What Are Some Uses for 3D Printing?
Uses for 3D printing include creating artificial organs, prosthetics, architectural models, toys, chocolate bars, guitars, and parts for motor vehicles and rocket engines. To make an object, a 3D printer refers to a model in a digital file and applies layers of material, such as plastic or chocolate, until the object is completed.
One of the most helpful applications of 3D printing is generating artificial organs. According to Amit Chowdhry of Forbes, doctors can create a scaffold of an organ, such as a kidney, using a 3D printer. The scaffold is coated with cells from the patient before a surgeon implants the organ into the patient’s body. The technology might save people from waiting for donors before they can replace a failing organ.
Manufacturers use 3D printers to create prototypes of their products. For example, auto companies can make prototypes of car parts, such as shift knobs, vents and floor consoles, and use them as they test and fine-tune vehicles. Stuart Dredge of the Guardian states that Honda has even made entire cars using 3D printers, but the cars are not drivable.
Some 3D printers are designed to use edible ingredients such as sugar and cocoa butter to make food, including chocolate shaped like spheres in open-sided boxes.
