Are 3D Printers the next Space Race?

After budget cuts sliced into some of NASA’s programs, it might be that 3D printing could save the day. 3D printing basically means using a printer to build a three-dimensional object. Printing has come a long way from dot matrix and bubble jet printers and is now on the brink of becoming a revolutionary industry that could change the way we manufacture everything, including satellites and rocket engines.

source: gizmag.com

Popular Mechanics recently published an article that outlines the potential benefits of 3D printing as it applies to space exploration. Because the cost of additive manufacturing (the process by which 3D printing builds an object layer by layer off of a digital blueprint) has dropped a great deal in recent years, NASA is able to start incorporating this technology.

The future of this technology holds great promise, not only in revitalizing NASA by allowing their engineers to manufacture parts for less money, but also in allowing astronauts to take this ability with them into space, with certification for space travel as early as 2017. This would enable astronauts to create parts as they need them, which would greatly diminish some of the risks associated with space travel. Imagine an astronaut being able to make life-saving repairs on board spacecraft without having the part already on hand.

Lower cost isn’t the only benefit. 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is faster than traditional manufacturing, which in turn also saves money. For this reason, NASA isn’t the only organization to embrace this technology, as the article points out. Using additive manufacturing may also improve safety in manufacturing, which could in turn shift the job market in favor of this industry. However, it could also affect wages and available jobs.

Another question this news brings to mind is how much further in space can we explore if astronauts can create parts when they’re already in space?

These shifts, along with other advances in the printing industry, prove that there is much innovation yet to explore. One has to wonder if, when the first printers were invented, it was ever thought that such a device would lead to astronauts being able to create rocket parts in the midst of space. Sure, it might have been imagined in the realm of science fiction, but the path to that destination wasn’t so well lit as it is now.

Additionally, one cannot help but wonder where these innovations will lead us in another thirty years? Just as the idea of 3D printing seems so very new and apart from our notion of printing out a coupon from our computer, how will our understanding of the printing industry shift when the next innovation is revealed?

source: funnyjunk

For the time being, many consumers and businesses still think primarily of printing research reports, emails and recipes off of their computers, onto a 2D piece of paper. We’re ready to support those needs and, as the landscape of printing expands, so will the products available for consumption. For 2D printing ink and toner cartridges at low costs, visit us today.Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter and get the best deals for your printer