3D Print

Posted on June 27, 2011 by jean-peter Fendrich

(Image by wikipedia)

3D Print is a technique to create three dimensional objects from a 3D computer file. The “printing” can be achieved by putting successive layers (slices) of material but also other methods are used. The cost of 3D printing has dropped during years and is now affordable for most businesses and is starting to be affordable for home usage as well.

Today it is mainly used to print 3D prototypes of objects that will be produced in another material later on. In some cases it is possible to print products and components that are used as is.

It is quite possible that 3D printing will be more widespread and also will it be possible to print in other materials than today. The most revolutionary advances are probably a decade or more away. But as 3D printers continue to drop in price eventually even the household can afford a 3D printer.  Suddenly, we will see how they  produce final products for both private use and for business, not just prototypes.

It will change the way we construct things in general, even change the way we build houses in the future.

We can literally “send” 3D objects over the net. All we need is a way of scanning the object at the sender site and print it at the receiver site. Here is an example of current state of the art:

Related articles

• Caching 3D Printing Production for Economies of Scale (glowseed.com)
• UK researchers developing 3D printer that crafts with chocolate (digitaltrends.com)
• 3D food printing: coming to a kitchen near you (smartplanet.com)
• World’s first 3D printed bikini heads for the beach (gizmag.com)
• Evolve objects and 3d print them (nextbigfuture.com)
• How 3D Printing Will Change Absolutely Everything It Touches (forbes.com)