3D Printing In A 3D World

By Philip Smith


There is a lot to be said for the modern computer printers. They are able to translate just about anything that is two dimensional onto the paper you feed into them. There is, however, more that can be done with a software and equipment upgrade. By spending some money and a lot of time to learn what goes into 3D printing, you can create the models that have been coming out of these units quickly.

A 3D model of something has a lot of advantages over a printed sheet of paper, no matter how pretty it looks. The technology of this additive printed material has been with us since the 1980s. The costs have been coming down, as all electronics have, and it is being used in many areas of commerce.

Several of the major car manufacturers have been playing around with making prototypes of parts with this technology. NASA has certified parts for missions using this kind of printer. This will make taking a large number of spare parts into space redundant.

The additive process for printing various items is contrasted with the subtractive method. An additive process builds up the model with many layers, all being slightly different as the contours of any manufactured part is, to form the part being printed. The subtractive process, using such tools as a lathe, takes material away from a stock chunk of material to make the form being sought.

Creating things that our military use every day for protection is what this technology is doing right now. Jewelry and other items of fashion are also being made. Any parts that are needed for just about any industry finds its way out of one of these printing marvels. This is just the beginning.

A computer program is at the core of this process. The digital programs, many of them freeware, can be used to transform your ideas into a 3D model that can almost come alive. The input from these programs will make the printers work the way they should and the results can be useful in more than a few ways.

3D printing technology is being used in prototyping, construction, architecture, dental, medical and bio tech fields. This is just a very short list and shows the flexibility this type of system will have in the years ahead. The science will make this an easily purchased item and user friendlier as it goes along. Home users will be able to make parts for their home and cars and other items to save money. This will become as necessary as that computer printer you have now.




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