3D printing can create the future

From last two years 3D printers create complex machinery components, medical implants, jewelries, toothbrushes, soccer boots, custom-designed cakes, racing cycle or motor car parts and much more. But a couple of weeks ago eighty three years old women got a 3D printer-created jaw and bring revolution in 3D printing history. On 2^nd February in this year, a press conference was organized in Biomed University campus and this printed lower jaw was presented in there.

It is totally made from titanium powder which heated & built up in layers in a 3D printer and given a bio-ceramic coating on it. It was designed and built by Layer Wise, a metal parts manufacturer of Belgium which maintains that 3D printing could cut off the costs of medical treatment, when the operations would be faster and recovery time would be decreased.

On last July the engineers of Southampton who printed the Wright brother’s aircraft, designed and flew the universal’s first 3D printed aircraft. It creates a history in economics of aircraft design. The SULSA (The Southampton University Laser Sintered Aircraft) plane is an unmanned aerial vehicle. Including integral control surfaces, access hatches and the wings, the entire structural parts of this plane has been printed. According to an institute release the aircraft was printed by EOS EOSINT P730 nylon laser sintering machine. It fabricates metallic or plastic objects. There were no fasteners to be used and all parts attached by using snap-fit techniques. With a wingspan, the electric powered plane has a top speed with 100 miles/hr.

Laser sintering helps the designer to design the structures or shapes which are generally involve expensive traditional manufacturing technique. It allows developing a modified aircraft from concept to first flight in days by using manufacturing techniques and conventional materials. The designers, creators, and engineers are using 3D printers mostly for making their prototypes quicker & cheaper. 3D printers use plastic but in some cases of high-end machines are able to work with metals and ceramics.

In NASA, the 3D printer has used as an integral tool for space exploration missions to manufacturer machines that print their replacement parts & use a wide variety of materials available on site. The factories of future are expected to have 3D printers working with presses, plastic injection-molding equipment, foundries and milling machine.

Another type of uses a leaser beam or glue to selectively fuse metal or powdered plastics in layers. Operator can select an electronic design blueprint and load the raw materials into the 3D printer and the machine does the rest. In a process that can take several hours to days.