What is 3D Printing?

One of the more exciting new technologies that is hitting the market these days is called 3D printing. In the same way that ordinary computer printers revolutionized the ability of the average company or individual to print their own photographs, brochures, business cards, and almost any needed printed material quickly and easily in their own office or home, affordable 3D printing technology promises to revolutionize rapid prototyping, the distribution of small toys and plastic items, and even artistic endeavors. While many in the field of new product development are familiar with the concept of 3D printing, many others are only just beginning to hear about this exciting home and office fabrication tool.

3D Printing Defined

A 3D printer works much like a regular ink printer, except that instead of laying down a thin layer of ink on a piece of paper, a 3D printer lays down multiple layers of plastic to create actual objects rather than just drawings of them. 3D printers use a computer file to tell where the plastic should be deposited. After each layer is drawn, the object is lowered so that another layer of plastic can be deposited over the top of the previous one. In this manner, three dimensional objects can be created from an engineering CAD file in just a few hours.

Prototyping Before 3D Printing

Having worked for many years in new product development, I can tell you that before commonly available 3D printing, it took days, if not weeks to get a new prototype design turned into a physical part that could be used for preliminary testing or to help judge an aesthetic design. It would also cost thousands of dollars for each unit produced. Once we had 3D printers to work with, a CAD drawing could be turned into a physical part in just a few hours and for perhaps $50-100 in materials at most. While not every plastic part is a suitable candidate for 3D printing, 3D printers helped reduce time to market, prototyping expense, and helped engineers easily make refinements to their designs.

Rapid Prototyping with 3D Printers

While these industrial 3D printers cost around $20,000 each at the time, companies that needed many prototype parts could recoup that cost with just a few projects by eliminating the need to pay a rapid prototyping house for rush parts. Objects could be made from a variety of commonly used plastics such as nylon or ABS. 3D printers could hold moderately tight tolerances and could produce parts for evaluation of fit, some functions, and aesthetics although the layered materials tended to be softer and often more brittle than plastic parts created with higher-temperature or higher pressure molding options.

Affordable 3D Printers

Now, however, 3D printers are coming down in price. In 2007, Bill Gross of IdeaLab, told the New York Times that his company would soon be able to produce 3D printers that could retail for $1000. While they haven't brought that low-priced machine to market yet, they have introduced a 3D printer for under $5000 according to a Globe Newswire announcement from late 2009. While that may be a little pricey for the average person, it is affordable enough for many very small business owners or hobbyists. Other companies are also finding ways to reduce the cost of 3D printers.

Uses for 3D Printers

Artists, for example, can now take a computer rendered drawing and create 3D objects which can be painted or enameled from the base plastic to make them into beautiful and salable objets d'art. Repair shops can quickly reproduce plastic replacement parts for almost anything that comes across their counter. Model makers can create entire model kits or recreate a single damaged piece in just minutes. An architect can produce a 3D model of a house or commercial building in a fraction of the time and effort required for traditional modeling.

The Future of 3D Printing

As the price of 3D printers continues to come down, these machines may wind up in the average home. Imagine that instead of going to the store or waiting for an object purchased online to arrive in the mail, a person could order the CAD file, download it instantly, feed it into their own 3D printer and have the physical object, created by that 3D printer in their hand in minutes. We can foresee a new industry of marketable 3D printable designs opening up by entrepreneurs with the ability to create 3D printer compatible designs for customers who have these devices in their home.

DIY 3D Printer Plans

The truly handy do-it-yourselfer can download opensource plans to build their own 3D printer from commonly available parts from the internet. These home-made 3D printer plans can fabricate items from plastic, chocolate, and even water to create ice sculptures. Eventually, as capabilities increase and costs continue to decrease, whenever you need something that can be fabricated from plastic, all you'll need to do is walk over to the machine, call up the desired file, and your home 3D printer will replicate the item on demand.

Sources:
Personal experience working in new product develop for two major consumer electronics companies.

Saul Hansell. Beam it Down from the Web, Scotty. New York Times. May 7, 2007. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2007/05/07/technology/07copy.html?_r=1&ref=technology on May 9, 2010.

3D Systems Acquires Key Desktop Factory Assets. Globe Newswire. August 31, 2009. Retrieved from www.reuters.com/article/idUS195153+31-Aug-2009+GNW20090831 on May 9^, 2010.