It seems like 3D printing is everywhere. These days there isn't a field that isn't touched and enhanced by this fascinating and growing technology. Here are a few examples of some of the really neat 3D printing uses in the world today.
3D Printing in Medicine
3D printing is already changing the way doctors perform medicine. One of the most dramatic examples is in the field of prosthetics. Researchers can now produce artificial ears and noses that match those of the patient using only a digital camera, a computer, and a 3D printer. 3D printed arms and legs for amputees are being made that are cheaper to produce and better fitted than traditional models, and even now are being used to help victims in war-torn countries recover from their injuries.
In the future, no one will have to die because they waited too long for a kidney transplant that didn't come. 3D printing has already been used to create organs from the patient's own cells. And this isn't limited to the kidney and the heart. Scientists say in the future they'll be able to print bone and skin for grafts, eliminating having to take those tissues from other parts of the body.
3D Printing in Food
A model called the Chef jet 3D Printer made the news by using an ink made out of sugar and cocoa to make 3D confections out of chocolate. Now they're working with Hershey's to make complex 3D candies out of chocolate and sugar that would have been impossible before 3D printing. They plant to put these products on the store shelves over the next few years.
In Germany, a company called Biozoon has used 3D printing to make food for senior citizens in retirement communities. Many seniors have highly limited diets because they can't chew very well. These 3D printed Smoothfoods use food purees to create foods out of ingredients like chicken, pork, and cauliflower to make foods that look and taste like the real thing but don't need to be chewed.
3D Printing in Clothing
Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to find shoes that fit properly? That's because shoes aren't made specifically for your exact feet. A shoe company called New Balance seeks to change all that. They've begun testing on new athletic shoes that starts with scanning runners' feet and then tracking them as they run with an insole filled with sensors. Then they take all of this data and 3D print shoes with each individual's contours and running conditions taken into account, for a shoe that functions as no shoe has ever done before.
Where technology goes, fashion often followers. Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen drew attention at fashion week by introducing a line of 3D printed dresses and shoes. But it isn't limited to the world of high fashion. The San Francisco clothing company Continuum lets customers design their own bikinis online, with their exact preferences and measurements, then the company prints the designs in nylon and ships them off to the customer.
These fascinating examples barely scratch the surface of 3D printing uses in today's world, and hint at what might be just around the corner. To learn more about 3D print and get involved with the vibrant 3D printing community, head to www.3dprinting.org for lots more info.
3D Printing in Medicine
3D printing is already changing the way doctors perform medicine. One of the most dramatic examples is in the field of prosthetics. Researchers can now produce artificial ears and noses that match those of the patient using only a digital camera, a computer, and a 3D printer. 3D printed arms and legs for amputees are being made that are cheaper to produce and better fitted than traditional models, and even now are being used to help victims in war-torn countries recover from their injuries.
In the future, no one will have to die because they waited too long for a kidney transplant that didn't come. 3D printing has already been used to create organs from the patient's own cells. And this isn't limited to the kidney and the heart. Scientists say in the future they'll be able to print bone and skin for grafts, eliminating having to take those tissues from other parts of the body.
3D Printing in Food
A model called the Chef jet 3D Printer made the news by using an ink made out of sugar and cocoa to make 3D confections out of chocolate. Now they're working with Hershey's to make complex 3D candies out of chocolate and sugar that would have been impossible before 3D printing. They plant to put these products on the store shelves over the next few years.
In Germany, a company called Biozoon has used 3D printing to make food for senior citizens in retirement communities. Many seniors have highly limited diets because they can't chew very well. These 3D printed Smoothfoods use food purees to create foods out of ingredients like chicken, pork, and cauliflower to make foods that look and taste like the real thing but don't need to be chewed.
3D Printing in Clothing
Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to find shoes that fit properly? That's because shoes aren't made specifically for your exact feet. A shoe company called New Balance seeks to change all that. They've begun testing on new athletic shoes that starts with scanning runners' feet and then tracking them as they run with an insole filled with sensors. Then they take all of this data and 3D print shoes with each individual's contours and running conditions taken into account, for a shoe that functions as no shoe has ever done before.
Where technology goes, fashion often followers. Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen drew attention at fashion week by introducing a line of 3D printed dresses and shoes. But it isn't limited to the world of high fashion. The San Francisco clothing company Continuum lets customers design their own bikinis online, with their exact preferences and measurements, then the company prints the designs in nylon and ships them off to the customer.
These fascinating examples barely scratch the surface of 3D printing uses in today's world, and hint at what might be just around the corner. To learn more about 3D print and get involved with the vibrant 3D printing community, head to www.3dprinting.org for lots more info.
