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May 26, 2016 at 4:13 am
The easy answer to “what can you make with a 3D printer” is almost anything you can think of! From replacement hip joints to 3D printed concrete houses the possibilities are endless. However, that doesn’t really provide you with a clear understanding of the power 3D printers have. The truth is that just about anything you can print in 2D can be printed in 3D. In fact, here are some examples of things you can print in 3D.
1. Toys
Imagine not having to go to the store to buy your children toys anymore. Instead, you can just pull out your 3D printer (or use ours!) and print off a new toy for your child. Mattel, for example, has recently unveiled their new ThingMaker 3D printer which is specifically for children to make toys with. You and your children can design toys from scratch and make them a reality using 3D printing.
2. Your Face…In Chocolate
David Carr from MIT’s Media Lab was able to create a 3D printer that allows you to take a block of chocolate and print your face out in it. Have you ever wanted to give your face in the form of chocolate to someone as a gift? Well, 3D printing technology has made this a reality!
3. Automobiles
What can you print with a 3d printer? How about a car.. Image source[/caption]
Did you know it took years for them to design the world’s first 3D printed car? While it is true that the process of designing it took years, it took a little under two days to print it off. Roughly 44 hours to be exact.
4. Clothing
It is only a matter of time before going to the store to purchase clothing is a thing of the past. 3D printing technology is already capable of letting you design your own clothing for print. However, there will come a day where you can just order your clothing online and print it off of your printer. You pay for the design and get the clothing instantly. Can you imagine how awesome it will be to be able to order whatever you want from the internet only to print it out of a printer instead of having to go get it or wait for it to be delivered?
5. Housing!
Ever want your own castle? Andrey Rudenko and his team in Minnesota have designed a concrete printer that can 3D print buildings! Check out the video below for more info. They have also created the world’s first 3 d printed fully functional hotel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ5Elbvvr1M
As you can see, 3D printing technology is capable of printing just about anything you can imagine. If the technology is not yet able to print it, it is only a matter of time before it will be able to do so. The technology needed to do 3D printing will get cheaper and more sophisticated and the technology itself will become easier to use so everyone can reap the jobs of being able to print just about anything they can draw from the comfort of their own home.
In the meantime though while 3D printing is catching up to a point where it is widely available, your best choice for 3d printing projects is to outsource to experts in the field such as the team here at JCAD. If you have a project in mind we’d love to hear from you! Fill out the form to the right or contact us, we’ll get a quote back to you in 5 – 10 minutes.
Jason Vander Griendt is a Mechanical Engineering Technician with years of experience working at major companies such as SNC Lavalin Inc, Hatch Ltd. Siemens and Gerdau Ameristeel. He is the CEO of JCAD – Inc., a company he started in 2006 after seeing a gap in the market for businesses who could assist clients through the entire product design and manufacturing process.
Jason has been featured in Forbes, has had his businesses analyzed and discussed in multiple start-up books, was a previous winner of the Notable8 Digital Innovator of the year award, and is a regular guest on business panels and podcasts. Email Jason at jason@jcadusa.com or follow him on LinkedIn.