Here are some of the top technology inventions and innovations for 3D printing and advanced manufacturing in 2022:
• Metal binder jetting 3D printing continued to advance, with faster print speeds, higher resolutions, and new metal alloys. This opens more applications for 3D printed metal parts.
• Carbon unveiled the worlds fastest production 3D printer, able to print parts up to 100 times faster than traditional additive manufacturing technologies.
• Multi-material 3D printing improved, allowing parts to be printed with different materials in a single build. This enables more complex designs.
• Additive manufacturing of polymer parts for end-use applications expanded, with more rigorous testing and certification of 3D printed components.
• Big area additive manufacturing made progress towards printing large structures like aircraft wings and fuselages. Several companies demonstrated proof-of-concept parts.
• Bioprinting of human tissue improved, with a focus on vascularization and the printing of multiple cell types in complex 3D structures.
• Digital twins, which create virtual replicas of physical objects, were increasingly integrated into additive manufacturing workflows to optimize part designs for 3D printing.
• Automation and digitization of manufacturing processes advanced, driven by trends like Industry 4.0, robotics, artificial intelligence, and the internet of things.
• Sustainability in manufacturing became a higher priority, with a focus on reducing waste, increasing recycling, and developing more environmentally friendly materials.
The innovations in 3D printing and manufacturing in 2022 centered around making the technologies faster, able to print more materials, scale to larger parts, and integrate with digital tools and automation. There was also a continued push towards applying these technologies to create functional end-use parts and make manufacturing more sustainable.
