Recent News in 3D Printing – Aha!

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Apr 252013
 

It’s not news in the tech sector that 3D printing is an emerging disruptive technology that is coming on like a storm (and by this I mean a good storm and not an F5 tornado that takes down everything it its path except the guy in his in-ground home shelter sitting on the toilet who decided to ride it out). And, in particular, 3D printing will be most disruptive when it hits the consumer marketplace with affordable prices. Well, folks (not to be confused with Folkd or That’s all, folks), it’s almost here.

Let’s review some of the latest news stories in 3D printing.

Forbes says: My Kindergartner Can 3D Print. So Can Yours. – http://www.forbes.com/sites/kaifalkenberg/2013/04/24/my-kindergartner-can-3d-print-so-can-yours/

PC Magazine reviews the Cube Systems 3D printer listing for $1,299 retail – http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2418103,00.asp

Mark Brooks, the publisher of Motley Fool, says to invest in 3D printing now – http://www.fool.com/fool/free-report/18/sa-3dprintingaudio-short-310997.aspx?source=isaspodft0000542

A 3D gunsmith is getting snarky about his 2nd Amendment Rights – http://mashable.com/2013/04/24/3d-printed-handgun/

The road to ruin with 3D printing – http://www.policymic.com/articles/37825/10-products-that-3d-printers-will-ruin

The future of 3D printing will involve everything from creating designer drugs, to pinky toe replacement to creating a new pair of underwear on demand. Need a part for your car, your lamp, your phone, well future 3D printing will be able to solve your problems. And let’s not even talk about fixing your future robot-wife … 🙂

 

3D Printing the Bones of a Human Body

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Mar 082013
 

Okay, so 3D printing is not brand new, but some aspects of it are making news. For instance, a company called Oxford Performance Materials just got FDA approval to 3D print a human skull for use in case of trauma or disease.

But, of course why stop there? The future implications for printing parts of the human body are vast.

According to Tech News Daily, “DeFelice envisions going beyond the OsteoFab™ Patient Specific Cranial Device to make 3D-printed bone replacements for all parts of the human body. His company has already begun preparing to submit other 3D-printed bone parts for FDA approval – a huge market worth as much as $50 million to $100 million for each bone replacement type.”

You know 3D printing could also apply to prosthetics as well. Imagine a few years from now Oscar Pistorius or some other ski leg athlete printing their own artificial limbs at home. Or if you happen to be a veteran and lost your hand in the war and then lost your hand in the washer, you could print up a new one post-haste.

The possibilities are mind-boggling. The first step has been taken with the 3d printed skull. And the company that did this has a leg up on the competition. 🙂

References

http://www.explainingthefuture.com/3dprinting.html

http://www.technewsdaily.com/17191-3d-printed-skull-implant.html

 

 

Download a Gun to Your 3D Printer – Click It, No Ticket

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Dec 212012
 

It’s true that 3D printing is coming on the scene like gangbusters. A few years ago 3D printers were used mainly in the manufacturing industry for rapid prototyping.

But now the industry has changed, the printers have gotten cheaper and a few people are starting to make guns from the 3D printing process. And we are talking about the kinds of hard plastic guns that could evade metal detectors at airports.

If you think this is far-fetched then check out what the Seattle Times has to say, “University of Texas law student Cody Wilson, 24-year-old ‘Wiki Weapons’ project leader for Defense Distributed, says the group last month test fired a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle – one of the weapon-types used in the Connecticut school massacre. Video posted by the group on YouTube indicates the gun was built with some key parts created on a 3-D printer and fired six times before it broke.”

And of course since this is leading edge stuff we are talking about here, there are no laws against doing this in the privacy of your own home.

Here’s a Youtube video that talks about 3D printing of guns: http://youtu.be/YqzJlBcCsow

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