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Point of View: 3D Printing - Tales from the Road

In September of last year, I wrote about the potential of 3D printing to “save” American manufacturing, as it was quickly becoming the new industry buzzword. Fast forward a year and it is clear that 3D printing may be here to stay and not just another passing fad.

Rockets & Choo-Choos & Dinos, Oh My!

On a recent vacation, I was perusing the current SkyMall catalog of overpriced gadgets that seem cool at the time, but generally result in buyer’s remorse, and I couldn’t believe what I saw on page 17. For the very reasonable price of $1,299 I could own my very own 3D printer! As I clearly fell into the targeted demographic of “…8 years of age to 80,” pictures of vast riches from Steve’s 3D PCB Company began to fill my head. Then I read that the ideas you could turn into reality were things like toys, jewelry and mugs that fit into a 5” cube form factor. And while this tale from the road is a bit tongue-in-cheek, the fact that this technology is commercially available through an airline magazine is truly remarkable.

Buttercup

Buttercup the duckling was born in a high school lab with a deformity that threatened his ability to survive on his own; Buttercup’s left foot was turned backwards. For the first few months of his life, Buttercup limped around on his side, enduring severe pain and constant foot infections. Little Buttercup’s future changed when he was rescued by Feathered Angels Waterfowl Sanctuary, in Arlington, Tennessee, which happened to be owned by software engineer Mike Garey, who was intent on helping the baby duck after his foot was amputated for health reasons. Partnering with the company NovaCopy and using photos of the left foot of Buttercup’s sister, Minnie, as a model, Garey was able to have a realistic, functional replacement foot made for Buttercup by using 3D printing technology!Read the full column here.Editor's Note: This column originally appeared in the October 2013 issue of The PCB Magazine.