Dreaming in 3-D

This article discusses how three-dimensional (3-D) printing technology has advanced in the past few years. The 3-D printing technology has been around for more than three decades, but it has come a long way in the past few years. It has established niches in everything from jet engines to oil and gas drilling. It is used to customize such personalized products as orthodontics, hearing aids, and arch and sole supports. Laboratories have printed small robots that come out of the printer with their batteries in place. Printers have created complete automobiles and turbine engines, and even artificial bones and organs. Politicians in the United States now propose 3-D printing as the solution to America’s manufacturing problems. Corporations imagine that this technology could slash time in product cycles and improve performance with new designs. Some people also envision a future where people would be manufacturing products (and replacement parts) at their homes using 3-D printing technology.