At first, the world got excited about 3D printing, even the military. However, with technology, there will never be complete satisfaction; people want more every single time. This has led experts coming up with the prospects of 4D printing. It has been foreseen to be the mother of all inventions if and when it comes to being.

What is 4D printing?

Fourth dimension printing is the creation of adaptive materials. What does this mean? This means that unlike 3D printing that created fixed shapes, 4D printing will create shapes that can change in to new shapes or change functionality. Consider the case of science fiction movies where robots turn in to cars. It uses the basic layering process of 3D printing but the shape changing is brought by the inclusion of shape memory in the creation of items. That is the technology being aimed at by the military. The US military has shown great interest in this technology due to its possible magnificence when it is actualized. They have funded researchers in three universities with $850,000 to come up with an eligible application. The amount might seem a lot but not to the army that usually spends millions in their operations.

When this technology comes to life, the military will benefit in numerous ways. 4D creations will be able to change their shape and functionality when demanded to do so. It will require external stimuli to do this. With the military, they would be able to acquire all-in-one weapons, protection and camouflaging capabilities. They could be able to create tanks whose metal component adapts to the particular environment it is in to offer impeccable camouflage. They could be able to create guns that can convert to high powered guns upon demand. For protection, they could create uniforms that change their structure in the face of destructive components such as poisonous gases. The ability of creations to change will be in the tiny micro levels of the structure instead of the whole item; this will bring the assurance of top notch functionality.

The key factor in creation would be to use components that can change their properties, shape or functionality in the face of certain stimuli. The stimulating factors will have to at least be environmental factors such as water for easier effectiveness. Well, currently all this is just a theory. The real work is being done by the researchers who will hopefully find answers soon. If the military has invested in such a project, then it definitely means that the imaginations can soon become a reality.

The world of prints and printing is changing beyond recognition. Until recently when we thought about printing we were thinking about images and documents that simply printed onto paper or even card. Today we are on the edge of a whole new era in printing technology; we are coming away from the standard 2D standard document and moving into 3D printing and even 4D printing and what an exciting time it is.

There are many industries that are utilising 3D printing and although the tech is still very new it is making great advances. The long term uses and benefits have not truly been recognised but one area where it is showing very useful is within the military around the world.

If you think back to the recent war in Afghanistan and Iraq then you may recall the huge logistical task it took to get troops and equipment into the field. Everything from weapons, weapons parts, vehicle parts to shelters for the bases has to be shipped from home or neighbouring countries. Currently you cannot replace everything with 3D printed items but it is certainly making many jobs easier.

If you are not familiar with the technology in 3D printing then allow me to briefly explain. Objects are created using a specially designed type of printing machine; this can be very similar in size to a desktop machine for smaller parts and objects to a huge scale set up actually capable of printing out a shelter or a building. The system works using a multi-pass system building the object up from the ground up in layers of whatever the substrate maybe. Many different substrates can be utilised including metals, plastics and even a type of concrete. The benefits to this are huge and very useful as rather than having to stockpile parts they can be simply printed. The 3D printer receives its instructions from CAD drawing software that can be simply emailed from anywhere to anywhere in the world, an engineer could quite easy program his own design and print or build anything that the military are short of in the field without having to rely on transport shipping them in. Currently there are limits on what can be created in this way but the list is growing ever longer.

Armed forces around the world are waking up to the usefulness of this technology, the US Army are already printing guns and parts, even ammo whilst the British RAF have recently successfully printed, installed and tested parts for their fleet of Tornado fighter jets. The parts were actually printed and installed at sea during war trials to show the usefulness of this forward thinking technology.

Apart from the ease of getting hold of parts and the ability to create things as and when you need them this tech is also set to save governments millions of dollars with the British claiming it will save them £1.2 million ($1.96 million).

The future of 3D printing is a very exciting prospect indeed.

3D printing is the future of manufacturing. It will eliminate long hours and days of processing by converting it to a simple few hours. The effectiveness and efficiency of 3D printers has led to the military investing in this technology. This kind of provision means that trivial demands will always be met. Such assurance is completely necessary to the military. Why?

Necessity

The battlefield is a place where anything can happen. Needs and wants become a crucial necessity especially in the face of accidents, destruction and inadequacy of supplies. Availability of 3D printers on the battlefield will ensure that the military prints their own supplies. They can print weapons and temporary shelters whenever the need arises.

Assurance

3D printing will assure the military that their demand will always be met with supply. The best assurance is on time. With 3D printers, they know that they can get anything as soon as they need it.

Resource saving

Whenever the military needs anything while on the battlefield, the government has to put in extra effort and resources to provide all these items. This means that extra time, money and labor are used to make provisions to the military. With 3D printers, the government will only have to spend on buying or constructing the 3D printers. The military will then carry the printers with them wherever they go. In the event that something becomes necessary, they will make it for themselves on the battlefield. The government and the country will never be bothered again on trivial matters of provision.

Expanding boundaries

Owing to the fact that 3D printing allows for the creation of almost everything, the military can use this opportunity to create new machinery, tools and weapons. They can get creative in their designs, create them and test their efficiency. This can be seen with the first printed gun that was created, tested and it actually worked. With this technology, they can tap in to new zones and expand their boundaries. They will have no limitation.

Military investment in 3D printers is one of the smartest moves they are making. They are the ones who know what they need, how they need it to be and when they need it. 3D printing will satisfy all this. It will give them independence from the government and vice versa. Spare parts, weapons and such items will all be in their control. With such provision, they will more likely than not, serve the country better than ever before. This is because their focus will be on their service and not worrying about supplies. It is a wonderful investment.

A few years back, the thought of digital printers and prints was merely a distant dream. However, in the modern era, this printing technique has become the in thing. We can almost certainly say that the days of other printing techniques such as offset, letterpress, lithographic, gravure, and many others have been numbered. At the same time, digital printing is also going through a renaissance. Newer and better techniques are being developed every other day. Some trends that have shaped the sectors include the following:

More Fine Prints

The rivalry in the market has become more intense. The customer has also become more demanding. To keep up with these requirements, it has become necessary to produce quality prints that are very clear. This is being made possible by the availability of more color shades and tones. Previously, 4 colors were being used. These were Cyan, Magenta, Black, and Yellow. However, current techniques employ as many as 8 colors. This makes it possible to produce high resolution prints that are quite remarkable.

Faster Print Runs

The world has become quite hectic. People are demanding prints as soon as possible if not immediately. Well, thanks to improved technology, it has become possible to produce prints in the shortest time possible. The print runs have become short and faster hence reducing turnaround time. Since no plates are prepared, or dies cut, the customer can also make alterations without incurring additional losses. Furthermore, variable data printing as well as customization has become much easier.

Eco-friendly

The push for environmental friendly or green manufacturing is gaining momentum by the day. The digital printing sector has not been left behind. In fact, this strategy is being adopted in all sectors of the industry. For instance, the inks used to print are made from natural materials which have no harm to the environment. The printers are becoming more energy efficient consequently reducing the emission of green gases and saving power at the same time.

Better techniques have led to faster and more effective printers. Gone are the days when a person had to rely on bulky printing presses to put images or text on a medium. Nowadays, it is a simple as using a desktop printer. If you are looking to promote your business or advertise your products and services, then you may need to think of digital printers and prints. This applies to posters, banners, business cards, brochures, flyers, packages, and much more.