s within the next ten years. 3D printing has already been used to create artificial limbs, restoring mobility to victims of accidents and the tragedy of war.
In the entertainment industry, 3D printing techniques have been used to create the realistic masks and other amazing special effects featured in a number of blockbuster movies. You probably didn’t realize that movies as diverse as The Muppets and Terminator Salvation have introduced unforgettable special effects made possible by 3D printing. Other movies that have featured the seamless products of those techniques include IronMan, The Hobbit, Jurassic Park, The Avengers, and Avatar.
In addition to reducing the amount of natural resources used in manufacturing, 3D printing has the potential to save at least one or two animals from extinction. Pembient is a company that bioengineers wildlife products. Matthew Markus, it’s co-founder plans to use 3D printing to help save the elephants and rhinos from extinction. Rhinos have long been hunted for their horns, which are believed to contain valuable medicinal properties, and elephants for their ivory tusks. He wants to reproduce rhino horn and ivory in a laboratory, thereby driving down the prices to one tenth of their current value on the black market, which will result in reducing poaching. He is in the process of creating a “bio-identical” product using reverse engineering and 3D printing.
NASA has devoted a great deal of time and research into investigating the potential of 3D printing for everything from rocket fuel turbo-pumps to electronic assemblies. In an amazing feat of communication, a file was sent from earth to the 3D printer in the International Space Station with the instructions for printing a ratchet wrench. After more successful experiments testing the effects of 3D printing in space, in the future, robots and 3D printing may even be used to build infrastructure on lunar surfaces.
A great deal of progress has already been made in the relatively short 30-year history of 3D printing. Several different techniques and processes have already been developed. Each process and technique is capable of best accommodating one of a growing number of materials used in the process. While plastic is commonly used, today the process can be successfully used with many materials, including metals like brass, gold, and silver, as well as wood and even ceramics.
Today, virtually anyone can create or upload a 3D design and utilize a 3D printing service to bring their creation to life. In the last year alone, houses, drones, dresses, jewelry and even a race car have been 3D printed. There are already at least four 3D printing services that offer the CLIP process. Purchasing a 3D printer has also become more affordable. About the same cost as a smartphone, 3D printers may just be the next big thing.