The women of R&D Tax Savers see 3D printing technologies and trends in their work almost every day.
3D printing continues to be an advanced technological activity that reaches every industry. It is important to understand and keep up to date with the recent trends in additive manufacturing especially with the recent changes in society. This technology allows industries to produce highly intricate designs while still being lightweight and durable. With the advancement in additive engineering and constant research on plastics, the opportunities with 3D printing are endless. During the global pandemic, 3D printing was found to the be solution to many of the supply issues seen in society. We saw the potential of 3D printing being used more often in the healthcare industries.
The women of R&D Tax Savers have the following commentary regarding additive manufacturing, 3D printing, and recent client and industry developments:
Andrea Albanese
Manager
In recent years, our firm has noticed an upward trend of companies integrating 3D printing. From the lighting industry to consumer products, companies of all types have been leveraging the power of 3D printing, whether at the prototyping stage, or to supplement production. In 2021, we are seeing an increased number of companies are utilize 3D printing to support their production in the wake of COVID-19 sourcing challenges. It is wonderful to see additive manufacturing scale up from a prototyping tool to a key part of companies’ regular manufacturing process. Our firm is also delighted to see an increased number of women holding technical positions within our client industries.
Andressa Bonafe
Tax Analyst
In over nine years of work at R&D Tax Savers, I have witnessed firsthand the growing and diversifying applications of 3D printing. It is incredibly exciting to see how clients from a variety of industries have used additive manufacturing to support and enable innovation. 3D printing has allowed them to speed up design and testing processes, streamline prototyping efforts, and create custom solutions for all sorts of needs.
Lately, I have been particularly interested in the international trends in 3D printing. Over the past year, I have written articles about the first 3D printed community in Tabasco, Mexico and the expansion of additive manufacturing in Brazil. As we approach a post-pandemic world, the limitless possibilities of 3D printing give businesses an extra reason to remain optimistic.
Arianna Coger
Tax Analyst
As a new member of the R&D Tax Savers team, I have recently discovered the potential of 3D printing in a wide range of fields. I first encountered 3D printing in college, where I designed and printed a stent prototype for one of my biomedical engineering courses. This experience sparked my interest in 3D printing, and I began using the technology to print small knickknacks such as chess pieces and figurines in my free time. I learned about how 3D printing can be used in the construction industry while writing an article about Saint-Gobain and its newest projects that take advantage of the technology. My experience at R&D Tax Savers has also helped me realize how 3D printing can be used in countless other industries due to its reasonable cost, quick results, and extensive flexibility. I am excited to see 3D printing noticed by more people and utilized in new and creative ways.
Preeti Sulibhavi
CPA, Tax Analyst
Additive manufacturing, 3D printing, has relevancy to almost any industry in today’s economy. From cars to chocolate, 3D printing has pervaded almost every sector of our economy in some manner. Working at R&D Tax Savers has provided me with great insight into the technological advancements and relevant applications that additive manufacturing has in today’s world. We are seeing how 3D printing has gone from a prototype environment to a fledgling production one. In examining various topics behind each article we publish, I have witnessed the profound growth of the 3D printing industry. 3D printing is moving away from the days of being a basement home-project tool to a piece of production equipment. Its use in industry, and related 3D printing activities being eligible R&D activities, have demonstrated how purposeful it is in today’s world. Whether it is a means of making the oil industry relevant in today’s environmentally-conscious world or, if it is making pasta an even more robust taste and texture experience, additive manufacturing adds value for companies, in both their technology departments and on their financials.
Lara Tomiko
Editor, Tax Analyst
I have been editing our 3D printing articles since 2017. To date, we have authored over 400 articles on various topics related to 3D printing. Time and time again, I am beyond impressed by the 3D printing community, especially hobbyists and enthusiasts. 3D printing is a technology that has proved to be extremely useful both commercially and on a smaller scale consumer level. At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the power and potential of the 3D printing community became clear, even to those not already familiar with the industry. It was incredible to witness the various companies, entrepreneurs and citizens pool their resources to create custom prints to alleviate shortages in PPE. I look forward to 3D printing becoming even more mainstream as more companies incorporate it into their development process, or as schools and universities offer these technologies and curriculum for problem solvers of the future.
Mellissa McIntyre
Project Lead, EIT, Tax Analyst
At R&D Tax Savers, I am able to explore and learn about additive manufacturing techniques through the lens of various industries. For companies just getting started, the technology is leveraged for rapid prototyping and testing assemblies for prototype designs. As 3D printing advances, designers are able to achieve more complex and sturdy geometries. In architecture, 3D printers allow designers to model their work for use in presentations as a visual representation of the space they will be creating. As a biomedical engineer, I am particularly interested in the way that 3D printing has been used in the medical device industry. With the availability of many maker spaces in schools and universities, students are able to use 3D printing to develop project prototypes or even prosthetics to donate to children in need. There are also advancements in bioprinting, an additive manufacturing technique using live tissue as the medium. Using titanium, doctors are able to create bone implants. Overall, some 3D printing techniques have broken down the financial barrier that may professionals and students encounter in the biomedical engineering industry. I am excited to see how the technology will continue to advance in the future.
Mindy Zhu
Project Lead, Tax Analyst
3D printing is constantly upgrading our ever-changing society. It has been interesting learning about 3D printing is used in many various industries from architecture to medicine to even the entertainment industry. At R&D tax savers, I was given the opportunity to learn from glass architecture and lighting fixture clients that utilize 3D printing to create prototypes to both save money and accurately conceptualize their designs. The advancement of their 3D printing technology and technique also continues to grow in their firms. 3D printed prototypes allowed my glass architecture clients to perform physical load and spatial testing of products. With this technology, they were able to create fenestration fixtures that provide a double-thermal protection layers and test various locking mechanisms. Advancements in 3D printing continue to amaze me. The light fixture client even utilized 3D printing in their final product design for intricate parts that were too small for human hands to produce.
With COVID-19 effecting our society this year, HVAC products have also received a technological boost. The world learned how important 100% ventilation was to protect people within a confined space with a pandemic. I recently wrote an article about Daikin, the world leading air conditioning company, utilizing 3D printed parts made from NEOFLON PFA.
