3-D Printing

Imagine a future in which a device connected to a computer can print a solid object . A future in which we can have tangible goods delivered to our desktops over the Internet. Such a future may sound like it is being plucked from the worlds of Star-Trek, but 3-D printers capable of outputting physical objects have been in development for over two decades and are starting to present a whole host of new digital manufacturing capabilities.

Current Technologies
3-D printing is an additive technology in which objects are built up in many very thin layers. The first commercial 3D printer was based on a technique called stereolithography. This was invented by Charles Hull in 1984. This type of printer is using a perforated platform with a UV laser beam that injects a very thin layer of photopolymer and then another, until a complete object has been printed. Another 3D printing technology based on the selective solidification of a tank of liquid -- or 'vat polymerization' - is DLP projection. This uses a projector to solidify object layers one complete cross-section at a time, rather than using a laser to trace them out. A final 3D printing technology that creates objects by using a light source to solidify a liquid photopolymer is known generically as 'material jetting'. This was pioneered by a company called Objet, and forms object layers by emitting liquid photopolymer from an inkjet-style, multi print head. After each layer is printed, a powerful UV light is then used to set it solid before the next layer is printed. The amazing thing is that the range of 3D printers can jet several different materials from their print head and in multiple combination. This allows up to 14 of 120 potential materials to be printed at the same time.

Future 3D Printing Applications

3D printers have many promising areas of potential future application. NASA has already tested a 3D printer on the International Space Station, and recently announced its requirement for a high resolution 3D printer to produce spacecraft parts during deep space missions. The US Army has also experimented with a truck-mounted 3D printer capable of outputting spare tank and other vehicle components in the battlefield. As noted above, 3D printers may also be used to make future buildings. To this end, a team at Loughborough University is working on a 3D concrete printing project that could allow large building components to be 3D printed on-site to any design, and with improved thermal properties. Another possible future application is in the use of 3D printers to create replacement organs for the human body. This is known as bioprinting, and is an area of rapid development. People who have medical issues can get a transplant quickly and not remain on the waiting list for years.

Opinion
From my point of view, 3-D printing will surely be a huge help for all human kind, enhancing our lives and leading to a brighter future. I choose this subject for its huge implications in various domains such as : medicine, space engineering, social services, nutrition, but also in the manufacture of many kinds of plastic and metal objects.