AI-Assisted 3D Printing: Insights on Emerging Trends and Technologies

“The big AI improvement will be 3D model generation using things like ChatGPT,” he says. “In the next few years, I think we will see programs that allow you to design complex geometries just by your voice. That will allow a lot of people more freedom to express their creativity.” 

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To delve deeper into the potential of this exciting technology, we reached out to various experts in the AM industry, including thought leaders, journalists, and enthusiasts. Here are their insights on where the industry’s heading.

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Resident 3D-printing expert at Hubs, Robin Brockötter, believes AI will help doctors to play a more active role in developing prosthetics and implants.

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AI algorithms can effectively analyze the 3D model and continuously compare it to the ongoing print process. The technology can also closely monitor essential parameters like temperature, pressure, and speed to ensure that they remain within the optimal range. In the event of any errors or deviations, the AI system can be programmed to make quick adjustments on the fly to promptly address the issue.

However, it’s not just about replacing human technicians. Lamkin considers it a positive development instead. By automating repetitive and tedious tasks, AI can free up designers and engineers to focus on more important things, like creativity and innovation.

Medical industry

The potential for innovation, however, is limitless when 3D printing and AI converge. By leveraging AI, AM designers can optimize their creations to be stronger and more efficient. AI can even make the medium more accessible to everyone by reducing the high-skill ceiling of slicer tuning down to simple check boxes. Together, 3D printing and AI can drive the next generation of manufacturing.

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AI-Assisted 3D Printing: Insights on Emerging Trends and Technologies

Industry experts weigh in

But Mark Lamkin, co-founder of FYR Medical, argues that even the most experienced technicians will be surpassed by specialized AI tools.

Looking at the significant transformations that AI has brought about in various fields like art, literature, and software development, it’s reasonable to assume it can also accelerate the developments in 3D-printing technology. In addition to making additive manufacturing faster and more efficient, AI may soon make it more accessible and user-friendly, to the point where it’s as easy to use as your everyday office inkjet printer.

“We are quite good at finding patterns, but a neural net trained to iterate general 3D-printing approaches toward a specific design goal (or a series of them) could result in new innovations and altogether different printing techniques,” he says, underscoring the superiority of AI’s iterative approach to problem-solving. “This could be simple, such as improving layer fidelity, or more complex, like exploring novel combinations of manufacturing methods. Humans are very good at recognizing patterns, but we are slow compared to the speed of a computer.”

Currently, designing personalized 3D models for patients involves using high-quality imaging to determine the specific requirements for each case. This information is then handed over to a design engineer, who uses specialized software. Finally, the digital model is sliced into thin cross sections that are printed layer by layer. With the help of AI, some of these tasks can be automated. For instance, AI 3D-printing tools can tap into medical data such as CT scans and MRI scans to generate personalized designs without requiring much human intervention. This can dramatically cut costs and precious time for individuals urgently needing implants or prosthetics.

First published March 22, 2023, on the Hubs blog.

منبع: https://www.qualitydigest.com/inside/innovation-article/ai-assisted-3d-printing-insights-emerging-trends-and-technologies-072723

Thanks to the widespread availability of consumer 3D printers and distributed manufacturing platforms such as Hubs, manufacturing capabilities have been democratized. However, designing these still requires a working knowledge of both CAD and slicer software. The inherent complexity of such programs compels most enthusiasts to print premade designs, available on sites like Thingiverse, instead of designing them from scratch.

Even small defects in components can lead to catastrophic consequences in the aerospace industry. The answer is AI-enabled 3D printers, which can detect errors and correct them before they occur. For instance, Additive Works’ AI-based software platform simulates the 3D-printing process to identify potential problems long before you hit the print button.

Published: Thursday, July 27, 2023 – 12:02

Achieving the right print efficiency and quality warrants meticulous fine-tuning of a variety of parameters, such as layer height, infill density, path planning, and support structures. Skilled technicians who understand the nuances of 3D printing can accomplish great results.

Ricardo Alcântara from VulcanoLabs.com concurs with Wilson: “We can already see some implementations focused on guaranteeing a successful printing, such as the spaghetti detector and the first-layer LIDAR scanning on the Bambu Lab printers.”

Generative design

“Specialized AI tools are set to reduce the complexity of the design process, making it easier for doctors and other healthcare professionals to be more involved in the undertaking,” he says, noting the power of AI to give medical professionals tighter control over the otherwise prohibitively complicated and resource-intensive process.

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Additive manufacturing (AM) and AI are two of the most exciting fields in technology today. 3D printing has revolutionized manufacturing and design, allowing for the creation of complex objects with ease. Meanwhile, AI tools such as ChatGPT, MidJourney, Stable Diffusion, and Resemble have shown their potential to transform the media landscape. With simple natural language text input, these tools can generate art, articles, and stories in a matter of seconds.

Jacob Wilson, regional manager at Bcn3d.com, believes that “in-print monitoring has huge potential for AI integration. We’re already seeing things like ‘spaghetti detection’ (using computer vision and ML to detect print failures) becoming increasingly popular among desktop FFF (fused filament fabrication) systems. I think we’ll soon see AI integrations enter the market that will predict and prevent failures in print jobs on high-end industrial metal or polymer printers, where a failed print can be very costly.”

The potential of 3D printing in industries such as healthcare is already bearing fruit, with customized prosthetics, medical implants, and other products being produced across various medical disciplines. The integration of AI in the 3D-printing process, however, has the potential to take things to the next level.

However, CNET’s senior editor, James Bricknell, believes that AI could soon eliminate this barrier to entry by enabling even those without any technical know-how to design their own 3D projects with ease.

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