During
2012, we saw a dramatic increase in the study and use of 3D printing technology
by biotechnology firms and academia for possible use in tissue engineering
applications. Building organs and body parts using 'open' 3D printing
techniques, layers of living cells are deposited onto a gel medium or sugar
matrix and slowly built up to form three dimensional structures. This field of
biotech research has been variously referred to as organ printing, bio-printing,
body part printing and computer-aided tissue engineering, among other terms.
3D printing, also referred to as additive manufacturing or desktop
fabrication, involves a process for making three dimensional (3D) solid
objects from a digital model. The use of additive manufacturing, or 3D
fabrication machines, takes virtual designs from computer aided design (CAD) or
modeling software, transforms them into thin, virtual, horizontal
cross-sections and then creates successive layers until the model is complete.
3D Printing
Systems
Numerous
individuals, open source groups, do-it-yourself (DIY) enthusiasts, academic
institutions, and companies are working on the development of 3D printers
suitable for desktop use at a price many households may be able to afford. Example
of some of the more notable 3D projects and solutions to date include:
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Fab@Home
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SeeMeCNC
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MakerBot
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Cubify
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Objet
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The development of low cost, open
source 3D printers is rapidly gaining attention in the developing world as it enables individuals or small companies
to easily and economically make products from readily available resources to
meet the needs of local communities.
While initially
used to more rapidly develop prototypes of new products back in the 1980's, as
the years have gone by and the technology has advanced, additive manufacturing
or 3D printing has moved further down the chain into business manufacturing
processes, often in many unforeseen ways.
Open Source Software for 3D Printing
If you or your organization is just getting
started with 3D printing, you might want to try some of the free and open
source 3D modeling software products such as:
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Check out other free and open source software here. Commercial
software such as CAD software AutoCAD, Rhino, Maya, and SolidWorks are also
good for designing 3D models.
The
standard data interface between CAD software and 3D printers is the Standard
Tessellation Language (STL) file format. A digitized 3D-model is saved in
STL format and then sent to a 3D printer. The 3D printer then lays down
successive layers of liquid, powder or sheet material that are then fused
together to create the final object.
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3D Printing & Healthcare
Over the past year, there has been
a dramatic increase in the study and use of 3D printing technology by
biotechnology firms and academia for possible use in tissue engineering
applications. Building organs and body parts using 3D printing techniques,
layers of living cells are deposited onto a gel medium or sugar matrix and
slowly built up to form three dimensional structures. This field of biotech
research has been variously referred to as organ printing, bio-printing, body
part printing and computer-aided tissue engineering, among other terms. Check
out some of the most recent news clips or articles about 3D printing in
healthcare:
* Read
about other examples of 3D Printing in Medicine at 3DPrinter.net
Open source 3D printing may be destined to become even more
ubiquitous than open source computing platforms
are today. To some, 3D
printing may still seem like a science fiction concept, but to those who are
willing to open their eyes, it is here now.
Pay attention to the growing open
source hardware (OSHW) and 3D printing movement!
3D Printing – Other Selected
Links
1 comment:
Nice post with great details. I need a Plastic card printing machine for home use. Where i can get the best one?
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