The future is coming, and it's going to be manufactured in a whole new way.
3D printing is revolutionizing manufacturing, so GE decided to give it its own holiday: 3D Printing Day. They're celebrating by designing and 3D-printing holiday gifts for their fans all day on December 3. After all, even elves deserve a break for the holidays, right?
But what exactly are 3D-printed things made of, and how will the process influence the way manufacturers work? Take a look at seven things you probably didn't know about 3D printing, and join the 3D Printing Day celebration with the hashtag #3DPrintMyGift.
1. 3D Printing Started With Lasers
The early days of 3D printing were the 1980s, when computers would trace a pattern that was submerged in a liquid polymer. The traced pattern hardened into a layer, thanks to the laser, and that was how you built an object out of plastic. The term "stereolithography" refers to creating 3D plastic objects through this layering, or "additive," technique.
2. Modern 3D Printers Work Like Your Inkjet
There have been a number of incarnations between the days of stereolithography and now, but in 2013 a newer method of 3D printing is called material extrusion. By this method, a printer builds up an object out of matter that is pushed from a mechanical head, in some ways just like your inkjet produces text on a page by extruding ink onto paper.
3. You Can 3D Print Almost Anything (Even Chocolate!)
3D printing can now create things out of concrete, synthetic stone, ceramics, even chocolate and cheese. Some 3D printers are pushing the envelope with substances such as metal — laying down fine layers of stainless steel or aluminum, and then using a laser or an electron beam to “glue” them together. “We are already seeing custom body implants and ready-to-wearfashion and housewares,” Lewis says. “Add to that 3D-printed organs, bone scaffolding and the next generation of jet engines. We believe that the barrier to what 3D printing will do is generally imposed by the limits of our imaginations.”
4. 3D Printing Means Less Waste in Production
In the past, to make something, you drilled, cut, and filed away what you needed from a quantity of base material. That meant a heap of leftover scrap material. With 3D printing, it’s an additive process: You build up an object from the base material. Think about the implications. The factory buyer should see a difference in the amount of waste associated with each manufactured part.
5. Manufacturing Risks Less With 3D Printing
With 3D printing, the whole equation of scale changes. Instead of attaching a different mold to every machine for every object, the 3D printer switches what it makes, in most cases, by dint of what the computer is telling its extrusion head to do. And so, one no longer has to make thousands of a product to reap the benefits of setting up a facility to make the piece. Manufacturing becomes more nimble and less financially risky.
6. Everybody Gets What They Want
A car manufacturer could create even the most niche component for a dash or cabin without having to justify the part by the volume of orders. A home goods maker could craft offerings to particular regions, climates, and lifestyles without having to convince their board or partners that millions of buyers are ready to pay. “More and more we want to pick products that speak to us as individuals, and to stay relevant more and more companies are looking to break out with custom or personalized products that they create or can be co-created with the consumer,” Lewis says.
7. 3D Printing Could Mean Stronger Local Business Models
Manufacturing, says Lewis, could become a regionally focused idea because of 3D printing. “The next 10 years are going to be about localized actions, including manufacturing," she says. "While this trend will not totally eliminate manufacturing as we know it, it will disrupt and transform the manufacturing paradigm and allow us to selectively re-localize and enable us to manufacture the future.”
All of this without a mention of what home 3D printing might do for individuals so inclined. One day, the discussion may not be about where our printed products were manufactured; the question will be, in which room of our house did we download and create the things we want?
BONUS: 20 Extraordinary 3D-Printed Gifts
1. Typographical Chess Set
Chess may be an uber traditional board game, but that doesn't mean there aren't ways to modernize it. In this set, the focal point of each piece's design is that particular piece's name.Price: $135.072. iPhone 5 Slimline Dock
This compact dock is designed to hold the ultra-slim iPhone 5, and two openings amplify sound in order to make playing music and video chatting better experiences.Price: $31.154. Dreamcatcher
This 3D-printed dreamcatcher is a cool alternative to traditional leather and feathers.Price: $15.635. Clothoid.A Lamp
This lamp will act as the innovative centerpiece of any room's design. The shade is created via a mathematical formula so that it can be adjusted in various positions.Price: $3606. Miniature Ferris Wheel
This inventive little ferris wheel is a great addition to any office desk or tabletop. No assembly is required. Watch this video from Shapeways to learn more about how the mechanics work.Price: $22.867. iPhone Macro Lens
Does your smartphone photography lack detail? Improve your close-ups with this lens, which fits on iPhone 4 and 4S.Price: $10.478. Eggbot
Why settle for a boring breakfast? The Eggbot adds adventure to eating your soft-boiled egg, or could even serve as a holder when cooking.Price: $30.629. "Atom" Guitar
Olaf Diegel, a professor of mechatronics at Massey University’s School of Engineering & Advanced Technology in New Zealand, developed a series of stunning 3D-printed guitars that are completely playable. The "Atom" guitar and other available models are beautifully intricate.Introductory Price: $3,50010. Snowflame
Add a touch of the holiday season to any candle with the Snowflame candleholder.Price: Approximately $1611. Escherian Head Earrings
Based on M.C. Escher's Surrealist works of art (think Bond of a Union), these earrings are perfect for the fashionable artist or the eccentric dresser.Price: $4.01 (each)12. Klein Bottle Opener
You'll never have to use the edge of table again once you get this antique-looking bronze bottle opener.Price: $78.0013. Dragonbite Grip
This stainless steel pencil/pen grip has a sleek, ergonomic design.Price: Approximately $5014. Whistle Keychain
Made out of brass, this whistle can help you in emergencies and looks great on your key ring.Price: Approximately $5016. Octotwist Shot Glasses
Add some dimension to drinking with friends with these geometrically unique shot glasses.Price: $27 (each)17. Inception Spinning Top
This spinning top is a replica of Cobb's totem from the blockbuster film Inception. It spins upwards of 90 seconds.Price: $16.9818. FreshFiber Samsung Galaxy S3 Case
There are a lot of 3D-printed accessories for Apple products, but that doesn't mean your Android devices can't share in the fun, too. FreshFiber's Macedonia case will protect your Samsung Galaxy S3 and make it look like a work of art.Price: $45.9919. Cufflinks
You can create custom cufflinks with Shapeways. Choose from several styles and shapes, and then personalize them with initials or numbers.Price: $4920. Merry Bird Ornament
Deck the halls with this intricate and classy holiday ornament. The Merry Bird and its hinged swing are produced within the cage -- a design only made possible through 3D printing.Price: $29
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