It’s amazing how technology is changing the world we live in. It wasn’t that long ago that you had to go to store if you wanted to buy a CD, or visit an arcade if you wanted to play a video game. Technology is changing every day, and it is moving quicker and quicker. The next revolution, at least according to some, is 3D object printing.
Now, 3D printing has been around for quite some time, but it hasn’t been something that the consumer or small-time entrepreneur could take advantage of until relatively recently.
Why 3D Object Printing is the Future
For a lot of people out there, 3D object printing probably doesn’t seem that exciting. After all, who prints anything anymore? 3D printing is very exciting, however, even for those naysayers out there. If the future comes true, we’ll be able to print our own parts and tools for projects around the house, design and print our own products for online sale, and more.
Some companies and organizations are working towards being able to print edible objects as well, so it might be the future of food, though I might leave the testing phase of this kind of printing to others.
The real point of all this is that the technology behind this is just being explored for the first time from a consumer perspective. The objects and innovations that come out of it can only be imagined in between the pages of science fiction novels. As the technology advances the things that are able to be printed become more complex. It is foreseeable, that in the future instead of going to the store to buy a new iPod, you could just print your own.
3D Printing Services
There are a lot of things that can be done already with the 3D printing we have today. One of the ways consumers can take advantage of 3D printing is by using one of the many online 3D printing services that are available. These services offer customers the ability to upload 3D files and get their 3D object printed and shipped to them in a couple of weeks. This can usually be done for a fairly reasonable cost, depending on the size and scale of the thing you want printed.
3D Desktop Printers
3D printing services have been around for quite a while, but have gotten cheaper over the last few years. Desktop 3D printers on the other hand are fairly new. For less than $3000 you can get your own printer, and get started designing tools and objects for sale immediately.
This is the true future of 3D object printing, because with a 3D printer you can design small objects to use around the house or to sell online.
There are even online communities where you can get designs for things like iPod Nano watches, hard drive enclosures, sandals, dinnerware and dishes, just to name a few.
These communities are enabling even those who have no design skills to get into 3D printing, which is truly exciting.
Even more exciting is the fact that it’s still early days. As 3D desktop printers like the MakerBot get less expensive, more people will buy them and push the limits of what 3D object printing is capable of.
