3D printing will explode in 2014, thanks to the expiration of key patents - Quartz. Here’s what’s holding back 3D printing, the technology that’s supposed to revolutionize manufacturing and countless other industries: patents.
In February 2014, key patents that currently prevent competition in the market for the most advanced and functional 3D printers will expire, says Duann Scott, design evangelist at 3D printing company Shapeways. These patents cover a technology known as “laser sintering,” the lowest-cost 3D printing technology.
3D Printed Stuff. 3D Printed Weapons & Legality. 3D Printing Body Parts & Drugs. Copyright. 3D printing. An ORDbot Quantum 3D printer. 3D printing or additive manufacturing[1] is a process of making a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model. 3D printing is achieved using an additive process, where successive layers of material are laid down in different shapes.[2] 3D printing is also considered distinct from traditional machining techniques, which mostly rely on the removal of material by methods such as cutting or drilling (subtractive processes).
A 3D printer is a limited type of industrial robot that is capable of carrying out an additive process under computer control. The 3D printing technology is used for both prototyping and distributed manufacturing with applications in architecture, construction (AEC), industrial design, automotive, aerospace, military, engineering, dental and medical industries, biotech (human tissue replacement), fashion, footwear, jewelry, eyewear, education, geographic information systems, food, and many other fields.
Makerspace coming to Centrepointe library this spring. Nepean Barrhaven News Readers and learners already call the Ottawa Public Library home.
This spring, the library is hoping to attract a new breed of patron to its Centrepointe branch: makers.