3-D Printing Essay - 1235 Words

Introduction 3-D printing is a relatively new technology compared to other manufacturing methods. It first showed is face in the 1980’s and then faded out of limelight due to the high cost of procurement and operation. In the early 2000’s, breakthroughs occurred when working printed kidneys appeared and SLS (selective laser sintering) machines became available. During late 2009, the early advocates finally produced machines cheap enough - but still capable of great precision and accuracy - that were available to the consumer. These machines can produce items of virtually anything with applications varying from fashion and food to advanced engineered systems. The versatility of this type of machine promotes its popularity and encourages†¦show more content†¦(troweprice.com) Applications Around 2010, 3-D printers became available to consumers in desktop form and their popularity exploded. The most iconic example of these machines’ emerging popularity is the 3-D printable plastic gun, which was fully functional. This simple but cutting edge piece of consumer technology became a diadem in the eyes of hobbyists and small scale manufacturers alike while arousing concerns amongst governmental and anti-weapons activists as to the legality and safety issues 3-D printers posed. (Simon Bradshaw)By now, anyone with only some designing inclinations could use freely available Google SketchUp to create basic 3-D objects. Because of the applications of this wonderful technology, the industry grew in leaps and bounds. With companies such as Boeing, Virgin Atlantic, Bentley, Delphi and MTT investing into research and development, the estimated worth of the industry is currently estimated at 2.2 billion dollars. (Jon Excell) Boeing’s interest in 3-D printing comes from their desire for complex, hard to manufacture parts for jet engines. In fact, Boeing uses 22 thousand different 3-D printed parts across the broad range of their military aircraft. (Christopher Winnan) Healthcare is right behind in the race to implement additive manufacturing into medical practices. A recent ASME presentation on additive manufacturing exhibited images of stentsShow MoreRelatedIs 3 D Printing?1879 Words   |  8 PagesGetting to Know 3-D Printing We are living in the era of technology, where every decade there is a better and newer invention. Some are good for the environment, for example, the hybrid car. Others become a staple for people of all ages, such as the iPhone. But there is one invention that has gone virtually unnoticed for quite some time, until now. This technology is known as 3-D printing. This type of technology is so versatile that engineers from completely different fields can all benefit fromRead MoreThe Initiation Of 3 D Printing1038 Words   |  5 PagesInitiation of 3-D printing took place in end 1980s. Fundamentals of 3-D printing were laid by Japanese Professor. Although he was not able to contribute 100% with his idea, but later on, Mr. Charles Huck carried on with this idea and finally came up with a machine that can create prototypes. Later he also co-founded a 3-D manufacturing company that is right now one of the largest 3-D company in the world and contributes a lot to modern era problems. After this initiative, progress on additive manufacturingRead MoreNegatives And Negatives Of 3 D Printing1347 Words   |  6 Pages3-D printing, is an amazing new technology that has already started many debates about its validity and its possible positive and negative impacts in the future. I believe that 3-D printing technologies is going to have a major impact in our daily lives and the positive benefits is going to outweigh the negatives. 3-D printing is a process of making a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model. It covers many different technologies that achieve similar effects, theRead MoreWhy D Printing Revolutionize The Medical Side Of 3 And Printing1783 Words   |  8 Pagesof 3-D printing revolutionize the medical side of 3-D printing? Introduction: To what extent could the future of 3-D printing could revolutionize the medical side of 3-D printing? Medical 3-D printing is a new and very interesting topic. Over the past few years it has been progressing uncontrollable. Everyday there is new research on a new organ, prosthetic, tissue or drug that can or could be printed by a 3-D printer. The ability to print something in 3-D is mindboggling let alone printing a vitalRead MoreMedical 3 D Printing Case Study1529 Words   |  7 PagesMedical 3-D Printing What would you do if you needed surgery and the doctor told you there was new technology that allow surgeons to spend less time while operating and is much safer? The parents of ten-year-old Kevin Yintia from Kansas City was faced with this type of question earlier this year. Kevin contracted an infection living in Central African Republic while he was just a baby. This infection caused severe damage to Kevin’s hip, which made him smaller than the average boy. Since KevinRead More3-D Printing, Soligen and Other Companies5712 Words   |  23 PagesQuestion 1: Select 2-3 companies profiled in the case and discuss the formulation of their respective strategies for commercializing the TDP Technology The three companies we would further discuss are the Soligen, Specific Surface Corporation (SSC) and Z Corp. Sloigen: Soligen Technology Inc. was founded by Yehoramo Uziel, it was incorporated in Delaware in October 1991, and commenced operations in April 1992. Soligen is a metal casting industry which produces fully functional 3-Dimensional castRead MoreThe New Way We Look At Things967 Words   |  4 Pages3-D The New Way We Look at Things Did a soldier ever think of printing his missing hand that was amputated while in combat? Or did that surgeon ever thought of printing that patient’s matching heart that’s been on the national organ donor list for the past two years? And how about printing the most want it toy for Christmas for your child? Well now you can, by using a 3-D modeling technology printing concept. 3-D (Three-Dimensional) modeling technology in the medical field has been an innovationRead MoreHow Technology Has Changed The World And How Things Are Done946 Words   |  4 Pages3-D printing is an emerging technology, that if properly done, has the potential to change the world and how things are done. Although there have been many advancements over the years, with further research and development this technology can become less expensive, easier to make, and bring us things like household products and printed pizza. The Oxford dictionary defines 3-D printing as â€Å"a process for making a physical object from a three-dimensional digital model, typically by laying down manyRead MoreWhat Properties Are Used Plastic 3 D Filament?1275 Words   |  6 Pagesthermoplastics in existence provide many options as to what properties a printed object can have. Both ABS and PLA are commonly used plastic 3-D filament, but they are used for very different reasons. ABS has a higher melting temperature and printing temperature than PLA probably due to the extra entanglement cause by the branching chains in ABS. Without a properly heated printing bed, this could cause warping and shrinkage of the ABS object when lower layers cool too fast. Those lower layers will shrink dueRead MorePrinting Is Making A Bigger Impact On The World1046 Words   |  5 PagesWe use printers every day, but printing is making a bigger impact on the world then we may realize. Using 3D printing, innovators are coming up with ways to create solutions to problems we encounter every day. 3D printing is, surprisi ngly, not a new concept, and has been around since the eighties. 3D printing entails multiple layers of material that is formed using computer programs to create an object. The most common material used in 3D printing is plastic, but can also be silver, titanium, steel