Printing+Gets+Real

http://3dprinting3353.wikispaces.com/page/history/Printing+Gets+Real =//**3D Printing**//=

= ** Description ** =

3D printing is also called Additive manufacturing. Essentially what 3D printing does is that it makes a three-dimensional solid object of any shape from a digital model, or a picture. It is done through an additive process that lays down layer by layer of different dimensions until it forms the 2D object in 3D. The 3D printing process is unique because it's the opposite of the technique used for cutting and drilling (those are subtractive processes). The technology for 3D Printing has been around since the 1980s, but it only became available for commercial use in 2010.

To print, the machine reads the design from a 3d Printable file and lays down multiple layers of liquid, powder, paper or sheet material to build the model. How much of each material is used depends on what you're trying to print. These layers are joined or automatically fused to create the final shape. A 3D printer prints layer by layer from the bottom up. Even though this sounds basic, a 3D printer is capable of creating intricate designs, with a machine like perfection that human hands could not.
 * 1- a **laser source** sends a laser beam to solidify the material
 * 2- The **elevator raises** and lowers the platform to help lay the layers
 * 3- the **vat** contains the material used to create the 3D object
 * 4- The **3D object** is created as parts //are layered on top// of each other.
 * 5- **Advanced 3D printer use** one or more materials, including plastic, resin, titanium, polymers and even gold and silver

= **Applications ** =

3D printing can be used for virtually anything within a reasonable size. Companies can use it to make prototypes of products, which can end up saving them a lot of money. It can be used to print anything from pearl jewelry to basketballs. A big problem that many governments fear with this technology is the legality behind printing certain things, such as guns and fake currency. Does the government really want people to have access to technology that can print money? I think not.

The applications of 3D printing are virtually endless. It can be used for things as simple as keys all the way up to prosthetic limbs and there is even plans to make houses out of 3D printers. So not only can a 3D printer help someone in their everyday life, it can also save their lives. With 3D printing one is basically only limited to their imagination. 3D printing makes creating all these things faster and cheaper than doing it by conventional methods. In the future many things we own will probably be made by 3D printers.

[|Basics] [|Examples of Applications]
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