3D Printing

Imagine you want to make the perfect plastic storage container for your locker or a drawer at home. You could take the measurements and go shopping, but it would be more convenient to simply enter the measurements into your computer and print it out at home. One cell-phone manufacturer is using this technology and making custom phone cases for customers with three-dimensional (3D) printers. Additive manufacturing makes 3D printing possible. This ability to manufacture small items and parts is now a reality and will become more prominent in the years to come.

Surprisingly, the technology is approximately 30 years old. Early 3D printing started with a solid object, and a model was made by removing thin layers of material. Today, printheads deposit thin layers of liquid plastic or other materials onto a platform. In this way, material is added to make the model.

Materials such as metal alloys, plastics, aluminum, and stainless steel are used in three-dimensional printing. Paper and ceramic powders are also used. Printers have been set to create a wide variety of objects. There have even been experiments to create human organs.

Making a 3D item is a multistage process. First, a CAD (computer-aided design) model is made of the object. From there the program is transferred to a printer-friendly version. The printer is then set to make the object.

As you might imagine, 3D printing can be very expensive. Some printers initially cost $250,000 and liquid plastic can be $800 per gallon, but technology has drastically reduced the price. Today, 3D printers that make items with dimensions of eight inches square are less than $30,000. Some small home printers can cost less than $1,000.

3D printing is intricate and powerful. It is expected to dramatically change manufacturing and consumer purchasing as we now know it.