THE 3-D PRINTING REVOLUTION: Dreams made real, one layer at a time

Author(s): Rachel Ehrenberg

Source: Science News, Vol. 183, No. 5 (MARCH 9, 2013), pp. 20-25
Published by: Society for Science & the Public
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23598830
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THE

3-D

PRINT

REVOLUTION
Dreams

made

real, one layer at a time

By Rachel Ehrenberg
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20

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www.sciencenews.org
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All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

to the 3-D printing equivalent of Kinko's

Pearce takes unusual satisfaction

in

strolling

Walmart.

The

shelves

Joshuatoys,
and

household

clothing

preneurship.

I could

swells

Pearce

the

because

print

pleasure

print

that,
Pearce

now

quantities
seas.

dispenser?

3-D

printing

product

ing your
with
then

dimensional

of material

layer

tic that hardens

another,

and

forth,

your

even

a batch

a stack

The

says

creating
3-D

head

abounds

Still,

envisioning

moves

printers

will

respects

it is like trying

back

becomes

settings.

the

government

Available

since

the late

1980s,

cost tens of thousands

these
machines
.
.,
,
,
, ,,
and primarily
of dollars
printed
proto

types.

But now

anyone

www.sciencenews.org

can

send

a design

small

of one.

The

innovation,
think

it, you

can

what

deliver

exactly

is difficult.

EGTS
S.

3-D

In some

to imagine

PAGE:

back

THIS

For about $1,000,

A vision
realized
any
one can buy a 3-D printer that builds objects
0f plastic.
p|astjC More expensive
|ayer out of
|ayer by layer
layer
machines can handle metals, ceramics and
other custom materials. The user starts by

machines

in well-funded
j.j
and industrial

of a product

it.

Stuff

Like

only

can

If you

print

the desired

vision

computers,

Lipson.

probably

remove

produce

democratizes

technology

con-

printer

or

batches,

of two-

ers.

found

run
can

slices

also

manufacturing

Anyone

last few years have seen an explo. ,

.
.
,
,
3-D printin the sale of personal

once
.
,
academic,

mass

a limited

sion

were

from

complicated,

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objects.

"mass"

is
time

the

It eliminates

of creating

expense

is no

there

that the technology

doubt
tool.

to

remains

For now,

affordable.

reality.
The

manufacturing

by making

the first
by depositing
such as molten
plas
and then another
and

gradually

present-day

screen

that

blip or

ram that renders

design

As the printer

shape.

the

by design-

printing

a battering

That

layers.

the object

structs

start

it into

be a

just

3-D

unrecognizable

intricate

"additive

a program

it up, translating

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out to be a mere

on a computer

through

goes

at

scientist

or it could

be seen.

and

hence

of material,

software.

drafting

3-D

a powerful

by piling

moniker,
You

says

engineer

University.

Whether

Approximate

objects

layers

manufacturing."

COmputer

key.

technical

its more

ancj

turns

growth of personal
printersales
in 2011

piece?

builds

up successive

Lipson,

percent

over-

the print

as pressing

an

Hod

be huge

<|1|1

It's as simple

of shoes?

talking
now,"

blip."

A tape

A chess

at the

it right

Cornell

Typical cost
of a personal 3-D printer

goods

a mug?

Need

on

is also

"Everybody's

in huge

in factories

that

manufacturing

of hype.

peak

regular
make

as a game

technology

But the technology

J
doll3FS

known

produced

typically

traditional

about

next

the

printing,
can

people

will

revolution.

a technique

3-D

that,

print

a "disruptive"

says.

be

may

manufacturing

pair

'I could
I could

worldwide,

printing

changer,
turn

3-D

percent,

smartphone
even food,

lamps
3-D

herald

its head.

though

is at the forefront

of what

as

my wife

it walking

saying,

Pearce

Using

and

units

23,000

headphones,

Many

2011

In

300

are printingjewelry,

cases,

that

available

of personal

by almost

than

smaller

$4,000.

sales

grew

People

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store

objects

to

$400

annual

to more

by

with

himself.

about

that,'"

built

as an empire

and

Walmart

are

printers

great

me

teases

machine,

Pearce

make

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a washing
around

But it's not because

full of mass-manufactured
he could

for

alone,

at Walmart

pride

cases

entre-

man.

a self-made

in most

in American

the chain

admires

than

tools

a certain

And

made.

of copies

printers,

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with

items,
in him

inspire
a pride

smugness,

laden

any number

to have

through

SYSTEMS;

drafting an object with computer-aided design

software. The machine then starts to build the
object by depositing the material one layer at
a time.
time- Some machines spray or squeeze
lay
ers of liquid or powder that harden into a solid
t0
|asers or binders to
heat lasers
others use heat,
(shown) Others
(shown).
fuse grains of loose

K0LENK0/3D
EVA
PAGE:

OPPOSITE

powder into solid layers.

March 9, 2013

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I SCIENCE

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I THE

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of 3-D

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goes
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or other

complexity

of car

parts,

intricate
advanced

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All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

out

skills

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away

can

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Lipson

manufacturing

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to entirely

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information.

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engine

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doctors

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tor in cost

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says.

for a

mean

living

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a cap

and

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and even

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the approach
materials,

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Networked

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of stuff

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wear-

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tion,
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of objects:

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and

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we will

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.
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Lipson,

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sible

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probably

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at

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engineer

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more

says

had

and

designers
and

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role

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cation,

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hobbyists,

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would

number-crunching

in banking,

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was

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pervasive

inspired
tools

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today.

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how

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but

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REVOLUTION

printing

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all that. Businesses

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WALTER
www.sciencenews.org

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I SCIENCE

NEWS

I 23

FEATURE

make

I THE

3-D

PRINTING

REVOLUTION

50 and, if the prod-

uct sells,

they

50

more.

the

scale

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This

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has

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by Reuters

of its GDP
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a future

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as dinner
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materials

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