Reverse Engineering in Agriculture + 3D Printing

3D Printing in Agriculture

3D printing is useful in the agricultural industry.
It allows farmers and would-be farmers to develop customized tools and equipment.
It also allows replace broken parts, and test the efficacy of farming systems.
The technology also saves time and money.

Most of the time farmers work with specialized machines that are massive and expensive. 
Even to replace just one part it can be expensive.
Also the part that the farmer is searching for is maybe not on the market anymore.
In this case, additive manufacturing is an amazing solution.
Similar to the automotive industry, it is possible to 3D print agricultural machine farming spare parts.

Design is a universal language across all scales and ‘techne’ τέχνη, exchanges with all fields pertaining to the everyday living of anthropic existence.
No matter how large or small an object of reality, design is interpreted as being cosmogenic.
The designer prepares for and welcomes the notion of various design applications or scenarios.
Product design curates specifically to its application.
The designer does not necessarily need to specialize.
Unless the design in question is quite specific and complex and requires further background information.

Admittedly, such a simple fixture is ‘dumbed down’, as just another part required out of necessity.
It breaks down frequently (design improvement is required but is limited at least in function).
This part was designed and reverse engineering is employed in process as part of a grain seeder.
It is specifically a bracket that measures and distributes fertilizers and seeds.
The bracket printed successfully.
This project requires large 3D printers.
With simple evolutions made in the 3D printing industry, it is convenient to 3D print such large parts in a single session.

3D printed machine parts for agriculture

Small-scale farming and even indoor gardening benefit as well from 3D printing.
It enables anyone who wishes to start a farm to do so without incurring huge expenses. They can use additive manufacturing to create some parts of their project.
Thanks to technology, tools and components in agricultural or gardening activities, 3d printing adapts to fit the requirements of users.

Agriculture is a large global industry.
It employs over a billion people and produces $1.3 trillion + worth of food per year.
As demand for agricultural products increases in parallel to the rapidly growing population, the industry is facing challenges to cope with increasing demand.
The good news is 3D printing in the agriculture industry enhances production and marketing.
It aims to improve the scale of economies and outputs.

Farming equipment is not only massive, but also very expensive.
Replacing a part can become pricey.
Parts might not exist anymore or are difficult to locate for obsolete machines.
Meanwhile, the machinery stays unused disrupting the production process.
This is where 3D can help in replicating spare parts through additive manufacturing.
Like the automotive industry, it is possible to print replacement parts for agricultural machineries.
Some companies manufacture agricultural machinery parts such as wear points, high end guards, and dust diverters.

Inventive Applications

While 3D printing as a technology has a wide range of applications and can bring novel benefits to a large variety of fields, the agricultural sector stands to win the most out of the adoption of this tech. Already, 3D printing is getting more common in farming circles, and some applications have grown to become commonplace today. Here’s a shortlist with the most useful of these applications:

• Custom tools: Relevant tools in the irrigation system, or tools assisting with equipment maintenance, having the ability to manufacture custom tools gives amazing power to farmers. 3D printers can make this possible, creating items like a three-way valve or a wrench for that proprietary bolt you’re missing.
  
• Urban farming fixtures: Urban farming is exploding right now and 3D printers are supporting this rise with custom light fixtures, mounting brackets, sorting rails, and anything else needed for in-door plants growth.
  
• Replacement parts: Replacement parts can be costly, and additionally, the downtime can be extensive if the part is difficult to source. 3D printer helps to produce an inventory of spare parts typically needed.
  
• Scale farm models: This one can help farm planners and engineers and they are both using 3D printers extensively for model evaluation purposes today. It helps to identify problems and even minor issues before the plan is realized, saving big costs down the line.
  
• Prototyping parts: This one is a niche, but it’s gradually getting more popular. Oftentimes, farmers and indoor gardeners need to test out a part before they place a large order to a manufacturer, so using a 3D printer for prototyping is the ideal solution.