3D printing is steadily conquering the world. Currently, there is a lot of ongoing research regarding technology: from printing houses to the recreation of human organs. And while 3D printing is still relatively new, it stands at the base of the future that looks like it came out of sci-fi movies.
Since the ’80s and until recently, 3D printing could only be used to make objects of a limited size. Usually, it was small and expensive products that were more expensive than the ones made with traditional techniques. But now the technology has matured and everything changed, and even designers are now trying their hands at 3D printing.
3D technologies will sooner or later cause the next industrial revolution: a regular person could simply create anything they want without leaving their house. This will result in a minimum amount of waste and will eliminate the need to go shopping.
At a certain point, the evolution of 3D printing will take away the need for cheap labor that is currently available in China and India. Anything could be produced over several minutes at home.
Michael Eden is a potter with over 25 years of experience. His products are known all around the world. After getting skilled at pottery, he made his website, and now he’s experimenting with 3D printing.
He says that he feels like he awakened a new part of his brain. He was wondering about producing the pottery using digital technologies that partially remove the constraints of gravity or centrifugal force.
Additive manufacturing also has a huge potential in the fields outside of arts and crafts. It’s currently actively used in the medical sector for prostheses and implants development. This can result in significant breakthroughs in the close future.
It’s also worth mentioning the architecture and construction field, as well as the fashion industry. For example, 3D printing doesn’t require wasting materials such as cement and putty. Transportation costs are also eliminated since the objects can be printed on site.
Some manufacturers and makers use 3D technologies to produce objects of unique shape. Dutch designer Dirk van Der Kooij managed to 3D print a chair. He used parts of old fridges found at the scrap yards as the materials.
And the main thing is that 3D printers are already available to the masses. They can recoup the costs quite quickly since various online resources provide ready-to-print models. They are available to the public and are not copyrighted.
