You’ve likely heard about using 3D printing for prototyping, but 3D printing also has useful applications beyond the design stage. If you’re interested in how 3D printing can be applied in industry, or if you’re considering integrating 3D printing into your own production process, check out our three-day Embedded University class, 3D Printing 102. Day two, Application Beyond Prototyping, will cover 3D printing as a process and production aide. The class will take place on October 26 at 11 a.m. ET.

For low-volume, specialized production, 3D printing is an affordable option, and it’s gaining ground in industries that typically require expensive advanced tooling and production. The process can be used to produce lightweight, rugged custom components, consolidate assemblies to reduce weight, and achieve complex shapes that would be expensive or impossible to machine.

Take NASA’s Desert Research and Technology Studies, for example. They are currently testing Hummer-sized rovers meant to support two astronauts for days as they study and navigate rugged Martian terrain. The rovers need lightweight, durable, highly customized parts in low volume – requirements which 3D printing can affordably meet.

If you need an introduction to 3D printing before you dive into 102, you can start with the 101 course, which was held earlier this year.