3D printing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For methods of applying a 2D image on a 3D surface, see pad printing. For methods of printing 2D parallax stereograms that seem 3D to the eye, see lenticular printing and holography. It has been suggested that Selective heat sintering be merged into this article. (Discuss Proposed since February 2014.

!n "#Dbot $uantum 3D printer.

%imelapse &ideo of a hyperboloid ob'ect (designed by (eorge W. )art made of *+! using a #ep#ap ,*rusa -endel, 3D printer for molten polymer deposition.
*art of a series on the History of printing

Woodblock printing Movable type Printing press Etching Mezzotint Aquatint ithography !hro"olithography #otary press

2.. /0 1.2. 1233 c. 1313 1422 1552 1564 1735 1723

Hectograph 1746 $ffset printing 1753 Hot "etal typesetting 1772 Mi"eograph 1774 %creen printing 161. %pirit duplicator 1623 Photocopying 1637 &nk'et printing 1631 Dye(subli"ation 1635 Phototypesetting 164.s Dot "atri) printer 1647 aser printing 1646 *her"al printing c. 1652 3D printing 1672 Digital press 1663

& t e

3D printing or Additive "anufacturing819 is a process of making a three:dimensional solid ob'ect of &irtually any shape from a digital model. 3D printing is achie&ed using an additive process, ;here successi&e layers of material are laid do;n in different shapes.829 3D printing is also considered distinct from traditional machining techni<ues, ;hich mostly rely on the remo&al of material by methods such as cutting or drilling (subtractive processes . ! 3D printer is a limited type of industrial robot that is capable of carrying out an additi&e process under computer control. While 3D printing technology has been around since the 167.s, it ;as not until the early 2.1.s that the printers became ;idely a&ailable commercially. 839 %he first ;orking 3D printer ;as created in 1672 by /huck )ull of 3D =ystems /orp.829 =ince the start of the 21st century there has been a large gro;th in the sales of these machines, and their price has dropped substantially.839 !ccording to Wohlers !ssociates, a consultancy, the market for 3D printers and ser&ices ;as ;orth >2.2 billion ;orld;ide in 2.12, up 26? from 2.11.849 %he 3D printing technology is used for both prototyping and distributed manufacturing ;ith applications in architecture, construction (!0/ , industrial design, automoti&e, aerospace, military, engineering, ci&il engineering, dental and medical industries, biotech (human tissue replacement , fashion, foot;ear, 'e;elry, eye;ear, education, geographic

information systems, food, and many other fields. "ne study has found859 that open source 3D printing could become a mass market item because domestic 3D printers can offset their capital costs by enabling consumers to a&oid costs associated ;ith purchasing common household ob'ects.879

!ontents

1 %erminology 2 (eneral principles o 2.1 3D *rintable -odels o 2.2 *rinting o 2.3 Finishing 3 !dditi&e processes o 3.1 0xtrusion deposition o 3.2 (ranular materials binding o 3.3 +amination o 3.2 *hotopolymeri@ation o 3.3 -ask:image:pro'ection:based stereolithography 2 *rinters o 2.1 Industry use o 2.2 /onsumer use 3 !pplications o 3.1 Industrial uses 3.1.1 #apid prototyping 3.1.2 #apid manufacturing 3.1.3 -ass customi@ation 3.1.2 -ass production o 3.2 Domestic and hobbyist uses o 3.3 /lothing o 3.2 3D printing ser&ices o 3.3 #esearch into ne; applications 4 Intellectual property 5 0ffects of 3D printing o 5.1 =pace exploration o 5.2 =ocial change o 5.3 Firearms 7 =ee also 6 #eferences 1. Aibliography 11 Further reading 12 0xternal links

*er"inology

%he term additive manufacturing refers to technologies that create ob'ects through se<uential layering. "b'ects that are manufactured additi&ely can be used any;here throughout the product life cycle, from pre:production (i.e. rapid prototyping to full: scale production (i.e. rapid manufacturing , in addition to tooling applications and post: production customi@ation.869 In manufacturing, and machining in particular, subtractive methods refers to more traditional methods. %he term subtractive manufacturing is a retronym de&eloped in recent years to distinguish it from ne;er additi&e manufacturing techni<ues. !lthough fabrication has included methods that are essentially ,additi&e, for centuries (such as 'oining plates, sheets, forgings, and rolled ;ork &ia ri&eting, scre;ing, forge ;elding, or ne;er kinds of ;elding , it did not include the information technology component of model:based definition. -achining (generating exact shapes ;ith high precision has typically been subtracti&e, from filing and turning to milling, drilling and grinding.869 %he term stereolithography ;as defined by /harles W. )ull as a ,system for generating three:dimensional ob'ects by creating a cross:sectional pattern of the ob'ect to be formed,Bin a 1672 patent.81.98119

+eneral principles

3D model slicing.

3D Printable Models
3D printable models may be created ;ith a computer aided design package or &ia 3D scanner. %he manual modeling process of preparing geometric data for 3D computer graphics is similar to plastic arts such as sculpting. 3D scanning is a process of analy@ing and collecting data of real ob'ectC its shape and appearance and builds digital, three dimensional models. Aoth manual and automatic creation of 3D printable models is difficult for a&erage consumers. %his is ;hy se&eral 3D *rinting -arketplace ha&e emerged o&er the last years. !mong the most popular are =hape;ays, %hingi&erse and %hreeding 8129 8139 8129 8139
8149 8159 8179

Printing
%o perform a print, the machine reads the design from an =%+ file and lays do;n successi&e layers of li<uid, po;der, paper or sheet material to build the model from a series of cross sections. %hese layers, ;hich correspond to the &irtual cross sections from the /!D model, are 'oined or automatically fused to create the final shape. %he primary ad&antage of this techni<ue is its ability to create almost any shape or geometric feature. *rinter resolution describes layer thickness and D:E resolution in dpi (dots per inch , 8citation needed9 or micrometers. %ypical layer thickness is around 1.. Fm (23. D*I , although some machines such as the Objet onne! series and 3D =ystemsG Pro"et series can print layers as thin as 14 Fm (1,4.. D*I .8169 D:E resolution is comparable to that of laser printers. %he particles (3D dots are around 3. to 1.. Fm (31. to 23. D*I in diameter. /onstruction of a model ;ith contemporary methods can take any;here from se&eral hours to se&eral days, depending on the method used and the si@e and complexity of the model. !dditi&e systems can typically reduce this time to a fe; hours, although it &aries ;idely depending on the type of machine used and the si@e and number of models being produced simultaneously. %raditional techni<ues like in'ection molding can be less expensi&e for manufacturing polymer products in high <uantities, but additi&e manufacturing can be faster, more flexible and less expensi&e ;hen producing relati&ely small <uantities of parts. 3D printers gi&e designers and concept de&elopment teams the ability to produce parts and concept models using a desktop si@e printer.

,inishing
%hough the printer:produced resolution is sufficient for many applications, printing a slightly o&ersi@ed &ersion of the desired ob'ect in standard resolution and then remo&ing material ;ith a higher:resolution subtracti&e process can achie&e greater precision.8citation
needed9

=ome additi&e manufacturing techni<ues are capable of using multiple materials in the course of constructing parts. =ome are able to print in multiple colors and color combinations simultaneously. =ome also utili@e supports ;hen building. =upports are remo&able or dissol&able upon completion of the print, and are used to support o&erhanging features during construction.

Additive processes

#apid prototyping ;orld;ide 2..182.9

%he !udi #=$ ;as made ;ith rapid prototyping industrial HIH! robots. =e&eral different 3D printing processes ha&e been in&ented since the late 165.s. %he printers ;ere originally large, expensi&e, and highly limited in ;hat they could produce.
8219

! large number of additi&e processes are no; a&ailable. %hey differ in the ;ay layers are deposited to create parts and in the materials that can be used. =ome methods melt or soften material to produce the layers, e.g. selecti&e laser melting (=+- or direct metal laser sintering (D-+= , selecti&e laser sintering (=+= , fused deposition modeling (FD- , ;hile others cure li<uid materials using different sophisticated technologies, e.g. stereolithography (=+! . With laminated ob'ect manufacturing (+"- , thin layers are cut to shape and 'oined together (e.g. paper, polymer, metal . 0ach method has its o;n ad&antages and dra;backs, and some companies conse<uently offer a choice bet;een po;der and polymer for the material from ;hich the ob'ect is built.8229 =ome companies use standard, off:the:shelf business paper as the build material to produce a durable prototype. %he main considerations in choosing a machine are generally speed, cost of the 3D printer, cost of the printed prototype, and cost and choice of materials and color capabilities.8239 *rinters that ;ork directly ;ith metals are expensi&e. In some cases, ho;e&er, less expensi&e printers can be used to make a mould, ;hich is then used to make metal parts.
8229

*ype 0xtrusion

*echnologies Fused deposition modeling (FD-

Materials %hermoplastics (e.g. *+!, !A= , )D*0, eutectic metals, edible materials, #ubber (=ugru , -odelling clay, *lasticine, #%J silicone, *orcelain, -etal clay (including *recious -etal /lay

Wire (ranular

0lectron Aeam Freeform Fabrication !lmost any metal alloy (0AF3 Direct metal laser !lmost any metal alloy sintering (D-+=

0lectron:beam melting %itanium alloys (0A=electi&e laser melting %itanium alloys, /obalt /hrome alloys, (=+=tainless =teel, !luminium =electi&e heat %hermoplastic po;der sintering (=)= 8239 =electi&e laser %hermoplastics, metal po;ders, ceramic sintering (=+= po;ders *o;der bed and *laster:based 3D ink'et head 3D printing (** printing +aminated ob'ect +aminated manufacturing (+"=tereolithography (=+! +ight polymerised Digital +ight *rocessing (D+* *laster *aper, metal foil, plastic film photopolymer photopolymer

E)trusion deposition

Fused deposition modelingK 1 L no@@le e'ecting molten plastic, 2 L deposited material (modeled part , 3 L controlled mo&able table. -ain articleK Fused deposition modeling Fused deposition modeling (FD- ;as de&eloped by =. =cott /rump in the late 167.s and ;as commerciali@ed in 166. by =tratasys.8249 With the expiration of the patent on this technology there is no; a large open:source de&elopment community, as ;ell as commercial and DIE &ariants, ;hich utili@e this type of 3D printer. %his has led to a t;o orders of magnitude price drop since this technologyGs creation. In fused deposition modeling the model or part is produced by extruding small beads of material ;hich harden immediately to form layers. ! thermoplastic filament or metal ;ire that is ;ound on a coil is unreeled to supply material to an extrusion no@@le head. %he no@@le head heats the material and turns the flo; on and off. %ypically stepper motors or ser&o motors are employed to mo&e the extrusion head and ad'ust the flo; and the head can be mo&ed in both hori@ontal and &ertical directions. /ontrol of this

mechanism is typically done by a computer:aided manufacturing (/!- soft;are package running on a microcontroller. Jarious polymers are used, including acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (!A= , polycarbonate (*/ , polylactic acid (*+! , high density polyethylene ()D*0 , */M!A=, and polyphenylsulfone (**=I . In general the polymer is in the form of a filament, fabricated from &irgin resins. -ultiple pro'ects in the open:source community exist that are aimed at processing post:consumer plastic ;aste into filament. %hese in&ol&e machines to shred and extrude the plastic material into filament. FD- has some restrictions on the shapes that may be fabricated. For example, FDusually cannot produce stalactite:like structures, since they ;ould be unsupported during the build. %hese ha&e to be a&oided or a thin support may be designed into the structure ;hich can be broken a;ay during finishing.

+ranular "aterials binding

%he /andyFab granular printing system uses heated air and granulated sugar to produce food:grade art ob'ects. !nother 3D printing approach is the selecti&e fusing of materials in a granular bed. %he techni<ue fuses parts of the layer, and then mo&es the ;orking area do;n;ards, adding another layer of granules and repeating the process until the piece has built up. %his process uses the unfused media to support o&erhangs and thin ;alls in the part being produced, ;hich reduces the need for temporary auxiliary supports for the piece. ! laser is typically used to sinter the media into a solid. 0xamples include selecti&e laser sintering (=+= , ;ith both metals and polymers (e.g. *!, *!:(F, #igid (F, *00H, *=, !lumide, /arbonmide, elastomers , and direct metal laser sintering (D-+= . =electi&e +aser =intering (=+= ;as de&eloped and patented by Dr. /arl Deckard and Dr. Noseph Aeaman at the Ini&ersity of %exas at !ustin in the mid:167.s, under sponsorship of D!#*!.8259 ! similar process ;as patented ;ithout being commerciali@ed by #. F. )ousholder in 1656.8279 =electi&e +aser -elting (=+- does not use sintering for the fusion of po;der granules but ;ill completely melt the po;der using a high:energy laser to create fully dense

materials in a layer;ise method ;ith similar mechanical properties to con&entional manufactured metals. 0lectron beam melting (0A- is a similar type of additi&e manufacturing technology for metal parts (e.g. titanium alloys . 0A- manufactures parts by melting metal po;der layer by layer ;ith an electron beam in a high &acuum. Inlike metal sintering techni<ues that operate belo; melting point, 0A- parts are fully dense, &oid:free, and &ery strong.
826983.9

!nother method consists of an ink'et 3D printing system. %he printer creates the model one layer at a time by spreading a layer of po;der (plaster, or resins and printing a binder in the cross:section of the part using an ink'et:like process. %his is repeated until e&ery layer has been printed. %his technology allo;s the printing of full color prototypes, o&erhangs, and elastomer parts. %he strength of bonded po;der prints can be enhanced ;ith ;ax or thermoset polymer impregnation.

a"ination
-ain articleK +aminated ob'ect manufacturing In some printers, paper can be used as the build material, resulting in a lo;er cost to print. During the 166.s some companies marketed printers that cut cross sections out of special adhesi&e coated paper using a carbon dioxide laser, and then laminated them together. In 2..3, -cor %echnologies +td de&eloped a different process using ordinary sheets of office paper, a %ungsten carbide blade to cut the shape, and selecti&e deposition of adhesi&e and pressure to bond the prototype.8319 %here are also a number of companies selling printers that print laminated ob'ects using thin plastic and metal sheets.

Photopoly"erization

=tereolithography apparatus.

-ain articleK =tereolithography =tereolithography ;as patented in 1674 by /huck )ull.8329 *hotopolymeri@ation is primarily used in stereolithography (=+! to produce a solid part from a li<uid. %his process dramatically redefined pre&ious efforts, from the *hotosculpture method of FranOois WillPme (173.L16.3 in 174.8339 through the photopolymeri@ation of -itsubishiQs -atsubara in 1652.8329 In Digital +ight *rocessing (D+* , a &at of li<uid polymer is exposed to light from a D+* pro'ector under safelight conditions. %he exposed li<uid polymer hardens. %he build plate then mo&es do;n in small increments and the li<uid polymer is again exposed to light. %he process repeats until the model has been built. %he li<uid polymer is then drained from the &at, lea&ing the solid model. %he 0n&ision%0/ Perfactory8339 is an example of a D+* rapid prototyping system. Ink'et printer systems like the Objet Poly"et system spray photopolymer materials onto a build tray in ultra:thin layers (bet;een 14 and 3. Fm until the part is completed. 0ach photopolymer layer is cured ;ith IJ light after it is 'etted, producing fully cured models that can be handled and used immediately, ;ithout post:curing. %he gel:like support material, ;hich is designed to support complicated geometries, is remo&ed by hand and ;ater 'etting. It is also suitable for elastomers. Iltra:small features can be made ;ith the 3D microfabrication techni<ue used in multiphoton photopolymeri@ation. %his approach traces the desired 3D ob'ect in a block of gel using a focused laser. Due to the nonlinear nature of photoexcitation, the gel is cured to a solid only in the places ;here the laser ;as focused and the remaining gel is then ;ashed a;ay. Feature si@es of under 1.. nm are easily produced, as ;ell as complex structures ;ith mo&ing and interlocked parts.8349 Eet another approach uses a synthetic resin that is solidified using +0Ds.8359

Mask(i"age(pro'ection(based stereolithography
In this techni<ue a 3D digital model is sliced by a set of hori@ontal planes. 0ach slice is con&erted into a t;o:dimensional mask image. %he mask image is then pro'ected onto a photocurable li<uid resin surface and light is pro'ected onto the resin to cure it in the shape of the layer.8379 In research systems, the light is pro'ected from belo;, allo;ing the resin to be <uickly spread into uniform thin layers, reducing production time from hours to minutes.8379 %he techni<ue has been used to create ob'ects composed of multiple materials that cure at different rates.8379 /ommercially a&ailable de&ices such as "b'et /onnex apply the resin &ia small no@@les.
8379

Printers
&ndustry use
!s of "ctober 2.12, =tratasys, the result of a merger of an !merican and an Israeli company, no; sells additi&e manufacturing systems that range from >2,... to >3..,...C (eneral 0lectric uses the high:end model to build parts for turbines, one example of (0Gs commitment of in:house in&estment of more than >1 billion on the technology.8369

!onsu"er use

#ep#ap &ersion 2.. (-endel .

-akerAot /upcake /R/.

*rinting in progress in a Iltimaker 3D printer during -o@illa -aker party, Aangalore

!ir;olf 3D !W3D &.2 (*rusa . =e&eral pro'ects and companies are making efforts to de&elop affordable 3D printers for home desktop use. -uch of this ;ork has been dri&en by and targeted at DIEMenthusiastMearly adopter communities, ;ith additional ties to the academic and hacker communities.82.9 #ep#ap is one of the longest running pro'ects in the desktop category. %he #ep#ap pro'ect aims to produce a free and open source soft;are (F"== 3D printer, ;hose full specifications are released under the (RI (eneral *ublic +icense, and ;hich is capable of replicating itself by printing many of its o;n (plastic parts to create more machines. 8219 #esearch is under ;ay to enable the de&ice to print circuit boards and metal parts. Aecause of the F"== aims of #ep#ap, many related pro'ects ha&e used their design for inspiration, creating an ecosystem of related or deri&ati&e 3D printers, most of ;hich are also open source designs. %he a&ailability of these open source designs means that &ariants of 3D printers are easy to in&ent. %he <uality and complexity of printer designs, ho;e&er, as ;ell as the <uality of kit or finished products, &aries greatly from pro'ect to pro'ect. %his rapid de&elopment of open source 3D printers is gaining interest in many spheres as it enables hyper:customi@ation and the use of public domain designs to fabricate open source appropriate technology through conduits such as %hingi&erse and /ubify. %his technology can also assist initiati&es in sustainable de&elopment since technologies are easily and economically made from resources a&ailable to local communities.82298239

%he cost of 3D printers has decreased dramatically since about 2.1., ;ith machines that used to cost >2.,... costing less than >1,....8229 For instance, as of 2.13, se&eral companies and indi&iduals are selling parts to build &arious #ep#ap designs, ;ith prices starting at about S2.. M I=>3...8239 %he open source FabT)ome pro'ect8249 has de&eloped printers for general use ;ith anything that can be s<uirted through a no@@le, from chocolate to silicone sealant and chemical reactants. *rinters follo;ing the pro'ectGs designs ha&e been a&ailable from suppliers in kits or in pre:assembled form since 2.12 at prices in the I=>2... range.8239 %he Hickstarter funded *eachy *rinter is designed to cost >1..8259 and se&eral other ne; 3D printers are aimed at the small, inexpensi&e market including the mIJe3D and +umifold. *rofessional grade 3D:printer cro;dsourced costing >1266 is designed by #apide 3D and has no fumes nor constant rattle during use.
8279

!s the costs of 3D printers ha&e come do;n they are becoming more appealing financially to use for self:manufacturing of personal products.879 In addition, 3D printing products at home may reduce the en&ironmental impacts of manufacturing by reducing material use and distribution impacts.8269 %he de&elopment and hyper:customi@ation of the #ep#ap:based 3D printers has produced a ne; category of printers suitable for small business and consumer use. -anufacturers such as =olidoodle,8369 #oAo, and #ep#ap*ro ha&e introduced models and kits priced at less than >1,..., thousands less than they ;ere in =eptember 2.12.8369 Depending on the application, the print resolution and speed of manufacturing lies some;here bet;een a personal printer and an industrial printer. ! list of printers ;ith pricing and other information is maintained.8239 -ost recently delta robots, like the %ripod-aker, ha&e been utili@ed for 3D printing to increase fabrication speed further.83.9 For delta 3D printers, due to its geometry and differentiation mo&ements, the accuracy of the print depends on the position of the printer head.8319 =ome companies are also offering soft;are for 3D printing, as a support for hard;are manufactured by other companies.8329

Applications
%hree:dimensional printing makes it as cheap to create single items as it is to produce thousands and thus undermines economies of scale. It may ha&e as profound an impact on the ;orld as the coming of the factory did....Nust as nobody could ha&e predicted the impact of the steam engine in 153.Bor the printing press in 123., or the transistor in 163.Bit is impossible to foresee the long:term impact of 3D printing. Aut the technology is coming, and it is likely to disrupt e&ery field it touches.

B #he $conomist, in a February 1., 2.11 leader8339

!n example of 3D printed limited edition 'e;ellery. %his necklace is made of glassfiber: filled dyed nylon. It has rotating linkages that ;ere produced in the same manufacturing step as the other parts. !dditi&e manufacturingGs earliest applications ha&e been on the toolroom end of the manufacturing spectrum. For example, rapid prototyping ;as one of the earliest additi&e &ariants, and its mission ;as to reduce the lead time and cost of de&eloping prototypes of ne; parts and de&ices, ;hich ;as earlier only done ;ith subtracti&e toolroom methods (typically slo;ly and expensi&ely .8329 With technological ad&ances in additi&e manufacturing, ho;e&er, and the dissemination of those ad&ances into the business ;orld, additi&e methods are mo&ing e&er further into the production end of manufacturing in creati&e and sometimes unexpected ;ays.8329 *arts that ;ere formerly the sole pro&ince of subtracti&e methods can no; in some cases be made more profitably &ia additi&e ones. =tandard applications include design &isuali@ation, prototypingM/!D, metal casting, architecture, education, geospatial, healthcare, and entertainmentMretail.

&ndustrial uses
#apid prototyping -ain articleK rapid prototyping

Full color miniature face models produced on a 3D *rinter.

*rinting going on ;ith a 3D printer at -akers *arty Aangalore 2.13, Aangalore Industrial 3D printers ha&e existed since the early 167.s and ha&e been used extensi&ely for rapid prototyping and research purposes. %hese are generally larger machines that use proprietary po;dered metals, casting media (e.g. sand , plastics, paper or cartridges, and are used for rapid prototyping by uni&ersities and commercial companies. #apid "anufacturing !d&ances in #* technology ha&e introduced materials that are appropriate for final manufacture, ;hich has in turn introduced the possibility of directly manufacturing finished components. "ne ad&antage of 3D printing for rapid manufacturing lies in the relati&ely inexpensi&e production of small numbers of parts. #apid manufacturing is a ne; method of manufacturing and many of its processes remain unpro&en. 3D printing is no; entering the field of rapid manufacturing and ;as identified as a ,next le&el, technology by many experts in a 2..6 report.8339 "ne of the most promising processes looks to be the adaptation of selecti&e laser sintering (=+= , or direct metal laser sintering (D-+= some of the better:established rapid prototyping methods. !s of 2..4, ho;e&er, these techni<ues ;ere still &ery much in their infancy, ;ith many obstacles to be o&ercome before #- could be considered a realistic manufacturing method.8349 Mass custo"ization /ompanies ha&e created ser&ices ;here consumers can customi@e ob'ects using simplified ;eb based customi@ation soft;are, and order the resulting items as 3D printed uni<ue ob'ects.83598379 %his no; allo;s consumers to create custom cases for their mobile phones.8369 Rokia has released the 3D designs for its case so that o;ners can customi@e their o;n case and ha&e it 3D printed.84.9 Mass production %his section re<uires expansion. %&ovember 2012' %he current slo; print speed of 3D printers limits their use for mass production. %o reduce this o&erhead, se&eral fused filament machines no; offer multiple extruder heads.

%hese can be used to print in multiple colors, ;ith different polymers, or to make multiple prints simultaneously.

/artesio+D-* mass production 3Dprinter %his increases their o&erall print speed during multiple instance production, ;hile re<uiring less capital cost than duplicate machines since they can share a single controller. Distinct from the use of multiple machines, multi:material machines are restricted to making identical copies of the same part, but can offer multi:color and multi:material features ;hen needed. %he print speed increases proportionately to the number of heads. Furthermore, the energy cost is reduced due to the fact that they share the same heated print &olume. %ogether, these t;o features reduce o&erhead costs. -any printers no; offer t;in print heads. )o;e&er, these are used to manufacture single (sets of parts in multiple colorsMmaterials. Fe; studies ha&e yet been done in this field to see if con&entional subtracti&e methods are comparable to additi&e methods.

Do"estic and hobbyist uses

! -akerAot #eplicator 2 %his section re<uires expansion. %(ay 2012' !s of 2.12, domestic 3D printing has mainly capti&ated hobbyists and enthusiasts and has not <uite gained recognition for practical household applications. ! ;orking clock has been made8419 and gears ha&e been printed for home ;ood;orking machines8429 among other purposes.8439 3D printing is also used for ornamental ob'ects. Web sites associated ;ith home 3D printing tend to include backscratchers, coathooks, doorknobs etc.

!s of 2.13, 3D printers ha&e been used to help animals. ! 3D printed foot let a crippled duckling ;alk again.8429 3D printed stylish hermit crab shells let them inhabit a ne; style home.8439 *rinters ha&e also made decorati&e pieces for humans such as necklaces, rings, bags etc. %he open source FabT)ome pro'ect8249 has de&eloped printers for general use. %hey ha&e been used in research en&ironments to produce chemical compounds ;ith 3D printing technology, including ne; ones, initially ;ithout immediate application as proof of principle.8449 %he printer can print ;ith anything that can be dispensed from a syringe as li<uid or paste. %he de&elopers of the chemical application en&isage that this technology could be used for both industrial and domestic use. Including, for example, enabling users in remote locations to be able to produce their o;n medicine or household chemicals.8459
8479

%he "pen#eflex analog =+# camera ;as de&eloped for 3D printing as an open source student pro'ect.8469

!lothing
3D printing has spread into the ;orld of clothing ;ith fashion designers experimenting ;ith 3D:printed bikinis, shoes, and dresses.85.9 In commercial production Rike is using 3D printing to prototype and manufacture the 2.12 Japor +aser %alon football shoe for players of !merican football, and Re; Aalance is 3D manufacturing custom:fit shoes for athletes.85.98519

3D printing services
=ome companies offer on:line 3D printing ser&ices open to both consumers and industries.8529 =uch ser&ices re<uire people to upload their 3D designs to the company ;ebsite. Designs are then 3D printed using industrial 3D printers and either shipped to the customer or in some cases, the consumer can pick the ob'ect up at the store.8539

#esearch into ne- applications

J+% component created using 3D printing.8529

Future applications for 3D printing might include creating open:source scientific e<uipment85398549 or other science:based applications like reconstructing fossils in paleontology, replicating ancient and priceless artifacts in archaeology, reconstructing bones and body parts in forensic pathology, and reconstructing hea&ily damaged e&idence ac<uired from crime scene in&estigations. %he technology currently being researched for building construction.85598579856987.9 In 2..3, academic 'ournals had begun to report on the possible artistic applications of 3D printing technology.8719 Ay 2..5 the mass media follo;ed ;ith an article in the Wall =treet Nournal8729 and %ime -aga@ine, listing a 3D printed design among their 1.. most influential designs of the year.8739 During the 2.11 +ondon Design Festi&al, an installation, curated by -urray -oss and focused on 3D *rinting, ;as held in the Jictoria and !lbert -useum (the JU! . %he installation ;as called )ndustrial *evolution 2.0+ ,o- the (aterial .orld -ill &e-ly (ateriali/e.8729 !s of 2.12, 3D printing technology has been studied by biotechnology firms and academia for possible use in tissue engineering applications in ;hich organs and body parts are built using ink'et techni<ues. In this process, layers of li&ing cells are deposited onto a gel medium or sugar matrix and slo;ly built up to form three:dimensional structures including &ascular systems.8739 %he first production system for 3D tissue printing, ;as deli&ered in 2..6, based on Ro&o(en bioprinting technology.8749 =e&eral terms ha&e been used to refer to this field of researchK organ printing, bio:printing, body part printing,8759 and computer:aided tissue engineering, among others.8779 ! proof:of:principle pro'ect at the Ini&ersity of (lasgo;, IH, in 2.12 sho;ed that it is possible to use 3D printing techni<ues to create chemical compounds, including ne; ones. %hey first printed chemical reaction &essels, then used the printer to s<uirt reactants into them as ,chemical inks, ;hich ;ould then react.8449 %hey ha&e produced ne; compounds to &erify the &alidity of the process, but ha&e not pursued anything ;ith a particular application.8449 /ornell /reati&e -achines +ab has confirmed that it is possible to produce customi@ed food ;ith 3D )ydrocolloid *rinting.8769 *rofessor +eroy /ronin of (lasgo; Ini&ersity proposed, in a %0D %alk that it should one day be possible to use chemical inks to print medicine.86.9 %he use of 3D scanning technologies allo;s the replication of real ob'ects ;ithout the use of moulding techni<ues that in many cases can be more expensi&e, more difficult, or too in&asi&e to be performed, particularly for precious or delicate cultural heritage artifacts8619 ;here direct contact ;ith the molding substances could harm the original ob'ectGs surface. !n additional use being de&eloped is building printing, or using 3D printing to build buildings. %his could allo; faster construction for lo;er costs, and has been in&estigated for construction of off:0arth habitats.85598629 For example, the =interhab pro'ect is researching a lunar base constructed by 3D printing using lunar regolith as a base material. Instead of adding a binding agent to the regolith, researchers are experimenting ;ith micro;a&e sintering to create solid blocks from the ra; material.8639

0mploying additi&e layer technology offered by 3D printing, %erahert@ de&ices ;hich act as ;a&eguides, couplers and bends ha&e been created. %he complex shape of these de&ices could not be achie&ed using con&entional fabrication techni<ues. /ommercially a&ailable professional grade printer 0D0R 24.J ;as used to create structures ;ith minimum feature si@e of 1.. Fm. %he printed structures ;ere later D/ sputter coated ;ith gold (or any other metal to create a %erahert@ *lasmonic De&ice. 8629 /hina has committed almost >3.. million to;ards the establishment of 1. national 3:D printing de&elopment institutes.8639 In 2.13, /hinese scientists began printing ears, li&ers and kidneys, ;ith li&ing tissue. #esearchers in /hina ha&e been able to successfully print human organs using speciali@ed 3D bio printers that use li&ing cells instead of plastic. #esearchers at )ang@hou Dian@i Ini&ersity actually ;ent as far as in&enting their o;n 3D printer for the complex task, dubbed the V#egeno&oW ;hich is a ,3D bio printer., Du -ingen, #egeno&oGs de&eloper, said that it takes the printer under an hour to produce either a mini li&er sample or a four to fi&e inch ear cartilage sample. Du also predicted that fully functional printed organs may be possible ;ithin the next ten to t;enty years. 8649 8659 In the same year, researchers at the Ini&ersity of )asselt, in Aelgium had successfully printed a ne; 'a;bone for an 73:year:old Aelgian ;oman. %he ;oman is no; able to che;, speak and breathe normally again after a machine printed her a ne; 'a;bone.8679 In Aahrain, large:scale 3D printing using a sandstone:like material has been used to create uni<ue coral:shaped structures, ;hich encourage coral polyps to coloni@e and regenerate damaged reefs. %hese structures ha&e a much more natural shape than other structures used to create artificial reefs, and ha&e a neutral p) ;hich concrete does not.8669 =ome of the recent de&elopments in 3D printing ;ere re&ealed at the 3D*rintsho; in +ondon, ;hich took place in Ro&ember 2.13 and 2.12. %he art section had in exposition art;orks made ;ith 3D printed plastic and metal. =e&eral artists such as Noshua )arker, Da&ide *rete, =ophie Hahn, )elena +ukaso&a, Foteini =etaki sho;ed ho; 3D printing can modify aesthetic and art processes. "ne part of the sho; focused on ;ays in ;hich 3D printing can ad&ance the medical field. %he underlying theme of these ad&ances ;as that these printers can be used to create parts that are printed ;ith specifications to meet each indi&idual. %his makes the process safer and more efficient. "ne of these ad&ances is the use of 3D printers to produce casts that are created to mimic the bones that they are supporting. %hese custom:fitted casts are open, ;hich allo; the ;earer to scratch any itches and also ;ash the damaged area. Aeing open also allo;s for open &entilation. "ne of the best features is that they can be recycled to create more casts.81..9 In December 2.13, A!0 =ystems fitted and successfully test fle; a *ana&ia %ornado ;ith parts made by 3D printing.81.19

&ntellectual property
%his section needs additional citations for verification. *lease help impro&e this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Insourced material may be challenged and remo&ed. %October 2010'

3D printing has existed for decades ;ithin certain manufacturing industries and many legal regimes, including patents, industrial design rights, copyright, and trademark can apply. )o;e&er, there is not much 'urisprudence to say ho; these la;s ;ill apply if 3D printers become mainstream and indi&iduals and hobbyist communities begin manufacturing items for personal use, for non profit distribution, or for sale. !ny of the mentioned legal regimes may prohibit the distribution of the designs used in 3d printing, or the distribution or sale of the printed item. %o be allo;ed to do these things, a person ;ould ha&e to contact the o;ner and ask for a licence, ;hich may come ;ith conditions and a price. *atents co&er processes, machines, manufactures, and compositions of matter and lasts 2. years. %herefore, if a type of ;heel is patented, printing, using, or selling such a ;heel could be an infringement of the patent. /opyright co&ers an expression81.29 and often last for the life of the author plus 5. years thereafter.81.39 If someone makes a statue, they may ha&e copyright on the look of that statue, so if someone sees that statue, they cannot then distribute designs to print an identical or similar statue. When a feature has both artistic (copyrightable and functional (patentable merits, ;hen the <uestion has appeared in I= court, the courts ha&e often held the feature is not copyrightable unless it can be separated from the functional aspects of the item.81.39

Effects of 3D printing
!dditi&e manufacturing, starting ;ith todayGs infancy period, re<uires manufacturing firms to be flexible, e&er:impro&ing users of all a&ailable technologies in order to remain competiti&e. !d&ocates of additi&e manufacturing also predict that this arc of technological de&elopment ;ill counter globalisation, as end users ;ill do much of their o;n manufacturing rather than engage in trade to buy products from other people and corporations.8219 %he real integration of the ne;er additi&e technologies into commercial production, ho;e&er, is more a matter of complementing traditional subtracti&e methods rather than displacing them entirely.81.29

%pace e)ploration
!s early as 2.1., ;ork began on applications of 3D printing in @ero or lo; gra&ity en&ironments.81.39 %he primary concept in&ol&es creating basic items such as hand tools or other more complicated de&ices ,on demand, &ersus using &aluable resources such as fuel or cargo space to carry the items into space. !dditionally, R!=! is conducting tests ;ith company -ade in =pace to assess the potential of 3D printing to make space exploration cheaper and more efficient.81.49 #ocket parts built using this technology ha&e passed R!=! firing tests. In Nuly 2.13, t;o rocket engine in'ectors performed as ;ell as traditionally constructed parts during hot:fire tests

;hich exposed them to temperatures approaching 4,... degrees Fahrenheit (3,314 degrees /elsius and extreme pressures. R!=! is also preparing to launch a 3D printer into spaceC the agency hopes to demonstrate that, ;ith the printer making spare parts on the fly, astronauts need not carry large loads of spares ;ith them.81.59

%ocial change
=ince the 163.s, a number of ;riters and social commentators ha&e speculated in some depth about the social and cultural changes that might result from the ad&ent of commercially:affordable additi&e manufacturing technology.81.79 !mongst the more notable ideas to ha&e emerged from these in<uiries has been the suggestion that, as more and more 3D printers start to enter peopleGs homes, so the con&entional relationship bet;een the home and the ;orkplace might get further eroded.81.69 +ike;ise, it has also been suggested that, as it becomes easier for businesses to transmit designs for ne; ob'ects around the globe, so the need for high:speed freight ser&ices might also become less.811.9 Finally, gi&en the ease ;ith ;hich certain ob'ects can no; be replicated, it remains to be seen ;hether changes ;ill be made to current copyright legislation so as to protect intellectual property rights ;ith the ne; technology ;idely a&ailable.

,irear"s
-ain articleK 3D printed firearms %his section should be summari@ed and a link to 3D printed firearms pro&ided by using the main template per the guidance in WikipediaK=ummary style. %"anuary
2014'

In 2.12, the I.=.:based group Defense Distributed disclosed plans to ,8design9 a ;orking plastic gun that could be do;nloaded and reproduced by anybody ;ith a 3D printer.,81119 81129 Defense Distributed has also designed a 3D printable !#:13 type rifle lo;er recei&er (capable of lasting more than 43. rounds and a 3. round -14 maga@ine.81139 =oon after Defense Distributed succeeded in designing the first ;orking blueprint to produce a plastic gun ;ith a 3D printer in -ay 2.13, the Inited =tates Department of =tate demanded that they remo&e the instructions from their ;ebsite.81129 !fter Defense Distributed released their plans, <uestions ;ere raised regarding the effects that 3D printing and ;idespread consumer:le&el /R/ machining8113981149 may ha&e on gun control effecti&eness.811598117981169812.9 %he I.=. Department of )omeland =ecurity and the Noint #egional Intelligence /enter released a memo stating that ,significant ad&ances in three:dimensional (3D printing capabilities, a&ailability of free digital 3D printer files for firearms components, and difficulty regulating file sharing may present public safety risks from un<ualified gun seekers ;ho obtain or manufacture 3D printed guns,, and that ,proposed legislation to ban 3D printing of ;eapons may deter, but cannot completely pre&ent their production. 0&en if the practice is prohibited by ne; legislation, online distribution of these digital

files ;ill be as difficult to control as any other illegally traded music, mo&ie or soft;are files.,81219 Internationally, ;here gun controls are generally tighter than in the Inited =tates, some commentators ha&e said the impact may be more strongly felt, as alternati&e firearms are not as easily obtainable.81229 0uropean officials ha&e noted that producing a 3D printed gun ;ould be illegal under their gun control la;s,81239 and that criminals ha&e access to other sources of ;eapons, but noted that as the technology impro&ed the risks of an effect ;ould increase.8122981239 Do;nloads of the plans from the IH, (ermany, =pain, and Ara@il ;ere hea&y.8124981259 !ttempting to restrict the distribution o&er the Internet of gun plans has been likened to the futility of pre&enting the ;idespread distribution of De/== ;hich enabled DJD ripping.8127981269813.981319 !fter the I= go&ernment had Defense Distributed take do;n the plans, they ;ere still ;idely a&ailable &ia %he *irate Aay and other file sharing sites.81329 =ome I= legislators ha&e proposed regulations on 3D printers, to pre&ent them being used for printing guns.8133981329 3D printing ad&ocates ha&e suggested that such regulations ;ould be futile, could cripple the 3D printing industry, and could infringe on free speech rights, ;ith early pioneer of 3D printing *rofessor )od +ipson suggesting that gunpo;der could be controlled instead.8133981349813598137981369812.981219
httpKMM;;;.3dprinter.netMreferenceM;hat:is:3d:printing

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Imagine that youG&e decided to organi@e your closet, but instead of measuring containers at a store to make sure they ;ill ;ork, you 'ust go to your office, enter the measurements you ;ant your containers to be, and print them out right there. Ro; imagine that you ha&e to build a diorama of a famous /i&il War battle for a pro'ect at school, and you use that same printer to construct all the soldiers, cannons and trees in perfect detail. %his technology may be closer than you think thanks to 3:D printing. 3:D printing is making it easier and faster to produce complex ob'ects ;ith multiple mo&ing parts and intricate design, and soon it ;ill be affordable enough to ha&e at home. Additive "anufacturing (!- is the family of manufacturing technology that includes 3:D printing. !- is the means of creating an ob'ect by adding material to the ob'ect layer by layer. !- is the current terminology established by !=%- International (formerly the !merican =ociety for %esting and -aterials 8sourceK (ibson, et al.9. %hroughout its history, additi&e manufacturing in general has gone by &arious namesK stereolithography, 3(D layering and 3(D printing. %his article uses 3:D printing because it seems to be the most common term used to describe !- products. Eou can see some of the basic principles behind !- in ca&esC o&er thousands of years, dripping ;ater creates layers and layers of mineral deposits, ;hich accumulate to form stalagmites and stalactites. Inlike these natural formations, though, 3:D printing is much faster and follo;s a predetermined plan pro&ided by computer soft;are. %he computer directs the 3:D printer to add each ne; layer as a precise cross:section of the final ob'ect. !dditi&e manufacturing and 3:D printing specifically, continues to gro;. %echnology that started out as a ;ay to build fast prototypes is no; a means of creating products for the medical, dental, aerospace and automoti&e industries. 3:D printing is also crossing o&er into toy and furniture manufacturing, art and fashion. %his article looks at the broad scope of 3:D printing, from its history and technologies to its ;ide range of uses, including printing your o;n 3:D models at home. First, letGs take a look at ho; 3:D printing got its start and ho; it is de&eloping today.