If you have read my blog since the beginning you will know all about 3D printers. But today is an update to how this fantastic technology is being used. So sit back and enjoy the read.
Recap: 3D printers use a form of manufacturing called additive manufacturing. It layers the material bit by bit to form the object. By bonding the material either via lasers, heat or even glue the object can be formed to your own specifications. The result can be a simple copy of say a mug, or a complex metal using a honeycomb type structure for strength. This manufacturing technique is being used by major industries and manufactures like Boeing, and Lockheed Martin. It has revolutionized manufacturing and production.
Update 1: The first major update is coming from the field of medicine. Schools are using 3D printers with human cells to make hearts, lungs and other body parts for students to practice on. Yes, you read it right. They are printing body parts for hands on practice for surgery. They are even able to print tumors so that students can practice extracting them.
Of course there is more. 3D printer technology is able to print these organs so that they may be used for transplants. The research is still ongoing to make these organs fully functional, but the technology exists to produce Kidneys, Hearts, and lungs. They have even developed a way to make blood vessels which they hope in the near future can be scaled up to produce more verities of organs and other tissue. Right now they are using 3D printers to even make skin for skin grafts on burn patients. It is hoped that eventually they will be able to just spray on new skin directly into the wound using the printers.
Update 2: Cost is still an issue with 3D printers. As such, researchers want to develop alternatives to using plastics and metals for their 3D models. They have therefore turned to none other than paper. That is correct; paper has come to save the day. With home models starting at $300 and the inks used still be fairly pricey, the use of paper has dramatically cut costs. In this method, the paper is layered and cut as the 3D printer makes its model. Glue is used as a binding agent to secure the layers of paper together. The end result is a material that feels like wood.
Another piece of technology that is making it easy to manufacture objects with this technology is 3D scanners. These scanners can measure out an object in a similar manner to scanning a document into your computer. This cuts down on having to measure the object yourself, let alone wasting valuable time and material.
Conclusion: A lot is being invested into 3D manufacturing. There was even a man who used it to build parts for an entire car (which he assembled and drove). However, the ultimate goal is the creation of a replicator like from Star Trek. That is the dream of scientists who are developing this technology to its full potential.
All these updates are thanks to Popular Science and Popular Mechanics magazines.
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