Invisalign and 3D printing
It appears the next big thing is 3D printers. Today, they’re currently a little too expensive to have at home, but the price is coming down for home versions, and a growing number of industries are using them.
The industrial 3D printers are, of course, extremely expensive – some can cost up to $500,000, and they produce professional 3D “print-outs” that are revolutionising industries around the world, cutting costs, improving materials and speeding up processes.
GE, for example, is using 3D printers to create fuel injectors that are stronger and lighter than traditionally manufactured ones. Healthcare companies are creating devices with them such as hearing aids. And Invisalign are making clear braces…
It’s great to see Invisalign at the cutting edge of new technology. Of course, those 3D braces are made on the highest possible specification technology. 3D printing suits Invisalign perfectly – a wearer’s teeth are scanned by computer, and those computer specifications are used to print out the clear braces. As new braces are supplied regularly, this is perfect for Invisalign and its customers.
The braces are therefore bespoke, and easily reproduced in a quality manner. Undoubtedly, in a few years’ time, we’ll all have 3D printers in our homes, but its doubtful whether the mass-market 3D printers can match up to the top-end printers used by the likes of GE and Invisalign.