top 10 amazing things people have made with3d printers 10. food a company known as 3d systems have been incrediblybusy in the printing arena, and have been researching the possibility of using printersto make a number of different foods. the machine they have created, known as chefjet, is ableto create chocolate products and sweets in a number of flavors. the printers work muchin the same way other 3d printers do, by layering multiple ingredients on top of one and anotheruntil the design is complete. you might think that printed food is a bitof a novelty, but there are some practical benefits. 3d systems say the printing allowsthem to create very intricate designs, and
even create parts that move. restaurants couldalso use a printer to create on-demand deserts, rather than stockpiling a large number ofproducts. nasa has also been investigating using printedfood in spacecraft. the food packs that are eaten by astronauts take up a significantamount of space, and have a limited lifespan. food cartridges for 3d printers would takeup much less space and could last for up to 30 years, allowing for longer manned missions. 9. medical implants perhaps the biggest beneficiary of 3d printinghas been the world of medicine. an 83-year-old woman had a new jawbone made out of titaniumin 2012, for example. the jaw was printed
using lasers to fuse layers of titanium powdertogether. the surgery was an overwhelming success, and the medical team praised theadvantages of using printed implants. the procedure was so quick and non-complicated,in fact, the woman was able to speak and eat food a day later. more complicated body parts have also beenconstructed using 3d printers. princeton university managed to create a fully functional ear withintegrated electronics. fusing electrical parts with soft tissue has been difficultin the past, but the advent of technology has allowed designers to create parts thatcan theoretically outperform human parts. doctors speculate that, in the future, machinescould even create replacement organs for patients,
eliminating the need to wait for a matchingdonor. 8. a race car forty students from the changsha universityof science and technology in china created a race car they built using 3d printed parts.the car has a top speed of almost 100 miles per hour and weighs only 220 kg. while expensiveto construct, the students expect the cost to reduce significantly as the price of materialslowers. the car was made with a combination of carbonfibre and plastic, and the 3d printer allowed them to create complex parts in a single job,rather than having to assemble many smaller parts. this also allowed the students to replaceparts much quicker than would normally be
possible. 7. an exoskeleton the dupont hospital for children developedan exoskeleton to help disabled children with severe muscle problems, by supporting themand allowing them to move more freely. however, a two-year-old girl named emma was unableto use the exoskeleton, as it was too heavy. the team then designed a much lighter version,and used a 3d printer to manufacture it. the exoskeleton provided the necessary supportfor emma, allowing her to move with less pain and use her limbs more effectively. in addition,the fact that the exoskeleton is custom-made by the hospital allows it to be altered quicklyas emma grows.
however, it isn’t just full-body exoskeletons.researchers from victoria university have been experimenting with scanning patient limbsto design specialized casts for broken arms. the researchers claim that the cast is incrediblylight yet strong, and helps to protect the bone while it heals. 6. custom star wars memorabilia once disney bought the star wars franchisein 2012, they began offering personalized star wars items to fans. visitors to disneyworldhave the option of either being a stormtrooper or being encased in carbonite like han solo. this limited time service scans customers’faces from multiple angles before 3d printing
it onto a 7-inch model. the whole processsets you back around $100. video games have been using similar technologyfor several years, allowing players to put their own faces on in-game characters. othercompanies even offer services where they will create personalized superheroes for you, basedon pictures that you send them. 5. nylon bicycle the european aerospace and defence group (eads)has created an “airbike†to demonstrate their specific printing technique. additivelayer manufacturing uses a powerful laser to heat the nylon so that it can be printedin layers on top of each other. this led to a completely functional bike, including pedalsand chains.
eads claims that the nylon bike has a numberof advantages over more traditional bicycles, mainly that it is half as light as a store-boughtbike, but with strength equal to steel. in addition, the bike’s production means thatit is much more environmentally friendly than the usual manufacturing process. this alsomeans that replacement parts can also be printed if needed, rather than having to send awayfor specific parts. 4. tools manufacturers are also creating highly specializedtools with 3d printers. these range from your usual spanners, wrenches, and hammers, totools that are designed to work in very particular circumstances. the designers even speculatethat customers could one day be able to print
or order their own designed tools. even more impressively, stratasys have createda cordless drill that incorporates a variety of different polymers. it is made of a softmaterial for the hand, along with a strong plastic for the body and drill bits. 3. batteries and generators there’s nothing worse than when your gadgetsrun out of batteries while out and about. erichsen has come up with something of a solutionthough, in the form of a 3d printed, hand-cranked power generator. its rotor can spin up toa maximum of 4000 revolutions per minute, and produces enough power to charge smallelectronic devices such as a mobile phone.
other firms are also experimenting with creatinglithium ion batteries. being able to print out batteries whenever would be hugely beneficial,especially if you’re the type to regularly lose the little things. the early batterydesigns are more efficient than usual batteries and far lighter, meaning they can hold a biggercapacity. 2. automatons while it’s always nice to have useful itemsthat can help people or solve problems, sometimes it’s good for the soul to make somethingthat’s just plain fun. since 3d printing has become more viable for everyday use, peoplehave gone on to design a number of automatons that carry out various actions.
a user of lets make robots, cevinius, hasmade a walking automaton that is powered by gravity, for one. a slight nudge will allowit to walk down a very gentle slope, and its only costs $6 to build. more sophisticatedautomatons include a 3d printed dragon that flaps its wings and moves its body when acrank is turned. in addition, viewers of the british tv showqi might have seen the sand beast, a 3d automaton powered by wind. it has over 70 moving partsand can crawl across a surface when its turbine is turned by moving air. 1. 3d printers much like a russian nesting doll, the reprapproject aims to create a 3d printing device
capable of replicating itself. the projectis completely open source, allowing anyone to contribute and help fulfill its goals.so far, the project has released four different versions of the printing device. the 3d printerprinter is capable of replicating almost all of the parts needed to make another copy ofit, and has done so an unknown number of times.
best books on 3d printing,if the project does eventually reach its goal,then it would allow for users all over the world to have access to a machine capableof printing a wide range of items. this could prove immeasurably useful in poverty-strickennations, giving them access to essential items which they are currently unable to get.
