So what is 3D printing?
Three dimensional printing is the process in which a solid object is fully formed and created by a various successive layers of material being fused and placed on top of each other. The object is completed using CAD software. These types of printers are cheaper than they have ever been which means more people can afford it, use at home, and benefit from the advantages it brings.
Three-D printing machines have been on the market for quite some time now. MakerBot who are one of the leading 3d printer manufacturers made their products more affordable to ordinary people. Since this technology has become more affordable, there has been no end to the hype and the possibilities of what can be achieved using 3d printers.
The process of transformation has begun; we are evolving from “normal” people into avid and imaginative household manufacturers! Depending on what 3-D printer the user has purchased users can easily create anything from their own running shoes to dentures and just about anything you can think about that is in-between
Does the idea of people being able to print products in their homes pose a real threat to the manufacturing giants? Should manufacturers be quaking in their boots? Could this be the next big industrial revolution that renders the activity of mass production obsolete?
The answer at this stage of time is no; however, 3D printing and its advancement still have a long way to go because it is still in its infancy. Nevertheless, it has already radically changed the way we do things as consumers. The way things are going, this technology is not far from improving the way we go about our shopping experience, but take heed as the revolution is already underway!