HOW DO YOU PRINT IN 3 DIMENSIONS?

HOW DO YOU PRINT IN 3 DIMENSIONS? Mary Jane had the same reaction that I had to the idea of 3D printing: You’ve got to be kidding. Printing is two-dimensional and it seem implausible to create solid objects by using it. The Economist explains how it is done here. The solid object is made by accumulating thin layers (or slices) until the three-dimensional object has been created. Precision is possible because each two-dimensional slice is specified digitally by software (think of a series of blueprints being piled up). The solid object is made up of the “ink”, which can be a metal powder or a ceramic or a liquid which will harden into a plastic. The process is referred to as additive manufacturing. There is often less of the waste that comes from machining a part by cutting away excess material. The process also can permit the production of things that are too intricate to be machined.