3D printing—this technology that produces three-dimensional objects through additive manufacturing—has rapidly emerged in recent years, yet its origins are much older than you might think. As early as 1964, British futurist and science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke predicted that future "replicators" could replicate any object.
This prophecy finally came true in 1987 when 3D Systems released the SLA-1. Today, humanity possesses such advanced technology, with applications ranging from medical devices to wondrous art. So what about cosmetics?
．Beauty's Super Transformation
Thanks to the development of social media, new beauty trends emerge faster and more frequently than ever before, and consumers are eager to try and share new products. In just a few years, the beauty industry has struggled to keep up with rapidly changing demands and a highly competitive environment. Thanks to 3D printing, which significantly speeds up prototyping, L'Oréal is moving faster than ever before.
．Rapid Launch of New Products
The Ultimaker 3D printer allows L'Oréal to skip complex molding steps, with its internal technology significantly reducing the time needed to produce packaging prototypes. More importantly, this revolution from concept to prototype has drastically shortened L'Oréal's time-to-market. In fact, before the 3D printing boom, product development to launch took up to 18 months; today, L'Oréal can validate new designs in one or two days!
．Let's Go Crazy with 3D Printing!
Quantifying L'Oréal's process shows the immense impact of 3D printing on the design process. In 2017 alone, L'Oréal used 3D printing to produce 14,000 packaging prototypes, including both in-house and branch offices. This year, we increased the number of in-house Ultimaker 3D printers from 11 to 27, so that our packaging teams in the US, China, Japan, India, and France can all use them to create outstanding packaging prototypes. (Further reading: Recruiting 50 Super Teammates! Working Day and Night to Meet Deadlines!)
L'Oréal believes everyone should have access to amazing digital technology, so two of its Ultimaker 3D printers are also available for employees' personal use. Most importantly, all design experts—from product designers, technical designers, prototype developers, and beauty experts—work together in the digital packaging factory; here, they can bring concepts to the simulation stage in the blink of an eye.
．3D Printing – The New Industrial Express Train
3D printing technology speaks for itself. Seeing the physical results makes it clear that the world is on the cusp of the next industrial revolution. Soon, L'Oréal will be able to directly manufacture some packaging through 3D printing and further complete their products. L'Oréal is very excited about the innovative opportunities brought by Ultimaker 3D printers and the new products it can create.
The application of 3D printing is becoming increasingly widespread, from footwear, clothing, medical, automotive, architecture, and aerospace, to now beauty and many other possibilities, improving daily human life. If 3D printing technology also deeply fascinates you, feel free to follow our fan page, where you'll find the latest information on 3D printing technology. We welcome you to refer to our other articles.
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Original link: https://beautytmr.com/loreal3dprinting-19cdc3229a63