5 things that you didn’t know about 3D printers


3D printing has created a major buzz in the past decade. The ability to create any object you can imagine with simply a printer and ink sounds like something straight out of science fiction. It opens up new options for manufacturing and producing everything from medical supplies to toys. We went from thinking that such a thing could only be a part of the movies to having real life printers that are being used for creating numerous things in a variety of different fields. They can create prosthetic body parts, games, plastic toys, and more.

These printers are becoming more and more common and affordable. Soon, you might even own one of your own! Here are 5 things you didn’t know about 3D printers.

They used to have lasers

During the early days, the initial 3D printers used lasers and traced the pattern to be printed in a liquid polymer, which then hardened and turned to plastic. However, the new technology used in 3D printers is similar to the present day inkjet printers. They consist of a nozzle containing liquid that sprays out and solidifies to form the structure of the object being created.

You can print almost anything

With the help of 3D printers, nearly anything is possible – even making large objects such as a car or a house. This technology is also successfully being used for the making of human body parts, such as bones and limbs. The replacement of jaws and hips is already being successfully done with the help of 3D printing technology. In addition, toys and gifts can be made from these printers. Soon, almost everything will be able to be manufactured with the help of 3D printers, which will solve many problems.

5 things that you didn’t know about 3D printers

3D printers make no waste

There is zero waste during the 3D printing process, which makes it convenient to use for large scale manufacturing. The products are printed from the raw materials without anything being wasted during this process. This makes it extremely profitable and can solve the problem of waste management and dumping extra materials. It can also solve the problem of shifting molds for the manufacturing of products of different sizes, as the dimensions can be set simply by feeding the information into the computer. This leaves fewer chances for error and absolutely no material waste.

3D printers work in space

NASA uses 3D printers at the International Space Station to create spare parts for the spaceships and aircraft, to avoid accidents or harm to the astronauts in the case of a faulty part, or if something goes missing. Such accidents have happened in the past, and to avoid such a situation, NASA has installed these printers.

5 things that you didn’t know about 3D printers

They’re not really printers

We have been calling these machines “printers” but, in fact, they do not behave like printers at all. Printers replicate an original onto a surface, whereas 3D printers create new objects based on the design and dimensions that we feed to the system. Think this sounds cool? The price of 3D printers is dropping, so if you wish, you can even own one!

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