Home Printing Enters the Third Dimension

Posted by in Technology


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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  • Melissa Kennedy
    Melissa Kennedy
    Thanks Stevenr. I'm glad your brother was able to get his printer working. I'm not sure how this information about 3D printing helped, but I certainly know how frustrating it can be.
  • stevenr
    stevenr
    Thanks for the info. My brother needed help with his printer and since I'm old, I am of absolutely no help to him whatsoever. This thing helped me so much.
  • Heather Fairchild
    Heather Fairchild
    Harry, you can find a video demo here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRATWFxj8Vg sorry I can't embed it in the page. Kim a lot of colleges have used similar types of machines in the past but now the technology and the price has shrunk to where people are able to experiment at home. Thanks for the links Stephen I definitely find this stuff fascinating! Glad I'm not the only one!
  • russell brathwaite
    russell brathwaite
    If only this article and more like it could be in a more generalized publication so that more of our young children could find them and wonder.....
  • HARRY D
    HARRY D
    Where is the video demo?  
  • Kim N
    Kim N
    Was this type of printer used in manufacturers long before becoming a household item? Wow! Technology is advancing at a faster pace! Fascinating!
  • Stephen R
    Stephen R
    For those who are fascinated, like I am, with 3D Additive Technology, you have to visit the site that appears to have followed this evolution longer than any other.  Check out their patent search reports.   http://www.additive3d.com/

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