AnkerMake, a 3D printing brand in the United States, recently announced the newest 3D printer design, the AnkerMake M5C. The AnkerMake M5C is designed to customize individual printing functions with the AnkerMake app. The 3D Printer is developed to be user-friendly, fast and precise, durable, and remote-controlled. It is also customizable and can be controlled by smart devices.
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, creates a 3D object layer-by-layer from the bottom up based on an original 3D model of an object. According to Forbes, “the main benefit of this approach is that even complex shapes can be created much more easily, using fewer materials than traditional manufacturing methods.” This feature can reduce transport needs “since parts and products can be printed on-site,” Forbes continues. 3D-printed objects can also be made of various materials, including those that are organic and inorganic. Technology has progressed so much that even food can be 3D-printed.
One aspect being explored further is using 3D printers to manufacture electronic devices. 3D printing is not just a technology used for consumer electronics. It also allows manufacturers to print elements necessary for electronics. In an article by designwanted, the authors detail how 3D printing grants manufacturers more range during production because it lets them “merge conductive materials with non-conductive materials,” which “expands the range of functions in 3D printed electronics.”
3D printers are being used in the creation of consumer electronics for a variety of purposes, and according to NanoDimension, what makes them unique is that “the time and costs involved in fabrication are independent of a product’s complexity” and it can “eliminate repetitive etching, pressing, drilling, and finishing steps during fabrication.” Furthermore, because of the process, the “layer-by-layer deposition process in 3D printing allows sensors, antennas, and other functional electronics to be printed directly onto plastic components, metal surfaces, and even glass panels and ceramic materials.” Another way that 3D printing can be beneficial is by protecting intellectual property. Bringing the process in-house eliminates the possibility of the design being tampered with or stolen.
3D printers typically range in the thousands. The AnkerMake M5C retails at $399 in the United States. It began pre-sale on August 1 in the UK and Germany.
