Fabrication in microgravity

As more and more operations are possible in space, there is a common discussion on whether microgravity and vacuum can be beneficial for manufacturing new products.

Existing manufacturing methods were conceived on Earth, to work under Earth conditions. For example, fused deposition modelling (FDM), commonly used in 3D printers, would not work without gravity (the "deposition" part is driven by a directional force.)

However, companies like Atlant 3D or VSParticle have developed methods that create a directional force in their systems. Impaction deposition (the method used by VSParticle) accelerates particles towards a substrate because of a pressure differential.

Atomic layer deposition, the technique used by Atlant 3D, does not require a force, and it may even be beneficial to work in the absence of gravity.

On the one hand, fabrication in space can result in novel materials and products, on the other it may become a necessary step towards longer space missions.

It also reminds me of the second hand of the equation, which is analytical tools in microgravity. Things like a simple blood test (for example, with an Elisa test) will not work without gravity, but free flow electrophoresis may work well.