Last week, Oxford University announced the development of synthetic material capable of performing some of the functions of living cells, built using a specially modified 3D prototype printer.
It is the latest in a series of exciting developments relating to 3D printing, especially in the biotechnology and medical applications.
Professor Hagan Bayley who led the research said that this development will probably result in damaged human tissue or even organs in the human body being able to be replaced.
But behind 3D Printing’s exciting facade lies a darker side – the potential of total destruction of worldwide manufacturing, and the crippling job losses that will go with it.
Unless you have been living under a rock over the past 10 years – and many people do – you would be aware of the 3D Printing innovation that will change the world as you know it.
Though the 3D Printer was developed before the turn of the Millenium, it is only now that it’s practical applications are coming to fruition.
In short, it is the process of creating a blueprint with computer aided design software, which is able to be translated by a 3D printer. To actually ‘print’ an object, the machine reads the design and lays down successive layers of liquid, powder or sometimes sheet material to build the object in a layer by layer ‘cross section’ system.
Materials used are varied and include plaster, paper, metals and thermoplastics and there are a number of different printing methods that are used to create an object.
Some say that because of this method of creating objects, 3D Printing will also lead to a revolution in industrial design.