High Scientist: 3D Printing…the Future is Here!

3D printing is simply an amazing process. One machine capable of making virtually any non-digital product: i-Phone stands, jewelry, dental braces, tools, or even weapons.

Practically anything could be produced, even objects with moving parts, by just one machine. Sounds like something you’d see on Star Trek. Heck, maybe it is on Star Trek, I haven’t watched the show enough to know. But the first time I saw a 3D printer in action, that is exactly what I thought of. I couldn’t quite believe this technology was real, so I did some research and was shocked by the results.

3D Printing Options

As a quick Google search will show you, a plethora of options for 3D printers are available on the market today. Machines range in price from $400 to more than $500,000. Some models are huge, others are the size of a desktop printer. Like any technological device, the exact limitations and capabilities of each model are different, but the 3D printing process is pretty much the same.

The 3D Printing Process

First, CAD (computer aided design) or animation modeling software is used to make virtual blueprints for an item. The item is then “sliced” into digital cross sections. These cross sections act as the directions for how to print the item. Each layer is printed individually. The composition of each section can be unique and can be a mix of metal, paper, polymer, plastics and who knows what else. And 3D printers can make almost any geometrical shape, creating few limitations in what the technology is capable of.

The Possibilities

The possible uses are virtually endless.  Inventors can make prototypes, mechanics can make tools, and companies can make goods, all in hours, rather than days or weeks.

Many industries are already using them in relatively small quantities for manufacturing purposes. Inc. Magazine recently said the U.S. is experiencing a “micromanufacturing rebirth” by specializing in “custom products, small quantities, and fast turnaround,” which 3D printing could help push the envelope on.

Huge corporations, such as General Electric, Ford and Mattel are using 3D printing to produce parts and for design production. 3D Systems Corp’s (DDD) stock price has approximately tripled in the past two years.

President Obama recently launched a $30 million dollar program aimed at researching how to use the technology to make weapon parts. However, consumer demand for the products is growing rapidly as well. So much so that Amazon recently created an online store for 3D printers and their accessories, to which TechCrunch declared vaults 3D printing into the mainstream.

Some believe this technology will change the world as we know it. Checkout PBS’s take on the subject with this video:

Check out other posts from Weedist’s High Scientist series!