3D printing isn’t where we thought it would be

"Everyone was obsessed with the idea of a 'Star Trek'-like replicator you could have in your home… But what we've learned is that 3D printing is a new manufacturing process that enables new applications to be built." - nTopology co-founder, Bradley Rothenberg, via Axios.3D printing rose to the moment during the pandemic. For example, in New York, health care provider Northwell Health designed 3D-printed adapters to convert BiPAP machines (used to treat sleep apnea) into ventilators, and in India, HP has been working with healthcare providers to use 3D printing to shorten manufacturing time from months to days.nTopology released its third iteration of its design and engineering software, which introduces real-time visualization powered by GPU acceleration. The bottom line without the jargon is that nTopology’s software expects to expedite the development of advanced 3D-printed products. Maker Alkaios Bournias Varotsis notes:“This technology breakthrough will fundamentally change how mechanical engineers & industrial designers interact with complex geometry for advanced products… Even the most complex designs are rebuilt in a few seconds.”Jiga, a B2B marketplace for custom manufacturing, also launched during the pandemic. Maker Yonatan Wolowelsky explained that Jiga works to make production faster by allowing makers to upload their 3D models, and connecting them with verified suppliers who can even give direct feedback to help produce complex parts.Jiga’s vision is to be the standard communication platform for manufacturing. The team has also helped to supply ventilation machine parts to hospitals during shortages.In manufacturing SaaS innovation, MakerOS launched its all-in-one software platform that’s as if “Autodesk, Salesforce, Trello, and Shopify had a baby”. In other words, it enables manufacturers, engineers, designers, and fabricators to facilitate product development with tools built for this industry, from CAD inspection tools to project management.We're looking forward to seeing what else 3D-printing manufacturing will enable post COVID.