3D printing today is really wild. And really mundane. Case(s) in point: Two stories, published yesterday (7.5.16) as side-by-side thumbnails on the 3ders website. The first describes how an auto mechanic developed a process for making large-format 3D printers out of two IKEA tables. You can download the instructions. The second is about the 3D-printed parts on Juno, the spacecraft now orbiting Jupiter.
Which pretty much sums up 3D printing today. Read on 3ders.com:
- Printtable: The large-format 3D printer made from two IKEA tables, yours for under $395
- Juno, the first spacecraft to fly 3D-printed titanium parts, successfully enters Jupiter’s orbit
Is 3D printing today changing the world?
A lot of people seem to think so.
Advanced Solutions’ BioAssemblyBot makes 3D-printed organs.
Time magazine just chose the MakerBot Replicator 3D printer for an elite group that includes the Sony Discman, HP DeskJet, Polaroid Camera, and the Apple iPhone. Read on Time.com:
Hewlett-Packard CTO Shane Wall believes 3D printing is disruptive, helping usher in an era of “Blended Reality,” which, he says, “breaks down the barriers between imagination and physical reality.” Hmmm. Read Wall’s blog:
And the World Economic Forum, Forbes, and 3DEngr.com are among those who want you to know the 10 or so ways that 3D printing can, is about to, or will change our lives forever.
See the big picture in 3D printing today—with Autodesk
Then why hasn’t 3D printing, known on an industrial scale as additive manufacturing, displaced traditional (or subtractive) manufacturing?
One big reason: For big jobs, traditional manufacturing is cheaper and faster. Part of the problem is 3D printing jobs are limited to using a single printing nozzle at a time. Autodesk is developing software and control technology for enabling next-generation 3D printers to harness multiple printing nozzles at once. Read on Make (We Are All Makers):
And read on TechCrunch:
Autodesk also offers Tinkercad, a simple 3D design and 3D printing app, recently named a top 3D print software tool by All About 3D Printing (All3DP.com). Read:
Of course, AutoCAD users have been able to take advantage of 3D printing since AutoCAD 2010. Now Autodesk has simplified the process with Autodesk Print Studio, a separate application that ships with AutoCAD 2017. Read on the AutoCAD Blog:
Want to learn more about 3D printing today?
If you’re new to 3D printing, or just want to fill in any possible knowledge gaps, media company 3D Printing Industry has made it easy for you. Read on 3DPI.com:
