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According to the "21st Century Business Review, in the movie" Mission Impossible 4 ", in order to prevent a glamorous female killer trading terrorist password, agent Ethan makes a a meter" sneak ". He plans to "mask manufacturing machine - one in a short time through a three-dimensional modeling to complete" print "the others face the machine, making the female killer's mask. While this plan is accidentally knocked the printer frustrated, but after three-dimensional masks, mask making machine to print out or help Ethan successfully sneaked into the Kremlin managed to pass through a guard searches.
The above scenario can not help reverie can print out masks machine really exist? In addition to the mask, something else is not able to "print out"? Today, "3D printer" Let the science fiction movie plot into reality.
Wohlers released the report, in 2011, additive manufacturing (3D printing technology is one of them) the annual growth rate of 29.4%, and will maintain double-digit growth momentum. Rapid Prototyping manufacturing sales of products and services will reach $ 2.7 billion by 2015; 2019, this figure will grow to $ 6.5 billion. 3D printer manufacturer Objet Israel CEO David Reis will be 3D printing as a "new industrial revolution" when, in an interview with our correspondents, he said: "Once upon a large-scale assembly line production mode drawbacks in 3D printing to before the impact of manufacturing revealed. addition, 3D printing product design, production, eventually forming the whole process back to the original creator. "
Corroborate with David's view, "The Economist wrote in an article on" 3D printer will bring the third industrial revolution "in April this year:" 3D printer in terms of economies of scale will be insignificant ", geographical pattern of the supply chain will be transformed, "part of the manufacturing industry to encourage manufacturers to move back to the developed countries", "mode of production is like a wheel, like pocket a circle back to the starting point and go to a more personalized, from the large-scale production of the mode of production. "
In fact, the so-called "3D printer" is that you can direct manufacturing equipment of real objects. "3D printing" is a form of additive manufacturing technology, its concept born out of modeling Rapid Prototyping (Rapid Prototyping) technology, which is early 1980s already widely used in the aerospace, medical and automotive industries. Relative to other additive manufacturing technology, 3D printer has the advantages of fast, cheap, high usability. With the rise of three-dimensional computer-aided design (CAD), the designer can see in the computer software in a virtual three-dimensional objects, but you want these objects made of clay, wood or metal model is a time-consuming process and effort and money . The famous shoe company Timberland in the United States, for example, even if only to make a soles model should consume a week's time, the cost is about $ 1.2 thousand.
According to the principle of the 3D printer, as long as the computer can design products, or for the original object 360 degree scan, the printer can be produced based on these data. Print this solution for designers, 3D is simply a savior, the original mock-ups need a few days to hand a few hours will be able to produce molding, to modify, and can also be printed at any time. Network in September 2010, there have been such a video - "the Japanese 3D printer advent of three-dimensional objects instantly copy. Video technology gypsum powder injection 3D printer, on-site copy of a cantaloupe, regardless of color, texture, size, with identical.
Today, 3D printing business has been booming around the world, such as the the Shapeways company website showcases strange 3D print design, watches, jewelry, magic Cube, materials from stainless steel, glass and plastic, sand, everything , users can also customize the design according to their needs. From the aircraft to the bike, from daily necessities to the tooth models, including Ford, Porsche, Motorola, Nokia, Hewlett-Packard, the company's R & D production line can be seen 3D printer shadow.
In addition, many of the company's designers have also started to do some interesting things with 3D printers new model of sports shoes, such as Nike, Adidas, Puma and other companies use them to print. This new technology to make their prototype production time reduced by 75%, reduced from four days to one day, but also eliminates the trouble to communicate with the operating point far to reduce the use Objet's 3D printer Puma design errors. The car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover said, more than one-third of its resin-based parts Objet's 3D printer production.
Compared with the benefits to the company and the designer who brought 3D printer in the individual market, the development of more worth the wait. If the home has its utensils, flashlight, jewelry, luggage, footwear, toys, and all you can DIY. Moreover, its usefulness also extends to some special areas. Recently there have been reports that U.S. scientists use 3D printer to create a plastic robot arm, disability arm of a two-year-old little girl to normal activities. This can help the little girl busy adult patients usually wear metal robot arm to help arm activity, but this little girl who just turned two years old because of the production in the market is too small to wear metal robot arm. It is reported that the United States has 15 with congenital multiple joint contractures disorder children put on such a manipulator. As they grow, this plastic robot arm can be constantly replaced.
A few years ago, the cost of the 3D printer is still very expensive, easily tens of thousands of dollars, such as 3D SyStem company in the United States in 2003 launched InVision printers, the price is $ 59,900; same year Z Corp also listed the three-dimensional printer, quotes ranging from 56000-28900 U.S. dollars.
In 2006, two Cornell University scientists launched a special project to study the low-cost home 3D printer, called "the Fab _AT_ Home Project, after a period of hard work, they really developed a low-cost 3D printer, the raw material value of 2400 dollars. Portable 3D printer small, desktop trend, more and more manufacturers turn their attention to the individual market. Another company Makerbot site, a home called MakerBot Replicator 3D printer priced at just $ 1,749. The price, in fact, has been lower than the price level of the laser printer in 1985. Perhaps one day, you can be at home "Print" button, press Zhuojiao 3D printer, personally designed gift for a loved one, a passionate gift will shape.
However, 3D printing is also caused no small trouble. In "Batman" Premiere the Denver Theater shootings shadow of non-retired Americans, a self-proclaimed "HaveBlue" in 3D design sharing site Thingiverse issued a document called the recent success print out some components of the pistol, and combined with real guns other parts made into a gun, is still a farm in the test gun. 20 feet (about 6 meters) away can aim very accurate shooting accumulated more than 200 times, frame is still intact. "Quite proudly say HaveBlue. Seems, 3D printer really like the inkjet printer as popular, perhaps even a set of laws and regulations need to be tailored.