Kristin Thiel - Applications for 3D Printing

filament Material extruded, or heated and pushed out of a 3Dprinter, and layered to form a 3D object.

G-code The language a 3D printer understands. Images drawnin 3D are converted into G-code, a blueprint the printer can read.

slicer 3D printing software that divides a 3D model into horizontallayers that the printer can understand and print.

I N AN ADDITIVE PROCESS, AN OBJECT IS BUILT BY ADDING layer upon layer of material to create that object. 3D printing is an additive process. Think of it like building a sand castle, layering sand upon sand until theres a building by the sea. Or, more accurately, 3D printing is like assembling a layer cake. You set one layer down on a platter, just like the 3D printer extrudes a liquified ribbon of material, such as plastic, onto the printer bed. Then you set another layer on top of the first; the printer nozzle returns to its starting point and lays down another layer of material on top of the first. In a moment, well briefly review that process and the history of the technology. But first, lets consider this books specific focus, which is 3D printings applications-how its used, in what industries, by what people, and for what purposes.

When we think about applying 3D printing to the world, using it to address our needs, we may consider 3D printing not only as an additive technology but as a disruptive one. Thats the word that Abraham Reichental, former head of the 3D printer manufacturer 3D Systems, used to describe 3D printing. In his opinion, the technology will drastically alter, in the very best way, every part of life. According to his video interview with the Financial Times in 2012, 3D printing will be as important, and as world changing, as the steam engine, the computer, and the internet were in their early days. Its going to change how we learn. Its going to change how we create. And its going to change how we manufacture, he said.

The magazine Kids, Code, and Computer Science has offered some great examples of how pervasive, or always present, 3D printing could be in everyday life, focusing on the benefit to the environment. Its said that many of us live in a throwaway culture. Some products, like cell phones, are built to last only a couple of years. In other cases, even if an item could last a long time, if a part of it breaks, it can seem easier to just buy a new one than to fix it. Since we can shop in just a few clicks of the mouse, were encouraged to buy instead of repair. But 3D printing is also possible with just a few keystrokes. If the plastic back of your TV remote cracks, Kids, Code, and Computer Science suggests that you could print a new back as easily as you could order a whole new remote, and for less money. Replacing the broken back definitely would mean less wear and tear on the environment, as you wouldnt throw the whole remote away.

Experts studying and making predictions about 3D printing agree that the technology is already a big deal and is only going to become bigger. According to a 2015 Forbes rundown of reports by industry leaders, the worldwide 3D printing arena was expected to grow by billions of dollars from year to year. The projections about that growth continue to be updated in dramatic ways. For example, the 2013 Wohlers Report, which reviewed and analyzed 3D printing, estimated that the field would grow to become a $10.8 billion industry by 2021. A year later, that report forecast a number nearly double the 2013 estimate, and for a shorter period of time: Wohlers Report 2014 said that worldwide revenue from 3D printing would exceed $21 billion by 2020. It also estimated that revenue would reach that number by taking great leaps over a short time frame. It calculated that the technologys annual revenue would jump an amazing four times from what it was in 2013, which was $3.07 billion, to $12.8 billion in only five years, by 2018. Financial expectations for 3D printing applications are hugely positive.