Name: A primer on 3D printing
Uploaded: 2012-01-23T16:17:50Z
Duration: 14 min 32 s
Description: 2012 may be the year of 3D printing, when this three-decade-old technology finally becomes accessible and even commonplace. Lisa Harouni gives a useful introduction to this fascinating way of making things -- including intricate objects once impossible to create.

Lisa Harouni: A primer on 3D printing

A primer on 3D printing

2012 may be the year of 3D printing, when this three-decade-old technology finally becomes accessible and even commonplace. Lisa Harouni gives a useful introduction to this fascinating way of making things -- including intricate objects once impossible to create.

3D printing is transforming manufacturing by allowing anyone to download, customize, and produce intricate objects on demand. For the first time, everything from shoes to titanium spinal implants can be fabricated layer by layer, even on a $300 desktop machine. What was once the domain of specialists is now accessible to the public, sparking a shift from mass production to mass customization. As software breaks down barriers, people can design or tweak products at home or send files to local centers, making manufacturing faster, more personal, and less wasteful.