As the world of rapid prototyping continues to evolve at a rapid pace, the materials with which the objects are brought to life evolve with it. And while excitement surrounds the actual machines with their futuristic connotations of homebrew democratized manufacturing, let’s not forget the advancements being made in the various materials used to create the end product.We’ve all heard about plastics and resins, along with glass and stainless steel being used in 3D fabrication, but what about the more exotic materials? Let’s put the polymers aside and take a quick glance at some eye-widening materials (along with their end products) being used in the successive world of additive manufacturing. The revolution will be printed. In 3D.Bone
Open3dp, the website of a rapid prototyping laboratory at the University of Washington, mixed powdered bone meal (bought at a health store) with a plastic resin glue, put it in their 3D printer and printed themselves some bones. Next stop: a new femur or an entire Triceratops skeleton, perhaps?Pure MetalsOnline fabrication service Shapeways has just reintroduced Sterling silver into their 3D printing service, for all those people out there who want to produce their own jewelery. The only thing stopping you is probably the cost. And along with precious metals, titanium 3D printing is now being offered by i.materialize, who’ve also teamed up with boutique Irish goldsmiths DaCapo to produce bespoke titanium jewelery like the Gaia 1 ring above.CellsCells are alarmingly being used to print human organs. OK, so this one’s in the early stages of development, but still: HUMAN. ORGANS. Dr. Anthony Atala, a surgeon, gave a talk at TED about a 3D printer that uses living cells to produce a transplantable kidney, stating that it may eventually solve the organ donor problem. He’s experimented with desktop inkjet printers full of cells instead of ink, scanners that scan wounds and print layers of skin, and now an advanced machine that can print a kidney. The patient’s kidney is CAT-scanned to create a 3D volumetric model, they then send this to a computer, design the organ then print it out, which takes about 7 hours. Good news for the organ trafficking black market.Super Strong NylonEngineers at the Aerospace Innovation Centre in Bristol, UK have used a super strength nylon—as strong as steel or aluminum but still lightweight—to print a bike. EADS (European Aerospace and Defence group) produced the Airbike using Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) and its chief executive says in a report for the BBC that we’ll be able to print this sort of thing at home within the decade, giving his personal guarantee. Let’s hold him to it. You can watch the BBC report here.Slideshow photo courtesy of Laura West
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