BIOPRINTING- AN APPLICATION OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Abstract

By eliminating production steps and using substantially less material, ‘additive’ processes could be able to reduce waste and save more than 50% of energy compared to today’s ‘subtractive’ manufacturing processes, and reduce material costs by up to 90%. The use of additive manufacturing can potentially benefit a wide range of industries including defense, aerospace, automotive, biomedical, consumer products, and metals manufacturing. In this project, we concentrate on the application of 3D printing in medical area at particular. The objective of this project is to discover the technological advancements in 3-D printing that could greatly affect several aspects of the medical industry. The areas discussed include high-risk surgery, dentistry, and prosthetics. After conducting six interviews with medical professionals, it was discovered that 3-D printing is a viable technological source that all professionals are eager to use and implement into their medical line of work. 3-D printing is a revolutionary technology that has the possibility to positively affect the work of medical professionals, while enhancing the lives of others.