To Print the Impossible.

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Author(s): Greenemeier, Larry
Source:
Scientific American. May2013, Vol. 308 Issue 5, p44-47. 4p. 2 Color Photographs, 1 Diagram.

Additional Information
- Subject Terms:
  THREE-dimensional printing; ARTIFICIAL hands; OAK Ridge National Laboratory; TECHNOLOGICAL innovations; MANUFACTURING processes; RESEARCH & development; HOBBYISTS
- Abstract:
  The article explores the potential impact of three-dimensional (3D) printing on conventional manufacturing. An example of a prosthetic hand assembled from individual titanium parts made via a 3D printer by scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee is presented. Topics include the origins of 3D printing and its use by both hobbyists and large manufacturing companies, the slowness of additive manufacturing systems, and the development of self-monitoring 3D printers that use infrared technology to detect flaws for the production of consistent designs.