Well, the next wave of printing is here…3D printing. I saw a few images of what things can look like after you push a button for what you want and I have to say, the detail is incredible and yet a tad scary. Basically, the printers are connected to the computer and then they slowly make the design by spraying molten plastic in very thin layers, building up a solid object. For example, a tumbler would be created by spraying thousands of rings of plastic on top of each other. Printing, as a slow way of manufacturing, has been around for three decades.
As the article states, “The smart thing is that you can print highly complex objects, including things with internal cavities, such as the architectural model of a new housing complex.It is a slow process with a foot long model taking as long as 24 hours.It is not a substitute for mass manufacturing in factories.” On the medical side, there are prosthetic limbs and tailored hips being created on the industrial machines. Bre Prettis, a former puppeteer and art teacher from New York, owns the company where they use the printers. She states, “It’s the buzz word. Everyone’s really excited about 3D printing, but they are not quite sure why.” It sure looks like the possibilities are endless with 3D printing.