3D printers are the big wave of the future

Do you remember where you were when you first learned what a personal computer was? Okay, maybe that is a bit prehistoric for some. What about the first time you ever heard about the Internet? Even if you were born when these things were already commonplace, it is plain to see that technology is advancing at an exponential rate. All around us, there are innovators and pioneers looking to bring some previously unheard-of concept into existence. Sometimes, as in the case of PCs and the Information Superhighway, those things change the world. Happily, I am letting you know that we are alive during a time of a new breakthrough in technology called 3D Printing.

Over the past few years, there have been people around the world trying to create devices that can fabricate items using simple digital programs. In various Makerspaces, places where like-minded people come together to tinker and build new devices, people have successfully built cutting-edge devices. These 3D printers are machines that do exactly what the name implies. Just as an ink-jet printer can print out a document or photo, these 3D printers can print physical objects. Instead of using ink, the device melts plastic and lays down one layer after another. As the layers of plastic cool, they solidify into a single object.

The technology is still in its infancy, however, so you will not be able to run out and purchase one just yet. Still, it is important people know this tech is out there. The people involved in the various Makerspaces around the world are currently trying to make these devices simpler and more reliable. Some have developed 3D printers that use materials other than plastic, such as metal, glass, and even organic material for medical use. As long as the machine can manipulate the material going in, and it has a well-designed 3D computer model to follow, it can make near anything.

Today, there are limitations on how the printed items are used. Due to the layering process the printer uses when making the objects, any heavy force applied to the object in the wrong direction can cause the object to break. This means whatever is printed cannot yet be used in combustion engines, heavy machinery, or high-pressure scenarios. Nonetheless, the ability to create items on demand will certainly draw quite a bit of interest from the public. As 3D printing becomes more streamlined, it will pop up in homes and businesses everywhere. If you are interested in this technology and wish to tinker with one yourself, check out your local Makerspaces and see how you can get involved in the wave of the future.

David Rivera

David Rivera

David Rivera is a writer, illustrator, photographer - a food stylist before lunch and a dishwasher afterwards. His email address is [email protected]
David Rivera

@DRiveraDesigns

1 Comment

  1. Label Printing Company on March 30, 2013 at 2:47 am

    Really 3D has a great future in the coming time. It is a process of making a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model. Now also we have 4D printing which makess hand on hand with 3d printing creates miracle.