its largest impact on the manufacturing industry, but 3D printing is also being used for environmental purposes, in healthcare and medicine, by the government and military, in the automotive, aviation, and aerospace industries, and in research and education as well.

Early estimates had the global 3D printing market reaching values of as high as $15.2 billion by 2025. However, more recent valuations are now predicting 3D printing to explode into a $30 billion market by as early as 2022.

So, while you may not hear about 3D printers as much as you did a few years ago, the truth is that it is going stronger than ever. In this post, we highlight 63 different articles that showcase all of the ways 3D printing is changing the world.

63 Real Examples of How 3D Printing is Changing the World for the Better

In the section below, we’ve curated a list of 63 articles that detail how 3D printing technology is helping improve the world. We’ve broken this list of examples down by a variety of areas and sectors. And, you can jump to a specific section by using the jump link menu below.

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How 3D Printing is Helping the Environment

3D printing has a wide number of environmental-friendly applications. From helping injured animals, to repairing fragile ecosystems, to reducing waste material and improving sustainability, 3D printing is now providing us with the means to solve complex environment-related issues.

• Environmental Impacts of 3D Printing

• 3D Printing and Industrial Ecology

• How 3D Printing Could Save Wild Animals

• Injured Animals Get Second Chance With 3-D Printed Limbs

• 3D Printed Solar Panels: Meet the Renewable Energy Revolution

• Is 3-D Printing the Solution for Ultra-Tall Wind Turbine Towers?

• Creating Coral Reefs With 3D Printers!

• Cities Are 3-D printing Their Way to More Sustainable Futures

• Startup Uses 3D Printing To Make More Sustainable Clothes

3D Printing’s Impact on Research & Education

Scientists, researchers, and educators are using 3D printing in a number of unique ways to help them get better results in the lab and in the classroom. Educators are bringing 3D printing into the classroom to provide a deeper learning experience and scientists and researchers are using 3D printing to solve problems and reach conclusions faster and more efficiently than ever before.

• Middle and High School Students Making History with 3D Printing

• 10 Ways Teachers Are Enhancing STEM Learning With 3D Printing

• Educator Uses 3D Printers to Teach Her Fifth Grade Students How to Succeed

• The 21st-Century Skills Students Develop While Engaging in 3D Printing Projects

• Researchers Can 3D Print Living Bio-Tissues for Cancer Research

• 3D Print­ing for More Ef­fi­cient Research

• CDER Researchers Explore the Promise and Potential of 3D Printed Pharmaceuticals

• Novel 3D Printing Technique Opens Door to New Research and Clinical Applications

• Researchers Create Reprocessable Thermosets to Eliminate Waste in 3D Printing

• The Potential of 3D Printing in Urological Research and Patient Care

Uses of 3D Printing in Transportation

The automotive and aviation industries have adopted 3D printing as a means to make cheaper and more reliable automobiles and airplanes. Auto and aviation companies are using 3D printing to bring the costs down in prototyping, as well as using 3D printed parts in their finished products.

• Why Siemens, GE and Rolls-Royce Are Turning to 3D Printing

• Saving Big Bucks in the Automotive Industry with 3D Printing

• How the Auto Industry Has Begun to Embrace 3D Printing

• Growth of Automotive 3D Printing Materials

• A Closer Look at GE’S 3D Printed ATP Aircraft Engine

• Boeing Talks 3D Printing for Aerospace

• China’s Aviation Industry to Boost Demand for 3D Printing

• Patria Completes Maiden Flight of Hornet Aircraft with 3D Printed Engine Part

• First Titanium 3D-Printed Part Installed Into Serial Production Aircraft

• Emirates Says 3D Printing Used for Aircraft Cabin Parts

• With Additive Manufacturing, BMW Perfects 3D Printing

How 3D Printing is Changing Manufacturing

In the general manufacturing sector, 3D printing is quickly becoming the most efficient and cost-effective way to prototype and create new items. Companies are starting to 3D print homes, electronics, metal items, and many more.

• 3D Printed House Points the Way to Sustainable Construction Industry

• 3D Printers Start to Build Factories of the Future

• 3D Printing Set to Revolutionize Mainstream Manufacturing

• This Robot-Run 3D Printing Farm is the Future of Light Manufacturing

• 3D Printed Homes Built in Less than 24 Hours: Mainstream by 2025 in UK

• New Method Developed to 3D Print Fully Functional Electronic Circuits

• 100x Faster, 10x Cheaper: 3D Metal Printing is About to Go Mainstream

Better Healthcare With 3D Printing?

One area that 3D printing has already had a huge impact is in health and medicine. Doctors and healthcare professionals are using 3D printing for everything from creating better prosthetics, to printing models of organs to practice surgeries, to creating cells for research purposes (and beyond).

• 3D Printed Medical Models Help Address Surgical Training Challenges

• Researchers 3D Print Electronics and Cells Directly on Skin

• Researchers 3D Print A Soft Artificial Heart That Works A Lot Like a Real One

• Scientists Create 3D-Printed Brain-Like Tissue From Stem Cells

• 3D Printing Of Human Organs With The Use Of Stem Cells

• Researchers Bioprint Stem Cell Patch For Treating Heart Disease

• 3D Printed Tissues Could Advance Cancer Research

• You Could Soon Be Manufacturing Your Own Drugs—Thanks to 3D Printing

3D Printing for Recreation & Entertainment

3D printing is becoming popular in Hollywood and the fashion industry. Many of the sophisticated props and costumes that you see on television or in movies have been created through 3D printing. And, a lot of clothing, shoes, and accessory manufacturers are starting to utilize 3D printing to deliver more affordable and better-fitting wearables.

• How Adidas Plans To Bring 3D Printing To The Masses

• Wires Glasses Bring a New 3D Printed Flair to Eyewear

• Breakthrough in 3D Printing Liquids Could Lead to Squishy, Flexible Gadgets

• The Use of 3D Printing in Films and Movie Production in Hollywood

• How 3D Printing Helped Design the ‘Stranger Things’ Demogorgon

• Researchers 3D-Print WiFi-Connected Objects That Don’t Need Power

• Next-Gen, 3D-Printed Body Armor Inspired by the Conch Shell

• 3D-Printed Fashion Gets Bold at Spain’s Industry Week

• For the First Time Ever, You Can Buy Your Own 3D-Printed Garment Online

How the Government/Military Use 3D Printing

With large budgets and resources, government and military sectors are often able to improve upon emerging technology. Both the government and military have started to explore 3D printing and, as such, have allocated funding to a variety of 3D printing-related projects.

• Ship Shapes: New 3D Printing Research Aims To Rejuvenate Navy Gear

• Army Researchers Are Developing A Self-Aware Squid-Like Robot

• 3D-Printed Electronic Tattoos Could Charge Up Battlefield Warfare

• NASA Marshall Advances 3-D Printed Rocket Engine Nozzle Technology

• NASA is to Use 3D-Printed Parts for the First Time in Outer Space

• 2018 U.S. Military Budget Includes Support for 3D Printing

• US Army 3D Prints Barracks From Locally Sourced Concrete

• Marines Send 3D Printers to Combat Zone to Fix Gear Faster