There is a new technology that many people are getting interested in called 3D printing. 3D printing uses thin layers of plastic to create and print a three-dimensional model of a physical object. The three-dimensional model is first created in a digital file which takes some time to transfer over to the printer. After the transfer, the printer takes its time to create thin layers on top of one another until a final 3D object is formed from those thin layers.
The first time 3D printing was ever seen was in the 1970s, and the materials and equipment for the manufacturing of 3D printing were developed in the 80s. The 1990s brought about the decade that 3D printing really became a part of other technologies in the world, considering functional human organs were first transplanted into humans using 3D printing methods at this time. However, 3D printing still did not gain in popularity in other industries until the new millennium and the rise of additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing is a process that allows an item to be produced by adding materials together.
There were many major advancements in 3D printing in the 2000s, including the fact that the first self-replicating 3D printer was created in 2008. This self-replicating model recreated itself by physically printing all its components and parts, and this allowed one 3D printer to create more 3D printers for other people. Another 3D printing advancement took place in 2008 when a prosthetic leg was printed by a 3D printing machine. And that person with that prosthetic leg was successfully able to walk on his 3D-printed leg.
As many people began to see how important 3D printing was, more and more physical objects were being 3D printed, like the world’s first 3D printed aircraft, which was decided to be faster and cheaper than other, more traditional aircraft. 3D printers can be sophisticated and expensive, but there are also 3D printing models that are quite affordable with high-quality printing techniques. Objects that are created in a 3D printer must be handled very carefully once they are created, but it is worth it because one of the biggest advantages of 3D printing is its very convenient ability to create objects in only a few hours.