MAKING A GEARBOX WITH A 3D PRINTER. The Economist (April 21) has an article on the revolutionary possibilities of 3D printing. To give an idea of the importance of 3D printing, it seems that it will considered for use in the manufacturing of any solid object. It is already being used in making products ranging from jewelry to car dashboards. The technology is well-suited to customized products: “Millions of dental crowns and shells for hearing aids are already being made individually with 3D printers.” The article describes a gearbox that was printed for a racing car. The gearbox had smoother internal pathways than if they had been drilled with right-angle bends, and it was 30% lighter. One potential use of 3D printing is to “teleport” spare parts to remote areas. The “blueprints” for the part can be sent digitally to the remote area, where it can be printed.
You can buy your own personal 3D printer. A chart with the article shows that over 20,000 personal 3D printers were sold in 2011.