Saturday, June 28, 2014
3D-printed composite is lighter than wood and stiffer than concrete
www.gizmag.com: Reseachers at Harvard University have developed a way to 3D-print a cellular composite with record lightness and stiffness using an epoxy resin. This marks the first time that epoxy is used for 3D-printing, and the advance could lead to the development of new lightweight architectures for more efficient wind turbines, faster cars, and lighter airplanes.
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The idea of being able to 3D print almost anything is becoming more and more real. Being able to hop on a computer and design something is very cool but the cost to run these machines is a problem. Your conventional printer that prints using plastic will run in the ballpark of $5,000. For a low-end print and can climb as high as $50,000. Bringing other materials into the equation adds capital, ask yourself it is worth it to pay that much money for something that is so undeveloped. If you think long term some people would argue that 3D printing is the future, and they could be right. But companies are still working out their kinks, and many of them have much more that needs to be explored. Personally I think the adjustment is going to be hard for most people, but as other generations emerge we might find ourselves in a world run by 3D printing.
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