A Glimpse into the Wondrous World of 3-D Printing

Ever thought about the ability of being able to print for yourself a pie of pizza, a bicycle, a fancy car, a piece of jewelry or even a new home??! With the invention of the 3-D printer, this may become a possibility for you very soon.

3-D printing is a process of making a 3-dimensional solid object of almost any shape from a digital model. It is achieved by “printing” the materials in layers, one above the other, until a complex object is completed.

How does it work? It somewhat resembles the more traditional forms of printing we are more familiar with. The information is entered into a computer, which then passes this information to a printer. The difference with 3-D printing is that the information is not a flat electronic image, but an electronic diagram. Just as in regular printing, one needs to insert cartridges into the printer for it to produce the job, so too a 3-D printer requires cartridges in order to work. However, the cartridges in a 3-D printer not only contain the right color, but also the particular materials necessary for the printing job e.g plastic, metal etc. Let’s take the example of printing a shoe. You would enter the information for a three-dimensional model of the shoe into the computer. The computer sends this information on to a printer that uses the specific materials and colors necessary to reproduce that shoe.

Why is it becoming so popular? 3-D printing can produce an item that used to take a few months to be made, in just a couple of days. Additionally, one is able to print out extremely costly products, avoiding the need to go out and purchase it. It not only saves time and money, but also produces higher-quality products.

It is difficult to accurately predict how 3-D printing will affect the world of manufacturing. However, there is no doubt that there will be major changes in the industry. This is mainly because any individual person with a 3-D printer will be able to produce all kinds of products at home including electronic machines, cars, household gadgets, food products and lots, lots more.

Since the start of the 21^st century, there has been a large growth in the sales of 3-D printers, and their price is substantially dropping. There are already many individuals in America who own such printers. So keep on the lookout – we at copyfaxes may even be able to sell one to you in the not too distant future…!!!