Honors Theses

Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Engineering

First Advisor

Ryan Miller

Second Advisor

James Vaughan

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

Although 3D Printing currently produces only a few parts in the automotive, aerospace, and medical industries, imminent economic changes and technological advances will lead to mass adoption of the technology within the next decade. In the past ten years, 3D Printing technology has advanced so rapidly that the previously unknown manufacturing technique has become a billion dollar industry. Today, 3D Printing pervades many industries. This thesis focuses on the use of 3D Printing in the automotive, aerospace, and medical industries. After an introduction examining 3D Printing and general economic production theory, this thesis identifies current and potential uses for 3D Printing and conducts a cost analysis for each of these three industries. Based on the evidence from these analyses and widely forseen imminent economic changes, 3D Printing will continue to advance over the next decade, becoming an integral manufacturing technique.

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