3D printer

A 3D printer is a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) device that creates three-dimensional objects. Like a traditional printer, a 3D printer receives digital data from a computer as input. However, instead of printing the output on paper, a 3D printer builds a three-dimensional model out of a custom material.

Created by Charles Hull in 1984, the 3D printer is a printing device that creates a physical object from a digital model using materials such as metal alloys, polymers, or plastics.

An object's design typically begins in a computer aided design (CAD) software system, where its blueprint is created. The blueprint is then sent from the CAD system to the printer in a file format known as a Stereolithography (STL), which is typically used in CAD systems to design 3D objects. The printer then reads the blueprint in cross-sections and begin the process of recreating the object just as it appears in the computer aided design. In the picture below is an example of a 3D printer called the FlashForge.

Application of 3D printers

3D printers are used in many disciplines--aerospace engineering, dentistry, archaeology, biotechnology, and information systems are a few examples of industries that utilize them. As an example, a 3D printer might be used in the field of archaeology to physically reconstruct ancient artifacts that have been damaged over time, thus eliminating the need of a mold.