Firstly lets clarify what is meant by 3D printing, well in a nut shell it is a way of fabricating objects designed on computer, for example if you designed a mug using computer aided design, within a few hours you could have the real thing sitting in front of you. It is possible to watch your very creations come to life in true Star Trek fashion, before your very eyes.

To go into more detail, currently printers are fairly slow, limited and not tremendously precise. A home 3D printer will typically set up back about ten thousand pounds, but this is cheap considering the first commercially available printers cost at least ten times that amount. 3D printers presently are capable of fabricating objects using silicon and certain types of metal, other substances that have been tested are plaster, play-doh and even chocolate!

A home 3D printer is about the size of a Microwave and connects directly to a desktop computer running software that controls its operation. It then creates objects layer-by-layer by squeezing material from a mechanically-controlled syringe. Unfortunately printers are somewhat limited in the sense they still produce a fairly rough end product and the time scale it takes to print an object is considerable.

Despite all the technical implications, there are huge possibilities for the future of 3D printing. All ground breaking technology starts somewhere, for example in the case of the PC, mainframes had existed for years, but personal computing only took off in the late seventies. A cheap self-assembly computer called the Altair 8800, launched in 1975, sparked the rapid development of personal computing. In similar circumstances self assembly 3D printers hope to spark the same rapid development in rapid prototyping.

There are a number of different 3D printers available on the market today, all with slightly different advantages, disadvantages, quirks and features. Some interesting projects include an open source 3D printer which has successfully been used to fabricate better parts to replace existing parts on the printer itself. The ultimate goal of 3d printers is to perfectly replicate themselves, allowing much more cost effective manufacturing.

The future for 3D printing seems very promising, it is the fastest growing part of the rapid-prototyping industry with revenues this year expected to be approximately a billion US dollars. Many industries are showing huge amounts of interest and are seem great potential in different applications where they could utilize three dimensional printing. The US army have experimented using rapid prototyping to create parts for broken tanks, guns and other hardware in combat situations. Businesses believe a rapid prototyping machine could prove invaluable in showing factories how to assemble parts remotely, for example in China. Even NASA has requested a high resolution machine to manufacture crucial parts in space.

In conclusion what is stopping you being part of a truly revolutionary technology, which could become one of the major breakthroughs of the twenty first century? 3D printing has merely been science fiction until recently, where it is now most certainly science fact. What can we expect to see in the not so far away future? Well one ultimate goal is printable organic parts, for example replacement organs, identical skin grafts and even limbs, to combat victims of illness, disease and war.

Fancy a new vase or some unbreakable crockery for that camping trip, but haven’t got time to go shopping? What about a replacement for the broken spoke on your spectacles or an individually designed heads for your golf clubs? Or, how about a scale model of that new sports car your kids designed or a mini objet d’art created from photos of a Henry Moore sculpture? The possibilities for 3D printing are limited only by your imagination and what someone could come up with in a 3D drawing package or with CAD software.

3D printing, rapid prototyping, as it is often known, is not new. I first heard about 3D printing sometime in late 1980s while still a student. However, these devices, which have featured in TV shows such as CSI, could soon be coming to a workshop near you and may represent the biggest shift in commerce and manufacturing in decades. The Fab@Home wiki has more information on the technology, but 3D printing, essentially, turns a digitized representation of a solid object, which you might download, email, or create, into a real solid object. It using a vat of uncooked starting material (plastic, metal or alloy) and a laser, or other device, controlled by computer holding the digitized information to build up the object layer by layer.

There are numerous commercial 3D printers, known in some circles as fabbers, being used by the military for creating battle components in the field, in design studios for prototyping, and more recently for creating just about anything you care to name. once the

app emerges,

these machines will

quickly enter

the mainstream

However, once the

app emerges,

these machines will

quickly enter

the mainstreamonce the killer app emerges, these

machines will quickly enter the mainstream.

There are several videos of 3D printers in action on Youtube. But, I was brainstorming with my wife today, while walking the dog, to see if we could think of that killer app…clothes, disposable diapers or nappies, plastic paperclips, teacups, and buckets, were my first few suggestions. But, I blush to tell you what her first suggestion was…sex toys. Moreover, it’s our silicon wedding anniversary today, and all I could think was that she was trying to tell me something.

But, then it occurred to me, how 3D printing might rapidly move into the mainstream, and no, I’m not thinking of rubbery objects for the bedroom, but virtual gifts!

With the advent of social networking and web 2.0 communities there are often occasions when you might wish to reward or surprise someone you meet or interact with in such virtual spaces. Being sent a link to an interesting site, image, or music file as a gift is nice. But, what if you could send someone a solid object without actually having to buy it, package it up (discretely in some cases), and ship it out? A 3D printer suddenly becomes a way to spread the lurv in polymer resin. And, if you’re getting really close to that certain someone you met online, then you could always take on my wife’s original idea, and spread more than a little lurv, although I don’t a 3D printer exists yet that can produce 1.5 volt batteries.

What will you make with your 3D printer?

Benefits of 3D Printing in the Design & Manufacturing Process

3D printing permits companies to make essential decisions and detect unforeseen design, fit and function flaws very early in the 3D printing design process.Product partners and prospective customers are able to understand complicated concepts faster and easier. Product suppliers and partners are able to participate earlier in the 3D prototyping developmental process. Product focus groups see their conceptual models literally overnight. Sales are closed much earlier, in fact sales are made that likely would not have been made at all if it were not for the lightning-speed of rapid 3D printing.

3D Prototype Revisions

3D printing designers, seeing and touching design prototype changes, dramatically reduces time to market. Companies that have switched from handmade prototypes to 3D prototype printing have seen drastic reductions in cost and creation time from months to a couple weeks!

Companies, previously outsourcing 3D prototyping projects, are now using affordable in-house 3D printers. Affordability, speed and size are crucial factors for implementing in-house 3D prototyping projects.

3D Prototype Functional Use

3D models can be very strong and flexible. 3D models may be plated, sanded, or drilled, making them very versatile and useful in the creative design process.

3D Model Composite Builds

One of the most significant advantages of 3D printing is the ability to print in many materials and colors, a multi-build composite. Previously, this was a lengthy process, manually gluing together various materials and painting to represent many composite materials. This was as monumental as the moment in history when inkjet printers added full-color mode. This 3D design improvement enhances communication, as it provides a superior understanding final product production before the commitment to mass production stage, a no-return expense.

3D Printing Coloring & Labeling

3D printers enable quick and easy mark up. 3D models can easily be marked with color or patterns to communicate previous versions, signify parts or areas that require special application, like drilling or assembly. Labeling and coloring allows designers to be creative and explain instructions in the assembly and 3D production process. The design possibilities are unlimited.

3D Prototypes easily Demonstrate Advantages and Disadvantages

3D printing provides a means for designers to engage others in the decision process, clearly showing the pros and cons of various 3D model design options. Layman, clients, planning deciders and executives become involved contributors in the 3D design process. Presenting two or three variations, passing around the 3D models, encourages a lively and helpful discussion, arriving at the final 3D model product much faster.