What would you do with a 3D printer? If the people developing these apps have anything to say about this, you might be surprised. 3D printers are very exciting these days, and it’s not hard to see why. There’s something fundamentally cool about watching a physical object bleed out of cyberspace through the end of a print head.
3D printers, for the uninitiated, are devices that apply layers of material (usually plastic), slowly creating a three-dimensional object from a data file on a computer. You can print anything with them, and the cost drops quickly. There are already several options. available to consumers, and we even reviewed a review and a free one famous printer in the past.
Like 2D printers, 3D printers will likely have their own limitations. For example, for the mass market, suitable for all items, such as silverware, it is always cheaper to use mass production than to print it yourself. However, there are some things that are simply not cost effective (or in some cases even possible) to produce in the traditional way. In these cases, 3D printing has a back.
5. Individual Super Throws
If you were even a teenager, there’s a good chance you broke at least one bone, probably while doing something stupid. If you remember this experience, you probably remember an uncomplicated, painful, and incredibly itchy experience. The casts, which have been used for decades, take months to set the bone, isolate the limb from light and air, and eventually become so dirty and sweat-soaked that the CDC must open a case file on them.
3D printing allows doctors, instead of using flexible materials that conform to the user’s body, to use a rigid, impermeable material to hold the limb in place. Using 3D scanning of the user’s hand, the fit can be perfect. By leaving gaps in the material, the hand receives sun and air, can be washed and does not get dirty. It also looks pretty cool.
What’s even cooler is that since the material is hard, you can attach an ultrasonic transducer to it for twenty minutes a day, which speeds up the healing of the tear by as much as 80%, meaning you don’t have to have to take off as long as possible and less likely to injure a limb. Dr. Houseman, the designer, said it was the scientific basis.
We know that ultrasound works. […] There is compelling evidence presented most recently in two papers published in « Journal of bone and joint surgery, leading journal in orthopedics.
4. Plastic weapons
In regards to ATF and various countries’ concerns about restrictive gun control laws, it has recently been proven that it is possible to 3D print ABS plastic weapons (excluding bullets, striker, and a single spring). The most famous prototype is called the «Liberator» and is capable of discharging a clip in real-world conditions. This has serious implications for the enforcement of firearms regulations around the world.
On a larger scale, the US Army is looking at developing 3D printed warheads as a way to more precisely control the behavior of explosives and quickly prototype designs. James Zunino, a materials engineer for the US Army, is excited about the possibilities.
Once you get into the physics of detonation, you open up a whole new universe. […] . The real value you get is that you can get more safety, lethality, or operational capabilities from one location.
3. Prosthetic limbs
Researchers have also made amazing strides in recent years with prosthetics—unfortunately, these advances have largely been very expensive, often out of reach of the people they seek to serve, who may be out of work due to their disability. Even relatively simple mechanical prostheses often cost tens of thousands of dollars due to their specificity and the need to customize them for each user.
