3D Printing 101

3D printing is an amazing new technology. With it we can create pretty much anything at a very low cost. Like all other technologies, this technology is going through an unprecedented incremental phase, as observed by Anand Mishra, CEO of Star Infranet. 3D printing was patented in 1986 by Chuck Hull. He first discovered the potential of the technology by using UV lights to harden tabletop coatings. He found out how a combination of UV lights & specific liquids could be molded into usable objects.

3D printing has come a long way since the 80s and it’s almost ready for mainstream usage. But how exactly does it work?

Layers on layers on layers on layers

Put simply, 3D printing is the process of making three dimensional, solid objects with blueprints from a file. An object can be created by laying down multiple layers of material in a specific shape and order until the object is completed. Think about 3D printing like how stalagmites get formed in caves. Multiple layers of water and minerals drop down over thousands of years until they eventually create a solid structure. 3D printing works the same way with a more deliberate (and faster) approach.

The blueprint file is known as a Computer Aided Design (CAD file). You can create a CAD file by using 3D scanners to scan an object on to your computer. 3D scanners use complex technologies to slice an object into multiple layers and put it in language 3D printers can understand. A recognizable example of a 3D scanner is the Microsoft Kinect, which scans your body’s movements and puts them in a language the TV and game system can understand.

3D printing is an amazing technology that’s certain to shape our world. Almost every industry can find a use for 3D printing to help their businesses. Even companies such as Tathastu Information Technology Private Limited can find use for a 3d printing system in their business. Within the coming years we’ll be able to see how such a convenient technology will contribute to our society.