Printers have expanded what people are able to produce since the first sheet rolled off the first printing press. With each new printer, processes got smoother, casing got smaller and software got better. Over time, the digitalization of printers into personal machines has allowed consumers the opportunity to create custom projects at home that could compete with professionally made products for purchase. 30 years ago, the market focused on desktop printing, which led to desktop publishing. Now the new trend in personal digital printers is desktop manufacturing.
3D printing has been popular in technology media lately, as personal machines are beginning to reach affordable prices. The printing procedures are improving, allowing for better final products than before.
Wired Magazine explains the difference between a 3D printer and a router: “When 3-D printers make an object, they use an ‘additive’ technology, which is to say they build objects layer by layer from the bottom up. By contrast, other computer-controlled machines, such as the CNC router and CNC mill, are ‘subtractive’; they use a spinning tool to cut or grind away material.”
Rob Ward from 3D Printers Australia, a popular web forum, simplifies the process for The Sydney Morning Herald by stating, ''It's sort of like having a hot-glue gun. Pull in a piece of plastic filament, melt it, then draw the part.''
Right now, the big name in the 3D-printing scene is MakerBot and its Replicator 2. Priced between $2200 and $2800 depending on the model, the Replicator 2 is designed to spark an industrial and imaginative revolution that caters to home users. To explain the demand, Bre Pettis, cofounder of MakerBot, says, “Before people buy a MakerBot, they think of all the practical applications—all the stuff they can cross off their ‘honey-do’ list, the things they can fix around the house. But once they have it their mind flips a switch. They start printing out amazing things, wonderful things.”
Common 3D-printing projects include anything from electronics components to architectural designs to dental fillings. It is used in fields like jewelry making, footwear, industrial design, architecture, engineering, construction, automotive, aerospace, medical/dental industries, education, geographic information systems, civil engineering, and more. Bringing the technology into homes means additional opportunities for creating whimsical wonders like dollhouse furniture, board game pieces, models, action figures, and jewelry.
Would-be 3D hobbyists are also finding a variety of options online to have their designs produced without investing in a home printer. Sites like Shapeways allow designers to upload their creations for production. Other tech-savvy tinkerers may prefer to built their own RepRap, a 3D printer that can then build another printer and so on and so forth (until the Terminators come).
While 3D printers might not be topping tech geeks’ wish lists this Christmas, it won’t be long before the demand goes up and the cost comes down. Pretty soon they’ll be as commonplace in home offices as desktop printers and scanners.
Image courtesy of MakerBot
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