Mr. Stephen Abram: The Invention Of 3D Printing

During this last decade a machine called a 3D printer has taken off and is believed to soon be in the homes of almost every family in the United States. It’s basically a computer printer that creates a 3-dimentional object by stacking material layer by layer on top of each other. You can design these objects through modeling software or

3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital design. The creation of a 3D printed object is achieved using additive processes. In an additive process the desired object is created by laying down successive layers of material (usually molten alloy or plastics) until the entire object is formed. Each of these layers can be seen as a thinly sliced horizontal cross-section of the eventual object.

As 3D printing transitions from commercial manufacturing use to personal private use individuals will have the ability to print any design. Products can range from a pair of shoes to complicated engineering designs, life-saving devices, prosthetic limbs and weapons that pass airport security. In the future we will likely see printable medications and

The technology of 3 dimensional printing has been growing rapidly. So much that now with less than $1000 anyone could buy their own 3D printer kit and build one themselves.(Hacking & Maker Tutorial) Granted, the process of putting it all together will take a bit of time. It’s not easy, but anyone that’s good with their hands will enjoy piecing it together. Why someone would need a 3D printer in their house is still somewhat baffling, but ton’s of interesting things could be made for everyone in the family.

The Personal Fabricator, a chapter in Neil Gershenfeld’s When Things Start to Think, presents an argument concerning the accessibility and personalization of commodities through technological means, and explores the technology used to satisfy the concept of personal fabrication. Throughout the chapter, Gershenfeld contends that personal computing should extend beyond the digital realm into the physical world, and illustrates the idea of a direct access to physical products that are digitally designed to meet the needs of the individual by the individual. The author uses 3D printing to demonstrate the possibility of personal fabrication. In the chapter, a 3D printer is described as a computer that combines materials together in order to create

There are a few pressing matters regarding the impact of 3D printing on society including security risks and accountability when a tragedy occurs as a result of manufactured items. However, 3D printing has a beneficial impact in different fields. One positive impact of 3D printing is the new industry software developers can pursue since there is a need to build and maintain user friendly software for 3D printing. 3D printing also reduces the time to necessary to

My difficulties with the printer had plagued me for months. I had devoted hours over the course of the past year to learning about 3D printing, and was fascinated by how they could make everything from action figures to customized prosthetic bones and hearts. To save some money,

The 3D printing industry had a little controversy. This controversy revolves around a small start up in the Allentown, PA area called “Just3DPrint”. Company is founded by four college students who had a dream, “offer 3d printing services”. The controversy does not revolve around their printing service, but it involves two powerhouses, Thingiverse; a website that allows 3d modelers to share their creations for “free” in a non-commercial manner and Ebay, the largest auction website in the world.

All throughout the world there are constant technological innovations. As time progresses, more inventions come about and alter our lives. Since the industrial revolution we as a nation have had plenty of technological advances that have impacted our lives. Healthcare is one of the most prominent and impactful systems in the world. Technology in healthcare can ultimately make a huge difference in the performance of care and patient outcomes. One recently new innovation in health care is three dimensional printing. 3D printing is a manufacturing method where objects are made by fusing or depositing material. This is revolutionary for healthcare due to the rapid fabrication of tissue and organs, customized prosthetics, and implants.

Chalcraft, Emilie. "How 3D Printing Is Changing Health and Medicine." Dezeen Magazine. Dezeen Magazine, 19 May 2013. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.

Educational institutions across the world are now equipped with 3D printing technologies to teach students subjects like science, technology, engineering and maths. 3D printing services provide speedy printers that make subjects more engaging and student friendly.

This essay will evaluate the current and future uses of 3D printing by discussing both its advantages and disadvantages. The essay will also reflect upon the 3 main groups of users; scientists and entrepreneurs, business manufactures and finally, individual people.

“Although 3-D printers are not yet a standard part of home-computing equipment, the latest generation of devices, such as Cube® by 3D Systems, the Cubex™ or Makerbot’s Replicator™2X - which retail for between one and three thousand US dollars - are bringing the possibility of home manufacturing one step closer to reality” (Jewell). Now the biggest difference between traditional manufacturing and 3D printing will be the emergence of mass customization. Goods will be, “infinitely more customized, because altering them won’t require retooling, only tweaking the instructions in the software. Creativity in meeting individuals’ needs will come to the fore, just as quality control did in the age of rolling out sameness” (D'Aveni). When you have a product that is printed out individually from software with your own customization, then there would be no reason in buying a product that will look like something another person can own because of its ordinary accessibility. Creating physical 3D models in a fast, easy and affordable way has great potential, especially when you can do it in the comfort of your home.

This inspires groups to donate 3D-printed prosthetic limbs to amputees who have limited resources. Cost is a major factor for many families who have children that require new prosthetics as the child grows.

We live in a time where technology is improved and advanced every single day. The health care environment is no exception. The technology used for health care is constantly being refined and advanced in hopes to allow even better and more efficient care. One of these technological advancements that could revolutionize health care is 3D printing. Benefits 3D printing could provide include construction of prosthetic limbs as well as anatomical models aimed at determining patients’ needs and many more (Ventola, 2014). However, there are also disadvantages of this technology and one of the main disadvantages is the security issues it presents. There are both advantages and disadvantages of 3D printing but there is no denying the promise of this technology and the potential impact it could have.