NATIONAL RURAL ISSUES Transformative 3D printing...3D printing has been used by agricultural engineers since the 1980s to design machinery components and prototypes. Now, with wider

3D printing

NATIONAL RURAL ISSUES

Transformative technologies

A fact sheet series on new and emerging transformative technologies in Australian agriculture

� 3D printing is an emerging technology and currently used for developing prototypes, producing medical parts and in education.

� 3D printing presents an opportunity to produce parts for farm machinery and infrastructure on demand, transforming the efficiency of farm operations.

� Agricultural supply chains could be shortened significantly with the use of 3D printing to manufacture products.

� The emerging stage of 3D printing technology, the often untested quality of printers and materials, and a lack of skills are major challenges for its adoption in agriculture.

Snapshot

A wide range of objects can be manufactured by 3D printing, from tools, parts and appliances through to food products and medical parts. Using digital or computer-generated models, the technology provides opportunities to use new manufacturing materials and reduce waste and labour costs.

3D printing is a popular term that has been adopted to describe the process of additive

manufacturing. It refers to processes used to construct a three dimensional object of almost

any shape or geometry, using almost any material.

In 3D printing, successive layers of material are built up in an additive way using a computer-

aided design (CAD) file to create the desired object. Because 3D printing works directly from

a computer model, shapes and designs can be produced without regard to existing

manufacturing limitations, such as casting and machining. Further, 3D printing provides scope

to use materials that could not be used in traditional manufacturing.

New 3D printing technologies are developing continuously and recent introductions include:

� stereolithography printers that use a laser to cut resin, building up the 3D model one layer

at a time

� fused-deposition modelling printers that melt plastic, laying down filament in successive

layers to fill up a model

� selective laser sintering printers that use lasers to sinter (bind together) powdered metal

in layers to form a solid 3D structure.

A fact sheet series on new and emerging

transformative technologies in Australian agriculture

Agricultural applications

3D printing is an emerging technology in Australia, and while there are commercial applications in some industries, its place in agriculture is yet to be established. The technology aids the understanding of complex systems, improves the process of design and prototyping, and enables the creation of novel products.

The largest market for 3D printing is the US where growth has been driven by the availability of low

cost printers and increased adoption by hobbyists and entrepreneurs. A worldwide survey by Gartner

in 2014 established that the three most common uses for 3D printing were protoyping (24.5%), product

development (16.1%) and innovation (11.1%). According to a leading 3D printing insights report, Wohlers

Report 2015, the global 3D printing industry is anticipated to grow by 31% per year from 2014 to 2020,

and eventually generate over US$21 billion in revenue.

An attractive feature of 3D printing is access to a wide range of printing material. Current and future

materials include metals, rubber-like products, high temperature plastics, carbon fibre, conductive filled

or circuitry materials, bio-based polymers, soluble materials and even living cells. Plastics for 3D printing

are being developed with durability and functionality similar to metals.

Used initially by the military, the main application of 3D printing now is for medical products, followed by

aerospace, automotive and consumer products. The technology has been used to print organs from a patient’s

own cells, which can circumvent the need for donated organs. Artificial scaffolds have been printed to support

organs, prosthetic limbs and other body parts.

In the automotive industry 3D printing is used to rapidly develop prototypes of new parts; and the industry

is printing with novel, plant-based or recycled materials. NASA has been using 3D printing in the aerospace

industry for fuel injectors, which have shown significantly improved performance. A recent and controversial

use of 3D printing has been the manufacture of guns.

3D printing has been used by agricultural engineers since the 1980s to design machinery components

and prototypes. Now, with wider availability, 3D printers are being sought for a range of purposes from

tactile educational resources to explain concepts to novel products not possible or feasible with conventional

manufacturing. 3D printing is also enabling the establishment of innovative, small, manufacturing companies.

Designing and educating 3D printing can assist in the design of new machinery and equipment by producing concept models and

functional prototypes. These models bring a new design concept to life and enable easy visualisation of the

components. The functionality of the objects is assessed throughout the development phase and low cost

modifications can be made.

Stereolithography printing is commonly used for prototyping as objects can be produced relatively quickly

and cheaply compared with other means of prototyping. Using contemporary 3D printing technology it is

now possible to create physical models from 3D scanned landscape data. These models can be used for

education in museums, schools and universities or for architectural, city and farm planning purposes.

At the University of California DeRisi Laboratory in San Francisco, scientists are using 3D printed models

of viruses to help students understand the components of viruses. The next generation of the models may

have moving parts and magnets that mimic molecular forces.

Increasingly, the education sector is adopting 3D printing technology and using applications in disciplines

of art, design, engineering and entrepreneurship to extend students’ learning throughout their education

and providing relevant skills for future careers.

3


3D printing

Photo - Foodini

Replicating objects3D printing enables replication of many objects for agriculture, including chains, gears, shock absorbers,

seeder parts and harvester attachments. With new printing material available, parts and components can

be printed from durable plastics through to metal and alloy combinations. Ready access to a 3D printer

also means that a part can be recycled to produce another product.

Fused deposition modelling is the only 3D printing technology at present that can build parts with

production-grade thermoplastic giving the objects excellent mechanical, thermal and chemical qualities.

GVL Poly based in Minnesota, USA has developed capability to 3D print components for corn harvesters

and harvester cabins. The harvester parts can be customised to a grower’s farming situation.

In the horticultural industry, 3D printing has been used for several years to print plant pots of various forms

and combinations, for use in full scale horticultural applications to home gardens. The materials used to print

pots may be decomposable or recyclable.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has been experimenting with 3D printed insect

traps, the design of which results in the insects (psyllids) ending up in a small reservoir of preservative in the trap.

The new traps appear to work better than conventional traps because the insects can be recovered intact, which

is important for the scientists who need to study the insects and the diseases they spread to valuable crops.

Using titanium, a team at CSIRO’s Lab 22 has 3D printed horseshoes that are customised for each hoof of

a racehorse and are lighter than the conventional horseshoes.

3D printing has been combined with other transformative technologies by students at Carleton University,

Ottawa, Canada to produce 3D printed drones for farming purposes, which makes the UAV technology

even more accessible for agriculture.

Creating novel technology Novel uses of 3D printing have the greatest potential to open up new manufacturing opportunities. Waste

material can be reused for 3D printing, as demonstrated by a research team led by University of Sydney.

The researchers are investigating ways to 3D print new timber products using forestry waste and agricultural

by-products, including the shells of macadamia nuts. 3D printing is being used to enhance cityscapes by

printing yarn encasements that hold plants to grow into a chosen shape, including encasements for vertical

hydroponic gardens to create green city buildings.

At the consumer end of the supply chain, there is the potential for 3D printing of food products. Application

of the technology in food manufacturing presents a convenient, low-cost form of customised fabrication and

precise nutrition control. Suitable ingredients can be mixed and processed into intricate shapes and structures

which may have been impossible or uneconomical using traditional manufacturing processes. These new

products may have entirely novel textures and flavours.

Foodini is a new generation kitchen appliance developed by the Spanish company, Natural Machines. It is a

bench-top 3D printer capable of printing a range of meals from a menu, including a complete hamburger.

In Holland, faced with falling milk prices, a creative farmer has started 3D printing gouda cheese into a variety

of shapes to produce novelty shaped cheese to add value to her product.

In future, 3D printed meat will become technically feasible and will provide alternative products alongside

more conventional meats. For instance, a Brooklyn-based biotech company, Modern Meadow, is creating a line

of leather and meat products that does not require animals to be slaughtered and the potential of 3D printing

within the enterprise is being investigated.



Photo - DAFWA

Looking at the landscape and its water in a new dimension

Understanding the complexity of where water lies in a vast landscape, like the La Grange catchment of Western Australia, has been made easier by 3D printing. With a 3D layered model of the catchment, researchers can show people where aquifers lie in relation to sites of importance and interest.

The issueNick Wright, a research officer with the Department

of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA),

was faced with the challenge of illustrating the

hydrogeological aspects of the La Grange catchment.

The catchment covers 3.5 million hectares of the

Kimberley region in Western Australia.

The La Grange Agricultural Opportunities project,

supported by Royalties for Regions, is looking to

expand irrigated agricultural production in the

Kimberley. As part of the project, Nick was working

with traditional owners of the land and owners and

managers of grazing properties and mining companies,

to explain and discuss the location and opportunities

associated with the groundwater in the region.

Innovative thinking led Nick to investigate 3D printing

as a way of producing a hand-held scale model of

the catchment, which would show the relationship

between the surface topography, underlying soil

formations and groundwater.

“I’ve always had a fascination for how things work and

a propensity for pulling things apart to investigate, so

3D printing had a natural appeal for me!

“3D models are visible and tactile, and a great

resource for engagement and education.”

The technologyInvesting in a $2000 fused-deposition model

printer, Nick spent several months learning about

the technology and how to prepare hydrogeology

data so that the printer could produce a 3D model

of water beneath the catchment. The printer used

fine strands of different coloured plastic to build

the model, layer upon layer, over a period of hours.

The resulting 3D model only cost $40 in materials.

The model consists of five layers (parts of which

are pictured to the right). The white base layer is the

impenetrable Jarlemai siltstone underlying the land

and ocean in the region. Above the siltstone is an

aquifer represented by two layers. The light blue layer

is fresh water in the aquifer and lies predominantly

inland. The green layer is the salty part of the aquifer,

which is predominantly offshore; however some of

it extends 10 kilometres inland, forming a saltwater

wedge that may yield saline groundwater in coastal

areas. On top of the green layer is a dark blue layer

representing the ocean. The fresh water part of the

aquifer sits higher in the inland landscape than the

salty part. The orange (red) layer is the dry zone of

the landscape, which is not saturated by the aquifer.

Nick explained that the model was built on years

of research and data gathering.

“The elevation data for the red surface layer was

generated from satellite imagery from publicly

available NASA information. The watertable data,

the light blue layer, was generated from physically

sampling many bores scattered over the catchment

and the level of the siltstone, the white layer, was

determined by airborne electromagnetic survey

from an airplane.

“The big challenge was getting this data from

disparate sources into a useable format for the

3D printer to be able to generate the scale model.”

A 3D printed model was

created to explain to people

the irrigation opportunities

and constraints of the

La Grange catchment.


3D printing

5


3D printing

Case study

Contact detailsNick Wright

Department of Agriculture

and Food, Western Australia

E: Nicholas.Wright @agric.wa.gov.au

T: 08 9780 6286

Photo - DAFWA

The benefitsUsing the 3D printed model of the La Grange

catchment, the project workers can easily show

stakeholders where their lands and sites of interest

lie in relation to underground water resources.

The model is much easier to comprehend than

topographical maps and profile drawings of the surface

and subsurface. It even has the capability to be pulled

apart and the layers can be more closely inspected.

Nick has great confidence in the usefulness of the

scale model as a demonstration and communication

tool. The model has been used at stakeholder forums

in the Kimberley and has received positive feedback.

“The model is great for engaging people’s attention

to explain the irrigation opportunities and constraints

of the area.”

In particular, the model helps Nick to explain the

complex relationships between land and water in

the region to people who do not have a background

in hydrogeology.

The model also helps with ongoing management

of the catchment as it shows the location of recently

constructed groundwater monitoring bores.

“The data sets that went into creating this model

will also assist scientists and policy makers with

water management and allocation decisions.”

The futureNick believes that with creative thinking, 3D printing

could be applied to many issues in agriculture.

“Before we ventured into 3D printing, we did a

thorough online search and were unable to find any

other hydrological applications for the technology,

so we really started from scratch.

“Since we produced the catchment model, we

have been asked to provide a model for Muchea

saleyards in Western Australia, to assist managing

the runoff from the yards, so as to avoid groundwater

contamination. We have also been asked to provide

Limestone Coast grape growers in South Australia

with a model, to determinine areas of optimum soil

depth for planting grapes in a region that is underlain

and limited by limestone.”

Nick believes the main barrier to adoption of

3D printing is the maturity of the technology.

“At the moment it is mainly hobbyists working

with 3D printing and there needs to be major

investment by companies to make the technology

consumer friendly.”

With creative thinking

and time, there will be

many applications for

3D printing in agriculture.



Transforming agriculture

The development of new and novel products by 3D printing will shorten design cycles and enable the supply of products on demand. Across the spectrum of Australian agriculture, application of the technology is only limited by imagination. It has the potential to increase efficiency of farm operations and manufacturing, and to create business opportunities.

Agricultural manufacturing has long used 3D models for prototyping. However, with the availability of a wider

range of printing material, more sophisticated software and more affordable hardware, 3D printing is becoming

more accessible to the direct or indirect benefit of farmers, advisers, researchers and manufacturers.

More efficient farm operationsAdoption of 3D printing offers improvement in efficiencies for farm operations as customised parts can be

locally printed and distributed, alleviating down time for farm operations. The availability of open-source plans

for a wide variety of tools and parts will provide economic solutions for farmers, saving on labour and costs.

The speed of production replacement parts will be further enhanced, where a broken part can be scanned

and then directly duplicated with a 3D printer, negating the need for a plan.

The use of 3D printing and associated new print materials in agriculture will enable more complex design

capabilities and higher quality, integrated products. Parts and components have the capacity to be

reconceptualised with 3D printing, which will result in operational efficiencies. Laser sintering and additive

metal are two 3D printing processes, particularly relevant to agriculture, that are predicted for significant

growth in the future.

3D printing of prototypes could also reduce the risk of accidents associated with conventional approaches

to prototyping new machinery and parts. Going beyond parts and prototyping, 3D printing is able to create

customised tools for specific projects that present new ways of doing activities.

Shorter agricultural supply chains With the integration of 3D printing into primary and secondary agricultural industries, supply chains will

be shortened and the carbon footprint will be reduced due to the more efficient production of goods and

lower transport costs. Products will be printed on demand, reducing lead times for customers, reducing stock

held in warehouses and retail storage, and reducing the inventory of physical moulds that manufacturers need

to maintain.

One of the biggest impacts of print on demand will be the extensive customisation of goods to meet individual

customers’ needs. This will drastically reduce manufacturing costs as the conventional tooling approach is not

required. Excess production of goods will be avoided and wide-scale adoption of 3D printing may see the end

of cheaper off-shore manufacturing and the move to localised manufacturing.

7


3D printing

New markets for agricultural productsAccess to affordable 3D printing and the availability of open-source plans will advance the development of

new products. In turn, new markets for agricultural products, by-products and even waste will arise as demand

for print material increases. For example polylactic acid (PLA) from corn starch can be used as a very economical

print material. It is recyclable through conventional methods and compostable like other organic materials, and

can be used to print a range of 3D objects from hand tools to hydroponic items.

3D printing has application in the production of confectionery and dough. Digital gastronomy is a new

concept which uses 3D printing in the food industry and may be used by restaurants to add to their customers’

experience. Additionally, it presents opportunities to improve traditional food products appearance and texture

by the control of food materials at the macro and microstructural levels.

The potential to customise food for individual requirements is possible with 3D printing, for example, producing

food for the sick and elderly with familiar taste as well as enhanced nutrition and customised texture. Potentially

it also opens the opportunity to use non-traditional food sources, for example processing of exotic foods such

as insects into more conventional forms, acceptable to consumers. Carbohydrates, proteins and nutrients could

be extracted from algae or insects and printed into a steak or chicken requiring much less labour and energy

than the original product.

New opportunities will arise in the fashion sector through 3D printing to incorporate new materials and

methods of fabrication. This will present news ways of using traditional materials such as cotton and wool

and the ability to explore the use of novel or recycled materials. 3D printing of fabrics will enable a move from

pre-fabrication to personal fabrication as items can be printed on-demand and be customised for individuals.

3D prints could also be integrated with other transformative technologies such as sensors and internet of

things to produce new and innovative forms of wearable technology.

New skills in agricultureWhile farmers may consider owning their own 3D printers, a certain level of technological skill is required.

Further, economies of scale may dictate that new businesses focus on using a particular range of print

materials or producing a particular range of products, which will create new, niche manufacturing businesses

and additional employment opportunities in agricultural industries. Engineers, software developers and other

technology experts will be in demand to implement industry-changing applications at all levels across the

agricultural industries.



Challenges for adoption

While 3D printing provides many benefits like design freedom and the supply of parts on demand, adoption of this emerging technology is currently challenged by the quality of the printers, the quality of print material and the lack of skilled talent to exploit the technology in Australia.

The benefits of 3D printing for prototyping are well acknowledged and the adoption of the technology in

the medical sector is gaining momentum. Parts on demand would alleviate down time of many operations

and novel products provide the opportunity for new businesses. However there are still some challenges

with the wider adoption of the technology. The common challenges are the purchase and running cost

of the printers, the availability of print consumables, post-processing requirement and the availability of

new skills to utilise the technology.

Quality and cost of printersAs at 2016, the quality and cost of commercially-available 3D printers are a barrier to adoption of the

technology. 3D printers are limited in terms of the scale or size of the object produced, the resolution of the

object and the colours that can be incorporated in the objects. Many 3D printers cannot print a diverse range

of materials; and many only have the capacity to print components, rather than a complete system. As more

companies invest in development and production of the technology, 3D printers will become more

sophisticated and affordable for the general public to purchase.

Quality of print materials and printed objectsOngoing development of 3D printing materials needs to take into account the variety, composition and

strength of those materials to increase the versatility of the technology. 3D print consumables are currently

expensive but as the technology becomes more accessible, this cost should decrease.

Some 3D print processes require a support structure for objects as they are being printed. However the

methods to remove support structures need further development, to improve the quality of the final product

and the efficiency of the overall production process. Currently, when printing transparent objects, chemical

polishes for the final product are not adequate.

The process of 3D printing, through layering of materials, may change the functionality and performance

of the objects compared with their conventionally manufactured equivalents. Careful testing must be carried

out to ensure that 3D printed objects are fit for purpose.

New logistics and skills The creation and storage of data is a challenge facing individuals, businesses and industries. With increased

adoption and use of 3D printers, there will be a need to develop new ways of collecting and preparing the

information required to generate plans, which will create large volumes of new data. As well as developing

storage for this data, appropriate security and IP protection also needs to be determined.

To exploit the potential of 3D printing and provide services with a competitive edge, companies need to

consider training designers and engineers specifically for 3D printing applications. 3D printing companies may

need to partner with other service providers to ensure reliable supply of materials and back-up for technology.

Given the emerging nature of the technology, ongoing research and development into the potential and

application of 3D printing will also be important to encourage adoption and expand the industry.

Adoption of 3D printing and its products is currently challenged by the fact that as a new industry, uniform

certification standards for quality and testing of 3D products are still in the early stages of development.

9


3D printing

Policy and regulation

As the potential for 3D printing is realised over coming years, the opportunity to print almost anything will transform many industries. As the technology develops, policies and regulations that address areas such as product quality and safety will also need to be developed.

As the 3D printing industry evolves, regulations will need to be considered to address intellectual property,

and consumer and public safety. In order to encourage innovation, it will be important to balance regulations

and commercial incentives, without compromising human safety.

The 3D printing of objects, through the layering approach, can change the properties and performance

of the object that may be used as components of machinery. It is critical that quality of product and safety

to users is considered and accounted for in production standards. Global leaders in the development of

product standards, ASTM International and ISO, have formed the Committee F42 to address this situation.

The committee is chartered with creating and publishing the test methods needed to validate 3D printed

components and parts. As well as achieving an agreement on standards, the standards need to be

complementary to common regulatory frameworks and able to be enforced across borders.

Liability over the use of 3D objects needs to also be considered where a 3D printed object may fail in its design

use. In this respect, regulatory standards for parts, processes and safety that apply to 3D printers, materials or

digital software used also need to be established.

The production of 3D printed guns has already tested public safety and security regulations, and these have

been revised accordingly in the US, European Union and UK. In the future, 3D printing of food and body parts

will test policies and regulations in regards to health and ethics. The use of personal data to customise objects

created by 3D printing will also test policy and regulatory frameworks.

Intellectual property laws and regulations, including design rights, trademarks, copyright and patents, need

to be addressed as copying or counterfeiting of objects using 3D printing is predicted by industry experts.

The use of 3D printing by individuals, rather than businesses, may make it difficult for governments to enforce

regulations regarding 3D printing and products, in terms of standards, taxes and export.



3D printing puts lame horses back on their feet

3D printed horseshoes or ‘horse-thotics’ have been used to treat horses suffering from a painful foot ailment called laminitis. The 3D printed shoes support recovery by providing individualised support for inflamed hooves.

The issue The timing of the 2013 launch of CSIRO’s Lab 22,

an innovative facility offering Australian companies

access to 3D printing technologies, coincided with

the Melbourne Cup. Creative minds at CSIRO thought

a 3D printed horseshoe might be an eye-catching

way to generate interest in their new service. The

horseshoe caught the attention of the Equine Podiatry

and Lameness Centre in NSW, which was interested

in the orthotic potential of the horseshoes.

Laminitis is a debilitating disease that affects the tissues

between a horse’s hoof and bone causing pain and

inflammation. Laminitis can make it painful for horses

to walk and in chronic cases, the coffin bone in the

hoof displaces, resulting in the horse losing the ability

to walk properly at all.

Traditionally, equine hoof care has been carried out

by a farrier, a specialist blacksmith whose skills

combine metal fabricating and knowledge of the

anatomy and physiology of a horse’s limbs and feet.

Equine podiatrists were interested to explore whether

3D printing could produce an orthotic horseshoe

or ‘horse-thotic’ to support lame animals.

The technology Stefan Gulizia, CSIRO research project leader and

3D printing expert, explained how Lab 22 responded

to the request.

“The great thing about 3D printing is that it allows us

to make custom shapes, so we can print a shoe that

has been designed by a horse podiatrist to address

a horse’s exact ailment.”

3D printing enabled the manufacture of individual

horseshoes for each foot to redistribute the horse’s

weight away from the affected, painful area, giving

the horse a better chance to recover.

To construct a 3D horseshoe, the hoof is scanned

using a handheld 3D scanner to determine the support

needs and correct fit.

3D printing allows for more intricate shapes to be

created as the objects are formed in an additive way

rather than in the subtractive way of conventional

manufacturing through tooling.

“With the help of a computer program we can design

individualised horseshoes and then print them, which

takes around two to four hours. The shoes are printed

on a 3D laser sintering printer using titanium.

“Titanium is the perfect material for this because its

low density and high strength makes it light and

durable, as well as being resistant to corrosion. The

aerospace and biomedical industries commonly use

titanium as an alloy with iron or aluminium to make

lightweight components. The shoes may seem a little

expensive initially but because they are more durable

they last much longer, which turns out to be a better

investment over the lifespan.”

3D printing enables the

production of customised

and novel items, providing

surprising solutions to

equine ailments.


3D printing

11


3D printing

Case study

Contact detailsStefan Gulizia

CSIRO Manufacturing

E: [email protected]

T: 03 9545 2069

Photo - CSIRO

The benefits Combining a farrier’s knowledge with 3D printing

technology to create a ‘horse-thotic’ provides

support to horses with a highly precise and

customised treatment for each hoof resulting

in better health outcomes.

Although initially developed to assist in the treatment

of laminitis, the horseshoes have proven to have

wider application.

“The racing industry, for example, might recognise

the value in lightweight shoes, and consider absorbing

the extra cost because of that value.”

Traditionally made from aluminium, a horseshoe

can weigh up to one kilogram, but the ultimate race

shoe should be as lightweight as possible. Any extra

weight in the horseshoe will slow down the horse

so lightweight titanium shoes could provide for

improved performance.

The racing industry has an adage that ‘an ounce at the

foot is worth a pound at the waist’ so there is a distinct

benefit to removing as much weight from the horse’s

feet as possible to increase its racing speed.

The future While the racing industry can see the potential of

the lightweight 3D printed horseshoe to improve

race performance, Stefan sees the potential for a

wide range of novel applications of the new and

emerging technology.

Stefan explained that 3D printing with metal was

more complex than using other material such as

plastic. The printers also have a high capital cost, in

the range of $1 million per unit, and so like any new

technology there is an element of risk associated

with investing in the equipment.

“Due to these challenges, Australian industry has

been slow to adopt 3D metal printing. Yet as global

competition increases, these technologies are needed

to strengthen and enhance local manufacturing.”

CSIRO is supporting Australian companies to explore

the opportunities of 3D printing through the provision

of its Lab 22 facility and research expertise.

Novel applications of

3D printing will be inspired

by the potentially wide

range of print material

for 3D printing.

The components of the food and fibre

supply chain that may be transformed by

3D printing.

Processing

Farm operations

Natural resources

Consumers

Labour and skills

Logisitics

Inputs

The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) invests in research and development to support rural industries to be productive, profitable and sustainable. RIRDC’s National Rural Issues program delivers independent, trusted and timely research to inform industry and government leaders who influence the operating environment of Australia’s rural industries. This research informs policy development and implementation, identifies future opportunities and risks, and covers multiple industries and locations.

Published by the Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation, C/- Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga NSW 2678, August 2016

© Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation, 2016. This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.

ISBN 978-1-74254-880-7

RIRDC publication no. 16/034

Please note This fact sheet has been developed through research of publicly available information and interviews with industry participants and experts. The content is for general information purposes only and should not be relied upon for investment decisions. Case studies were prepared from interviews conducted in 2016 and reflect the use of the technology at that time.

More information � Trend Forecast 3D Printing’s Imminent Impact

on Manufacturing

pages.stratasysdirect.com/trend-forecast.

html?utm_source=blog&utm_

medium=social&utm_campaign=trendforecast2

Series detailsThis fact sheet is one of a series on new and emerging

transformative technologies in Australian agriculture.

You may also be interested in reading about:

� Sensors

� Robots

� Nanomaterials

� Internet of things

EnquiriesE: [email protected]

W: www.rirdc.gov.au

Documents

NATIONAL RURAL ISSUES Transformative 3D printing...3D printing has been used by agricultural engineers since the 1980s to design machinery components and prototypes. Now, with wider