3-D Printing 101
It’s been more than 30 years since the invention of 3-D printing, and yet in some ways the technology is still a frontier of unexplored potential. Three-dimensional printing — and additive manufacturing in general — is the process of depositing material, layer by layer, in patterns determined by computer software, to precisely fabricate a three-dimensional object. The technology has been used to make hip and dental implants, as well as architectural models and aerospace tools, including a socket wrench that astronauts recently printed aboard the International Space Station. For the most part, however, 3-D printing is a small-scale fabrication tool, used by engineers and designers to quickly print up a prototype. In recent years, access to more affordable desktop 3-D printers has helped fuel the maker movement, giving students and hobbyists a chance to experiment with the technology. John Hart, the Mitsui Career Development Associate Professor in Contemporary Technology and Mechanical Engineering at...