Re:Continuous 3D Printing Possible With Transparent Polygon ...
by bfrog on Tuesday August 06, 2019 @08:59AM
(#20624710)
I'm guessing the resin used for medical applications isn't the cheapo toxic stuff.
Neat use cases though, and certainly makes some sense. I guess I would've expected precision cnc to be faster/better for such cases though, unless you absolutely need the impossible to create voids
I know it's used quite a bit for custom tooling as well. Think special tools needed on an assembly line in automotive where pausing the assembly is very expensive or lead times for some custom tool to grab a wheel while working on it and whatnot are expensive.
I think one of the biggest success stories is cutsom made hearing aids. Return rate a lot lower, easier to iterate and produce the perfect fit etc.
Another example (maybe a bit more high end) is turning some item that is made out of many parts into a single item both for cost saving and other reasons. Iirc NASA uses ultrasonic welding (which is 3d printing of sorts) for this.