{"id":930,"date":"2016-05-04T13:36:16","date_gmt":"2016-05-04T13:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/12facts.com\/?p=930"},"modified":"2021-11-29T19:04:47","modified_gmt":"2021-11-29T19:04:47","slug":"12-facts-3d-printing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/12facts.com\/12-facts-3d-printing\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Facts about 3D Printing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Creating artificial body parts and microscopic robots might seem like the stuff of science fiction, but this is exactly what today\u2019s 3D printers are doing. From movie props and sculptures to industrial tools and even food, 3D printing is revolutionizing the way we create and think about objects. The technology is still progressing rapidly, but 3D printing is already responsible for some of the most exciting developments of the 21st century. Check out these 12 incredible facts<\/a> about 3D printing to see what this technology can do and where it\u2019s heading.<\/p>\n

1. 3D Printing Can Print with Many Different Materials<\/h2>\n
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courtesy of: www.tes.com<\/p><\/div>\n

3D printers don\u2019t just print out plastics. These sophisticated devices can actually produce a huge range of materials, including metals, ceramics, glass and even food. From stainless steel, aluminum and titanium to cheese and chocolate, modern 3D printers are getting closer and closer to sci-fi technology like Star Trek\u2019s replicators. 3D printers can also fuse material into polymers, combining plastics with other materials such metal and wood. The range of printable materials makes 3D printers useful in many fields, including the arts, where sculptors have taken to the printers to create unique new works.<\/p>\n

2. 3D Printers Can Create Human Organs for Transplant<\/h2>\n
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courtesy of: qz.com<\/p><\/div>\n

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Entering the realm of the truly futuristic, researchers are hard at work on 3D printing technology that can be used to replace or enhance human organs, from kidneys and hands to livers and tissues. While the technology is still developing, scientists have already created 3D printed body parts that combine organic matter with technology, such as artificial ears that can aid human hearing. The technology can also be used to provide quick organ transplants to those in need. It\u2019s completely possible that someday doctors may be able to print organs on demand, allowing anyone who needs a liver or kidney transplant to receive a brand new organ without the need to wait for a donor.<\/p>\n

3. Dita Von Teese Wore the First 3D Printed Dress<\/h2>\n
\"Dita

courtesy of: www.gizmodo.com.au<\/p><\/div>\n

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Is there anything 3D printing can\u2019t do? In addition to organ transplants and space age manufacturing, 3D printers can also be used to create high fashion. In 2013, burlesque model Dita Von Teese showed off the world\u2019s first 3D printed gown at the Ace Hotel in New York City. Designed by Michael Schmidt and printed by architect Frances Bitonti, the dress was based on the Fibonacci sequence and assembled from 17 distinct pieces. The dress was also layered with 13,000 Swarovski crystals, creating a flowing mesh design that conformed exactly to Dita\u2019s body. The final design consisted of thousands of unique 3D printed components.<\/p>\n

4. 3D Printers Can Create Microscopic Objects<\/h2>\n
\"3D

courtesy of: www.3ders.org<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

3D printers can create items both large and small, but the Photonic Professional GT is a specialized device that prints really, really small \u2013 think the width of a human hair. This complex device uses precision lasers on photosensitive materials to create micro and nano structures that are incomprehensibly small, and it can print them incredibly fast. This technology has a huge variety of applications, from medicine to weapons. Biotechnologists are confident that the printer could be used to create tiny scaffolds that could help with cell growth in sick patients. The printer could also be used to create weapons so small that they would be almost undetectable.<\/p>\n

5. 3D Printing Is Going into Outer Space<\/h2>\n
\"3D

courtesy of: www.nasa.gov<\/p><\/div>\n

One of the major challenges of space exploration is bringing along all the necessary supplies for astronauts to use, but NASA has devised an innovative solution: 3D printing. To aid in space exploration and research, NASA has been developing microgravity 3D printers that can function in outer space. It costs about $10,000 just to send one pound of material into space, but NASA hopes that 3D printing can cut costs by allowing items to be printed in space as astronauts need them. 3D printing could also be used alongside robots to create buildings and other structures on the surfaces of other planets before astronauts arrive.<\/p>\n

6. 3D Printers Can Create Both Prototypes and Final Products<\/h2>\n
\"3D

courtesy of: measurement-solutions.co.uk<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

3D printing is an ideal technology for many industries, because it allows companies to quickly produce prototype devices based on conceptual models. Rather than mass produce these items, companies can 3D print just a few prototypes and then test them out. However, as the technology becomes more sophisticated, 3D printers are increasingly being used to create final products, from shoes and toys to jewelry and tools.<\/p>\n

7. You Can Buy a Cheap 3D Printing Pen<\/h2>\n
\"You

courtesy of: www.dailymail.co.uk<\/p><\/div>\n

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For those who can\u2019t afford a serious 3D printer, the 3Doodler Printing Pen offers a fun, cheap alternative. The pen creates 3D designs using a plastic polymer that cools almost instantly, allowing users to basically \u201cdraw\u201d objects in the air out of plastic strands. The pen can change the color and thickness of the strands, creating different shapes and designs. The device can also make minor repairs to household objects, such as fixing the battery panel on a TV remote control. While the technology is still developing, the 3Doodler shows that 3D printing can be both fun and useful.<\/p>\n

8. 3D Printing Is in the Movies You Watch<\/h2>\n
\"3D

courtesy of: www.youtube.com<\/p><\/div>\n

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3D printing isn\u2019t just for industry. Hollywood has also taken to the process as a cheap, easy way to produce props and costumes for use on set, changing the way movies are made. Many blockbuster films make use of 3D printing in tandem with CGI to create seamless viewing experiences. Big budget films like Iron Man, The Hobbit, Warcraft<\/a>, Avatar and The Avengers have all made use of 3D printing. In Iron Man, for example, many parts of the hero\u2019s costume were created using a combination of CGI and 3D printing. The process allows prop makers and costume designers to save time and create intricate items that would take much longer to produce by hand.
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9. 3D Printing Can Lower Production Costs<\/h2>\n
\"3D

courtesy of: www.youtube.com<\/p><\/div>\n

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While the technology is still developing, businesses in different industries are increasingly turning to 3D printing to help lower production and manufacturing costs. Quality commercial printers can create specialized parts more easily and more quickly than traditional processes such as molding or forging. This helps companies save big on specialized parts that used to cost a fortune to produce. 3D printing also allows companies to manufacture parts on demand, cutting down on the cost of carrying stock. Beyond mass production, 3D printing lets companies create their own tools for far cheaper than it costs to buy them.<\/p>\n

10. 3D Printers Print Objects in Layers<\/h2>\n
\"3D

courtesy of: tcadsolutions.com<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

The process of 3D printing is actually quite similar to normal printing, but it extends the printing into a series of vertical layers in order to create 3D objects Even basic consumer 3D printers come with printing software that can interpret an object\u2019s design and break it down into discrete layers. Known as a slicer, this tool separates an object\u2019s layers by resolution and other factors in order to print them in 3D. After the objects is sectioned off into different layers, the printer physically assembles the different layers one at a time to \u201cprint\u201d it.<\/p>\n

11. 3D Printing Is Coming to the Classroom<\/h2>\n
\"3D

courtesy of: 3dprintingsystems.com<\/p><\/div>\n

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The most forward-thinking schools are already incorporating 3D printing into their curriculum, particularly art and design programs. Preparing their students for future careers that will inevitably incorporate 3D printing, these schools teach students to use 3D modeling tools such as Google\u2019s SketchUp. From engineering to fashion design, 3D printing will soon be everywhere, and schools are preparing students for the unique challenges that this new technology brings.<\/p>\n

12. 3D Printing Has Been Around Since the 80s<\/h2>\n
\"3D

courtesy of: medtrends.pl<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Although it may seem utterly modern (or even futuristic), 3D printing technology has actually existed for decades, dating all the way back to the 1980s. Charles D. Hull received the first 3D printing patent in 1986 for a machine that printed materials using the stereolithography technique. Early 3D printing devices were extremely expensive, often costing $100,000 or more. Hull later founded 3D Systems, a company that continues to produce 3D printing technology to this day.<\/p>\n

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Creating artificial body parts and microscopic robots might seem like the stuff of science fiction, but this is exactly what today\u2019s 3D printers are doing. From movie props and sculptures to industrial tools and even food, 3D printing is revolutionizing the way we create and think about objects. The technology is still progressing rapidly, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":944,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[152,157,156,158,154,155,153],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/12facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/930"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/12facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/12facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/12facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/12facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=930"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/12facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/930\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40352,"href":"https:\/\/12facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/930\/revisions\/40352"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/12facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/12facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/12facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/12facts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}