The Best 3D Printing Videos From 2024

2024 was an extraordinary year for 3D printing, with breakthroughs revolutionizing fields as diverse as medicine, automotive and aerospace. In this article, we’ve put together a selection of our favorite videos of the year, where creativity and technology collide to shape the future. Be amazed by inspiring stories, groundbreaking projects and applications. Discover how 3D printing is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the videos from 2024 listed below.
How Does NASA Use Additive Manufacturing?
In this fascinating interview, Paul Gradl, Chief Engineer at NASA, reveals how the space agency is using additive manufacturing to take space exploration to a new level. During the interview, he reveals details about how 3D printing is being integrated into various projects, which technologies NASA prefers to use, what materials are being used and the benefits of this technology. Gradl also gives us a glimpse into the future of space exploration with additive manufacturing.
Ukrainian Soldiers 3D Printed Parts For Drones
3D printing has long since established itself in the defense sector and plays an important role in the production of ammunition, protective equipment and drones. The Ukrainian army uses additive manufacturing to produce drone parts at low cost. These “kamikaze” drones are then used to hit Russian targets and destroy ammunition. The Ukrainian army emphasizes that by using 3D printing, wars will be fought very differently in the future. Take a look at this video and learn exciting facts about the use of 3D printing in defense.
Camera and Drone Compete Against Formula 1 Car
Let’s stick with drones, but in a completely different context. In this video, watch speed, precision and cutting-edge technology collide. It is a technological collaboration between Red Bull Racing and Dutch Drone Gods. The latter were responsible for the development of a 3D-printed drone that can reach impressive speeds of up to 350 km/h. The drone’s speed was put to the test in a race against Max Verstappen’s new RB20 on the legendary Silverstone circuit. The drone captured every detail of the car’s performance in action. But who do you think won? This is an example of the application of 3D printing to enhance the spectator experience, as you can follow a Formula 1 car throughout the race, with an image quality that leaves nothing to be desired.
3D Printed Adaptive Bicycle Saddles
3D printing has increasingly moved into the consumer goods and sports sector in recent years, as we have seen in numerous examples – just think of Wilson’s airless basketball! The combination of fast technology, personalization and innovative materials is attracting the interest of sporting goods manufacturers in 3D printing and its possibilities. Fizik, a manufacturer of bicycle saddles, has also turned to additive manufacturing, using Carbon’s Digital Light Synthesis technology to overcome the limitations of traditional methods and materials. This has enabled Fizik to develop saddle padding that adapts to the cyclist for greater comfort and performance. In addition, 3D printing allows for faster production. Watch the video to see how Fizik has found a scalable solution for bicycle saddles using 3D printing.
Breaking Olympic Records with 3D Printing
A sporting highlight this year was the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, where numerous athletes competed for records and best times. Modern technologies are playing an increasingly important role in para-sports to support athletes in this endeavor. By providing rapid on-site care, problems with prostheses, orthoses, wheelchairs etc. can be rectified and athletes can compete with confidence in their equipment. At the Paralympic Games, the med-tech company Ottobock is responsible for ensuring this. We took a look behind the scenes and spoke to Leon Fiolka, CPO at Ottobock, to find out more about how 3D printing technologies are being used at the Paralympic Games.
The LEAP 71 Rocket Engine
Next up is a player that has made a lot of noise in the past year: LEAP 71. The Dubai-based company develops products for the aerospace industry and electromobility. In the middle of the year, it surprised us with this video of the test launch of the TKL-5 rocket engine. The engine was produced using additive manufacturing and designed with the company’s advanced computer engineering software Noyron. Thanks to Noyron’s built-in AI algorithms, the model was created fully and automatically without CAD design or human intervention, reducing production time to just two weeks. The engine was successfully tested and proved the capabilities of this revolutionary approach right from the start.
3D Printing Food For People With Swallowing Difficulties
Dysphagia is a disorder that makes swallowing food difficult and affects a significant percentage of the population, particularly the elderly or people with conditions such as stroke, Parkinson’s or dementia. In the following video, learn about a solution to this problem developed by an international team of researchers at UWE Bristol. Using a 3D extrusion printer, the researchers have developed nutritionally balanced and visually appealing meals specifically for people with swallowing difficulties. Made from pure ingredients and innovatively combined, these meals are not only safe to swallow but also offer a pleasant texture and taste, which is often a challenge with such diets. While there are other similar projects, in this particular case, the development of highly nutritious, multi-ingredient “inks” stands out.
Visiting the Prusa Headquarters and 3D Printing Farm
Would you like to learn how some of the most popular 3D printers on the market are made? This year, part of the 3Dnatives team had the opportunity to visit Prusa’s headquarters in the Czech Republic and witness the launch of a new printer, the Prusa Pro HT90. In this exclusive video, Štěpán from Prusa takes us behind the scenes to show us the strict quality control process and surprises us with a farm of 700 printers working around the clock.
Relativity Space Uses 3D Printing For Rockets
Throughout the year, we have seen numerous examples of how 3D printing is being used in space travel. Although Space X is the talk of the town, numerous other companies want to conquer distant galaxies and are using 3D printing to do so. Relativity Space is one of them. The American company is one of the few private space companies that has its own launch site for rockets. For the Terran R rocket, Relativity Space uses an aluminum alloy in wire form, which is printed on by a robot head to create a rocket based on a rotating platform. In addition to the 3D printing of rockets, you can also learn about the company’s impressive history in the video.
3D Printed Instruments From the 18th Century
Can you imagine combining history, technology and music? In the following video, we see an example of how 3D printing is changing the way we understand historical instruments. A teacher and flutist from the Royal College of Music in London shows us a fascinating account in which she tries out replicas of 18th-century flutes created through 3D scanning and 3D printing. These instruments from the Academy’s museum collection have been accurately reproduced so that musicians can experience and understand the evolution of sound. Thanks to this technology, we can revive the sound of instruments that can no longer be played safely due to their age and fragility.
3D Printed, Self-Repairing Polymers
At the University of Alabama, scientists are researching and developing polymers that heal or repair themselves. They are using the 3D bioplotter from Desktop Health, which is proving to be the best ally for this type of research. The printed structures can repair themselves after incisions or damage and grow back together again. They therefore have amazing potential for use in medical fields, the automotive industry and aerospace. Watch the video to find out how these materials are developed and how self-healing works.
Czinger Hypercar 21C Breaks Records
This video shows you how artificial intelligence and 3D printing are breaking records. Both played a crucial role in the development of Czinger’s 21C hypercar. In August, the vehicle set a lap record for production vehicles at the Laguna Seca race track in California. The vehicle is not one that is only reserved for racing, but rather a car that can be purchased by customers. Czinger shows which limits can be overcome by combining various modern technologies and how 3D printing can be used to conserve resources.
What was your favorite 3D printing video of 2024? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.