The COVID-19 pandemic has put a strain on sectors of the economy and the manufacturing sector is no different. But through all the challenges, the production industry has remained resilient as all the players in the industry are looking for innovative ways to stay competitive.

2020 is the year that we've seen the resilience and competitiveness of the additive manufacturing sector. 3D printing has been at the forefront of the fight against combating this devastating virus. For this post, we are going to look at the impact of 3D printing as well as its capabilities.

Impact of COVID-19 on the additive manufacturing sector

The main subject or topic of 2020 has been the COVID pandemic, people are starting to appreciate the benefits of modern tech that it brings to their lives ensuring everything functions smoothly in our day-to-day lives.

The traditional forms of manufacturing are filled with weaknesses, but one thing that stood out is the reactivity and flexibility of additive manufacturing which allowed manufacturers to find solutions in the most difficult of times.

We are going to look at a few instances in which 3D printing has played a crucial role during this pandemic period.

Urgently printing protective equipment for healthcare workers: Traditional forms of manufacturing such as injection molding couldn't create medical parts quickly. So, industry leaders had to turn to additive manufacturing to cover all the gaps which had arisen due to the shortages.

Moreover, with massive shortages of critical ventilator parts, 3D printing helped to create perfectly adapted parts within the shortest time possible.

Adaptors for Decathlon's snorkeling masks: By printing the Decathlon snorkeling masks, scientists found an ingenious solution for the lack of ventilators in hospitals globally. 3D printing has made it possible to customize scuba diving masks into a ventilator which will go a long way to saving millions of lives globally.

Innovative applications of additive manufacturing

Aerospace and Automotive

From 3D printed tissues and engines, there is a limitless innovative application by NASA in space. Just in 2020, NASA worked with 3D Printed molds that will assist to better insulate the upcoming new Deep-space rockets.

In the same year, Satair produced certified 3D printed metal parts for airbus. This was a remarkable technological achievement as it showed 3D printing is a reliable manufacturing tech even in the most demanding industries.

Medical sector

In 2020, a student printed a prosthetic arm, an affordable device providing feedback. This particular invention could be a real revolution and answer for all amputees: the printed prosthetic arm comes with vibrotactile feedback, what this simply means is that the amputee could feel when he or she is touching something. Additive manufacturing is the only way to go when it comes to the manufacture of highly adaptive and affordable medical devices.

Medical 3D printing comes with endless possibilities allowing the creation of complex parts and models which can be used to train our medical professionals and practitioners.

2021 is going to be another great year for additive manufacturing, it will provide your business with a certain degree of adaptability, flexibility, and innovation.