3D Metal Printing

Up until now, 3D printing that involves materials that's not plastic has been really tedious and time consuming. However, it's becoming more efficient and accessible. The advancement in 3D metal printing can change the way our society produces manufacturing parts. It wouldn't be necessary to have a large storage for big parts because they would be able to print an object when they need it. This can help for replacing parts on an old car. The advancement in this technology can change the conventional metal fabrication methods. It can result in a more in depth knowledge of the structure of metals. 

Some examples of this advancement today is the creation of a 3D printing method by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory that can create stainless-steel parts two times as strong as the traditional parts in 2017. There was also a 3D printing company called Markforged that released the first 3D metal printer for just under $100,000 in 2017. Desktop Metal, a company in Boston, began to sell the metal prototyping machines in December 2017, and they are looking to sell machines that are 100 times faster than the slow metal printing methods of the past. 

Link: https://www.technologyreview.com/lists/technologies/2018/