It’s the one area of printing that has captured the imagination of many people over the last few years and 2016 could be the time when 3D printing comes of age. So far, there have been quite a few hurdles to overcome, not least the variety of objects that can be printed and the cost of bringing the technology into the home and for small businesses.

More Affordable 3D Printers

The key area of 3D printing has always been the cost and whether it is worthwhile for businesses to incorporate into their operating strategies. While we may be becoming immune to the ability to print largely useless objects simply for effect, you can expect the emphasis to be on home and small business 3D printers that are affordable and fulfil a specific need.

More Players Bringing Down the Costs

One thing that is going to determine how much the costs come down and how well the 3D printing industry develops is the involvement of more and more new companies. XJet and Toshiba are coming up with new products and HP have taken a big gamble to come into this area of the print market.

Faster Speeds are the Key

The affordability of 3D printers may be one big sticking point at the moment, but faster printing speeds are going to be the real key. No one is going to want to bother with a printer that takes a couple of hours to produce one item, however important it is. Expect the emphasis to be on making faster printing systems in the next two to five years.

Small is Perfect

For SMEs and home industries, small is perfect. Printers that can produce bespoke jewellery, devices such as hearing aids and even medical applications such as dental implants or prosthetics will be key. 3D printers will also be used for producing smaller parts of larger manufactured items in 2016.

More Colour Choice

Another problem has been in developing a 3D printer than can produce items in a range of different colours. The bigger, more industrial size ones can do it but so far the technology has been too prohibitive for desktop systems. Companies such as 3D Systems are currently working on this and it will have a large impact on the take up for home use if they can solve the problem.

Better Medical Applications

One area 3D printing has been taken up more enthusiastically than anywhere else is in the medical professions. Printing of items like prosthetics or joint replacements is beginning to revolutionise medicine but the holy grail still seems to be the prospect of future bio-printing, where surgeons can actually print out specific tissues such as cells for the liver or blood vessels. Still a long way down the line, the future actually looks bright for this application of the 3D printing technology. In fact, some researchers are now suggesting that the ability to print organs may become a reality within the next decade or so.

What makes the 3D print industry exciting is the list of possibilities and the effect it could have on our lives if we can take those major leaps forward. Yes, it’s still in the early stages but with more and more companies becoming involved in research and development, you should expect 2016 to be a big year for 3D and some major developments to start coming through.