3D printing technology changes manufacturing processes from cars to kidneys
Listen to some 3D printing enthusiasts and they'll tell you it's the dawn of a revolution, putting the power of industrial manufacturing into the hands of just about anyone. From 3D-printed cars to kidneys, to classical instruments and high-tech bikinis.
3D Primer by Design Strategist Jeremy Faludi
What is 3D printing?
3D printing is a whole collection of different manufacturing techniques. What they have in common is that instead of starting with a block of material and then cutting away, it's a process that builds from the ground up. And that can be done in a number of ways, from having melted plastic extruded from a tiny nozzle. Or it can be a bed of metal powder that you shoot a high powered laser at to melt the tiny tiny grains of metal together.
What kinds of materials can be used in 3D printing?
Everything from the normal thermoplastics to bioplastics like PLA. You can print things in steel, or aluminum or titanium. There are companies that print in food, people printing in ceramics, that gets fired after you print the ceramic paste and there's even a company trying to print living human organs.
Who's using 3D printing?
Guests in this segment:
- Sarah Boivert, chief 3D Printing officer at Potomac Photonics, and founder of the Fab Lab Hub, associated with MIT.
- John Thackara, author of In the Bubble, Designing in a Complex World.
This segment was produced by The Current's Marc Apollonio.