Sunday, July 29, 2012

3D Printing set to Create a New Revolution


In Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, clone troopers (Republic) and battle droid armies (Separatists) were created in huge number to serve as defense force of the protagonist and antagonist in the movie. These cloned armies are easy to replicate in a science-fiction movie. The screenwriter or director can simply put a replicator in the set and make it look like it’s the source of the clones.


However, in real life, replicators don’t come as high-powered clone machines; they come as three-dimensional printers. In the past, 3D printing is expensive and time-consuming. But with advances in technology as reveled in a news feature entitled Science in three dimensions: The print revolution published online, is now affordable and quick.

3D printing not only has positive benefit on science and research but on advertising, manufacturing, the economy, and our lives in general. People now can print materials, data, and information right at home. But until engineers and inventors can create a cheap 3D printer, this printing technique still has to go through several refinement stages.    


The article also highlighted milestones in printing in Europe. It was in the 15th century when printing was introduced in Europe. Gutenberg’s first printed Bible materialized in Germany in 1455. The first European books were in Latin but in 1476 when William Caxton set up the first press in England, books started to be printed in English.

This improvement delivered a profound effect on English. If in the past English was a collection of unintelligible dialects, thanks to printing it has grew out of the spoken dialect in London and has now been standardized so it's much easier for us to understand it today.

The effect of printing in society is truly deep and magnificent. Three-dimensional printing is starting a new revolution. We can just imagine the implications it will bring for the new generation.

1 comment:

  1. I also believe that the development of 3D printing carries with it a new revolution in the printing industry. In fact, 3D printing has now been widely used in the medical field. I don't know what to expect yet, but I'm sure that it's gonna be really great.

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