Freedom of design
3D printing or additive manufacturing enables the production of geometries that were expensive to produce or simply not possible with traditional subtractive processes, i.e. traditional design restrictions do not apply anymore. Design complexity does not come at additional cost during the production process with additive manufacturing techniques.
New possibilities include complex geometries with overhangs/undercuts and internal spaces, lighter hollow or half open mesh and honeycomb structures that weigh less and use less material, single pieces where traditionally several parts and assemblies were required, etc.
Designers and industrial engineers all over the world have been educated and experienced throughout their lives to think within the confines of traditional production restrictions. They are just beginning to understand that the new limit of design is their own imagination and that is a revolutionary paradigm shift that will take years to become embedded. Joint problem solving with experts can accelerate that process so that organisations can be ahead of the pack rather than in it.
