3D Printing is Here

Posted on September 16, 2009  Comments (9)

photo of objects printed using a 3D printerPhoto by Jessica Sabo at the at 2009 Annual ASEE Conference.

The Future of Printing is 3D [I removed the broken link]

At this year’s annual ASEE Conference in Austin, one of the main topics of conversation started with the question, “have you seen the 3D printer?”. The company Stratasys, Inc. has created their Dimension 3D Printers. Their latest innovation is their line of uPrint machines, which are less costly (prices starting at $14,900)

Jesse Roitenberg, the representative from Stratasys at the conference, explained the benefits of using 3D printing as opposed to building models by hand:

“With a 3D printer, you are actually able to create an object as you had designed it. Once the object is created, the designer is then able to hold, test and verify the design. The object created is more accurate and the process is less time consuming.”

The Dimension 3D printers have been used in both educational facilities and the workplace, benefiting everyone from engineers to middle school science teachers. Below is a video of Jay Leno explaining how he was able to use the 3D printer to recreate an old steam engine car part.

Related: Open Source 3-D PrintingA plane You Can PrintCool Mechanical Simulation SystemTransferring Train Passengers Without Stopping

I owned stock in Stratasys a few years ago and made some money, but I sold it and do not own any now. In the video Jay Leno says: “this is like the Jetsons, it really is.”

9 Responses to “3D Printing is Here”

  1. Alex
    September 17th, 2009 @ 8:33 am

    Supposedly Jay Leno has one of these in his garage, so he can make parts that are no longer available for his old classic cars.

  2. Anonymous
    September 17th, 2009 @ 12:53 pm

    yes..this is like the jetsons where you can print out any tools or gadget that you want. Low cost and Rapid prototyping is likely to be the first of many uses for many home inventors. we will also probably see more varied usage as the costs of 3d printing gets cheaper. for example, there could also be a home toy maker where parents can choose the toys that they want online on a website and buy the designs then print at home for the kids…

  3. Knovel Blogs » Blog Archive » Monday Link Review
    September 21st, 2009 @ 9:33 am

    […] Curious Cat Engineering Blog checked in last week to deliver info on the brand new 3D Printer from Stratasys Inc. The printer actually creates 3D models to save time for Engineers (a quest near and dear to the […]

  4. Anonymous
    September 26th, 2009 @ 3:01 pm

    I had the opportunity to see a commercial version of one of these in action when I was interviewing with a toy manufacturing company. They made action figures of celebrities and sports stars, so they would do a full-body scan and then use the 3D printer to create the basic form. It was later painted and touched up by an artist. I always thought it would be cool to have something like this at home, but I never thought it would happen!

  5. Jeremie
    November 29th, 2009 @ 8:10 am

    Yes 3D printers are here and they are on their way to people home. Create It Real start up company is aiming to launch a desktop 3D printer in 2010.

  6. Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog » Real Time Hologram Projection Getting Closer
    November 26th, 2010 @ 10:17 pm

    A team led by the University of Arizona professor of Materials Science and Engineering Nasser Peyghambarian has developed a new type of holographic telepresence that allows the projection of a three-dimensional moving image without the need for special eyewear such as 3D glasses or other auxiliary devices…

  7. Great 3D Printing Presentation » Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog
    February 17th, 2011 @ 12:07 am

    Very fun presentation by 10 year old on 3D printing and the open source Makerbot at Ignite Phoenix.

  8. 3D Printers Gain Momentum in Worlds of Design & Invention | CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views
    July 14th, 2011 @ 12:01 pm

    “To designers, engineers, architects, and just about anybody else who understands the need for prototyping, this innovation is already revolutionizing the way objects are being regarded in the reality of three-dimensional space…”

  9. 3D Printing at Home: Today, Challenges and Opportunities » Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog
    February 21st, 2015 @ 10:25 am

    […] 3D Printing is Here (2009) – Open Source 3-D Printing (2007) – Introduction Video on 3D Printing – 3D […]

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