3D printing is a very interesting technology coming out from the underground technology world – people are starting to learn about some of the crazy advances. I’ll vaguely cover what 3D printing is before I get into the advancements of this technology. Essentially, 3D printing goes something like this: A 3D computer file will be created by an artist or engineer. This file will then be brought to a 3D printer, or the machine that manufactures through 3D printing. The intelligent computer on the 3D printer will take into account the exact dimensions and curves of the computer model. The printer will then begin to lay down layers of material. This material could range from plastics, ceramics, to metals – even precious metals. The material will be in very fine powder form. The 3D printer will lay down these layers of powder in increments as small as a few microns (the diameter of a human hair is usually about 20 microns) and it will begin to fuse the powders together in accordance to the design. The powders will be fused together through an adhesive chemical, or through a laser melting process. As each individual miniature layer fuses, another layer will be stacked on top. After enough layers, you will be left with a final product through 3D printing. So in a nutshell, it is the layer by layer fusion of powder that results in a finished product.
The technology is a pretty interesting way to manufacture products, prototypes, and smaller scale objects. There are over 60 materials to choose from, so there is plenty of variety! I’m going to cover ho this technology is affecting the medical Service Industry Synonym. 3D printing has played its part and has been used by biomedical engineers on occasion over the last few years. For example, an 83 year old woman needed facial reconstruction. Engineers and doctors in Belgium printed her a titanium jaw implant which made the process much easier. Many dentist clinics have their own 3D printer and rely heavily on it for the fabrication of teeth, crowns, and implants. 3D printing has even played a similar role for hearing aid companies. These 3D printers can develop products at extreme detail to each individual user.
The next step within this Industry Ventures Aum is kind of scary. It involves playing God in a sense. This technology has the power to save so many lives in the near future! What I’m talking about is regeneration. 3D printing has used “bio-ink,” otherwise known as cells, to be stacked in a layer by layer process. Machines are beginning to construct usable body parts! So far, only simple parts like blood vessels, urethras, and bladders have been developed, but it has so much potential. Imagine 10 years from now when you need to regenerate a lung, kidney, or vital organ; imagine being able to walk to the local 3D printing shop and have it taken care of! It is an amazing though to be able to produce organs whenever necessary. Just imagine that you’re having heart failure, and doctors wouldn’t have to apply for an organ donor, but would simply order to have a heart manufactured from one’s own tissues?
