3D Printing Comes of Age.
Affordable, quick and easy-to-use 3D printers are changing the face of product design and*development, bringing this additive fabrication technology in-house for many designers and*manufacturers. Thanks to simple software and advanced technology, it is now just a matter of*hours for a computer-aided design (CAD) drawing to become a three-dimensional model.*
The term 3D printer generally refers to a class of rapid prototyping systems that are smaller,*easier to use and less expensive than average machines. The term 3D printing is often used*as a synonym for rapid prototyping, and research data often combine the two. Although rapid*prototyping has been around since the late 1980s, 3D printing was introduced in the early*1990s. Since then, quality has increased and prices have gone down, making this technology*affordable for even small companies. The Gartner Inc. research firm estimates there will be*300,000 3D printers on the market by 2011, according to Business Week.*NextGen Research,*in a study published in April, 2009, predicts 3D printing systems, services and materials will*grow at a rate of nearly five percent to reach $782.6 million by 2013.*
How Does 3D Printing Differ from Rapid Prototyping?
3D Printers
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