Printing: The Next GenerationWhile you won't be able to synthesize Captain Picard's ftairove brew any time soon, the human race is closer than we have ever been to our own version of a : a 3D printer.Break your camera's lens cap?a0Lose your key? Need a last-minute birthday gift? Imagine if you could create those items and lots more at minimal expense and without ever leaving home. With today's technology, it's already possible (if costly) but just wait a decade or so to see how much of a game-changer the process called 3D printing is expected to be.Dubbed by Business Insider, 3D printinga0doesn't use ink, but prints with plastic, metal, ceramic, glass and a (currently) limited variety of .a0It's a process whereby you can use a three-dimensionala0digitala0rendering to guide a machine to create a real, physical object.Here are a few examples of objects created by , based on user-submitted designs:A new way to produce objects Subtractive processes to create items whereby material is removed (drilled, cut, filed, chipped and/or otherwise taken away) have been used for thousands of years.a0a0Our ftairove example of the subtractive method is Michelangelo's statue of David. The artist insisted that the form of the man had already been in the uncarved stone, and said, I only take away the surplus the statue is already there. On the other hand, 3D printing uses an additive process, because the object is built up by adding thin layers upon layers. Consequently, 3D printing requires far fewer raw materials, generates very little waste, and can produce objects that might otherwise be expensive and/or difficult if not impossible to create otherwise.Smarter productionAt the moment, the biggest market for three-dimensional printed products is fora0manufacturinga0companies to create product prototypes. Some of the greatesta0possibilities, however,a0exist in the fields of aerospace, automotive, defense and especially the healthcare industry. (Custom-built prosthetics and safety devices come to mind.)In addition toa0industriala0needs, the consumer interest in thea0potentiala0of such methods is understandably huge.Ina0additiona0to the examples we mentioned above, imagine being able to print a new panel for your car, a door for your house or a new pair of shoes on an as-needed basis. What you can't make at home due to size or material types, you will be able to upload the specs and assign production to a nearby facility. It's not hard to expect that, in the not-too-distant future, the market for designs and raw materials will grow tremendously while the demand for mass-produced, run-of-the mill doodads will wither.How you can do itEven if it's not commonplace, 3D printing is available to you right here, right now.The most affordable way to do your own small-scale custom 3D printing now is by outsourcing the production to a company like or .But if you're interested in setting up shop in your own home, for around $20,000, you can get thea0 or spend half that for thea0. Still too rich for your blood?a0Buy ana0inexpensivea0printer a0assembleda0or in a kit from or ,a0or make your very own with the help of .More informationTo learn more about 3D printing, check out this article in or browse the takes from and the . Shown in the photo above:a0, & GD Star Ratingloading...
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Anonymous Guest 24 Dec 2013
Printing: The Next GenerationWhile you won't be able to synthesize Captain Picard's ftairove brew any time soon, the human race is closer than we have ever been to our own version of a : a 3D printer.Break your camera's lens cap?a0Lose your key? Need a last-minute birthday gift? Imagine if you could create those items and lots more at minimal expense and without ever leaving home. With today's technology, it's already possible (if costly) but just wait a decade or so to see how much of a game-changer the process called 3D printing is expected to be.Dubbed by Business Insider, 3D printinga0doesn't use ink, but prints with plastic, metal, ceramic, glass and a (currently) limited variety of .a0It's a process whereby you can use a three-dimensionala0digitala0rendering to guide a machine to create a real, physical object.Here are a few examples of objects created by , based on user-submitted designs:A new way to produce objects Subtractive processes to create items whereby material is removed (drilled, cut, filed, chipped and/or otherwise taken away) have been used for thousands of years.a0a0Our ftairove example of the subtractive method is Michelangelo's statue of David. The artist insisted that the form of the man had already been in the uncarved stone, and said, I only take away the surplus the statue is already there. On the other hand, 3D printing uses an additive process, because the object is built up by adding thin layers upon layers. Consequently, 3D printing requires far fewer raw materials, generates very little waste, and can produce objects that might otherwise be expensive and/or difficult if not impossible to create otherwise.Smarter productionAt the moment, the biggest market for three-dimensional printed products is fora0manufacturinga0companies to create product prototypes. Some of the greatesta0possibilities, however,a0exist in the fields of aerospace, automotive, defense and especially the healthcare industry. (Custom-built prosthetics and safety devices come to mind.)In addition toa0industriala0needs, the consumer interest in thea0potentiala0of such methods is understandably huge.Ina0additiona0to the examples we mentioned above, imagine being able to print a new panel for your car, a door for your house or a new pair of shoes on an as-needed basis. What you can't make at home due to size or material types, you will be able to upload the specs and assign production to a nearby facility. It's not hard to expect that, in the not-too-distant future, the market for designs and raw materials will grow tremendously while the demand for mass-produced, run-of-the mill doodads will wither.How you can do itEven if it's not commonplace, 3D printing is available to you right here, right now.The most affordable way to do your own small-scale custom 3D printing now is by outsourcing the production to a company like or .But if you're interested in setting up shop in your own home, for around $20,000, you can get thea0 or spend half that for thea0. Still too rich for your blood?a0Buy ana0inexpensivea0printer a0assembleda0or in a kit from or ,a0or make your very own with the help of .More informationTo learn more about 3D printing, check out this article in or browse the takes from and the . Shown in the photo above:a0, & GD Star Ratingloading...