You may already be a custom CNC machining expert, but you may want to specialize in something else as well. Online 3D printing could be your new passion. If you already use it or if you want to start using it, you should definitely need to read this article. There are namely a lot of great facts about 3D printing that a lot of people do not know. Every day folks have misconceptions about this technology, but with the help of this article, this may be changed.
French invention
The invention of 3D printing sort of started in France. Olivier de Witte, Alain le Méhauté, and Jean-Claude André registered the first patent for this cutting-edge technology in 1984. However, it did not go as expected. Therefore, we usually credit Charles Hull for the innovation of 3D printing. Hull was born in the United States by the way.
Many techniques
When you ask someone about 3D printing they usually think of the FDM technology and desktop 3D printers. However, there are many types of 3D printing methods. This is not even the only 3D printing technology, there are many more technologies available to print a three dimensional object. Examples of these are Direct Metal Laser Sintering, HP Multi Jet Fusion, and Selective Laser Sintering.
Lifesaving
3D printing can actually save lives. This technology is being used more and more in the medical sector to help doctors and surgeons in their daily job. 3D printing can be applied in multiple ways in this industry, for example, to create adapted devices such as prosthetics and casts. However, it can also be used to create implants and even replacement organs.
Read more: Digital Printing
Older than expected
Even though additive manufacturing is seen as quite new, this is not actually the case. 3D printing already made a buzz in the 2000s when the public discovered the Fused Deposition Modeling technology. But, the birth of this manufacturing method is even older than that. The first 3D printing patents already appeared in the ‘80s.
Space
3D printing can obviously be done on earth, but also in space. Astronauts already know about this, in fact. Additive manufacturing can offer great benefits in space. It can for example be used to create adapted tools to produce a 3D printed habitat to live on Mars. 3D printing without gravity can surprisingly offer even more brand new possibilities.
