3D Printing

The news video broadcast on CNN titled, “A Printer Created This Shoe” reports on the newest printer technology. A company has recently released a 3D printer for sale to the public. This printer works by taking images of the item it will be printing, and combining the images to make a 3D picture, which the printer then uses as the template for its printing. The program used to combine the pictures used can be found on an IPhone, as well as many other apple products, along with any other computer in which the software is installed in.

                Once the 3D image has been created, the printed then begins printing. It makes the 3D print by just building layer upon layer, so finally create a finished product with the 3 dimensions, height, width, and depth. This is a very innovative way or producing something because it cuts out all the waste that would be associated with forming an already solid block of material. It only uses the exact amount of material needed to achieve the desired product.

                I think this product is really cool. The company that produces it claims that the product is inexpensive, costing $1,300. I don’t exactly agree that this is inexpensive. His is a lot of money to pay for a product that many people have never seen work. Also, I’m skeptical as to whether or not this 3D printer works as well at the producers say it does. They claim that it can make fully functional shoes, but to me this just seems unrealistic. Like some of these products that they claim to be able to make require many different materials, and it just seems like a lie that a single printer can produce all these different materials, much less put them together in a way that is fully functional.

                Overall, I think this concept is really cool though. I don’t know if it is anything I would ever buy, but it is certainly something that is pushing the limits of technology, and what kind of advanced technology is available on a civilian and consumer level.