CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
3D printing (or additive manufacturing, AM) is any of various processes used to make a threedimensional object. In 3D printing, additive processes are used, in which successive layers of
material are laid down under computer control. These objects can be of almost any shape or
geometry, and are produced from a 3D model or other electronic data source. A 3D printer is a
type of industrial robot.
3D printing in the term's original sense refers to processes that sequentially deposit material onto
a powder bed with inkjet printer heads. More recently the meaning of the term has expanded to
encompass a wider variety of techniques such as extrusion and sintering based process. Technical
standards generally use the term additive manufacturing for this broader sense. Printing is a
process for reproducing text and images, typically with ink on paper using a print press.

Fig. 1.1 Printing Principle

CHAPTER 2
SYSTEM OVERVIEW

2.1 TERMINOLOGY AND METHODS

Earlier AM equipment and materials were developed in the 1980s. In 1981,
Hideo Kodama of Nagoya Municipal Industrial Research Institute invented two
AM fabricating methods of a three-dimensional plastic model with photohardening polymer, where the UV exposure area is controlled by a mask
pattern or the scanning fiber transmitter. Then in 1984, Chuck Hull of 3D
Systems Corporation, developed a prototype system based on this process
known

as stereo

lithography,

in

which

layers

are

added

by

curing photopolymers with ultraviolet light lasers. Hull defined the process as
a "system for generating three-dimensional objects by creating a crosssectional pattern of the object to be formed," but this had been already
invented by Kodama. Hull's contribution is the design of STL (Stereo
Lithography) file format widely accepted by 3D printing software as well as
the digital slicing and infill strategies common to many processes today. The
term 3D printing originally referred to a process employing standard and
custom inkjet print heads. The technology used by most 3D printers to date
especially hobbyist and consumer-oriented modelsis fused deposition
modeling, a special application of plastic extrusion.

2.2 MODELING
3D printable models may be created with a computer aided design (CAD) package or via a 3D
scanner or via a plain digital camera and photo grammetry software.
The manual modeling process of preparing geometric data for 3D computer graphics is similar to
plastic arts such as sculpting. 3D scanning is a process of analyzing and collecting digital data on
2

the shape and appearance of a real object. Based on this data, three-dimensional models of the
scanned object can then be produced.
Regardless of the 3D modeling software used, the 3D model (often in .skp, dae, .3ds or some
other format) then needs to be converted to either a.STL or a .OBJ format, to allow the printing
(a.k.a. "CAM") software to be able to read it.

2.3 PRINTING
Before printing a 3D model from an STL file, it must first be examined for "manifold errors",
this step being called the "fixup". Especially STL's that have been produced from a model
obtained through 3D scanning often have many manifold errors in them that need to be fixed.
Examples of manifold errors are surfaces that do not connect, gaps in the models. Examples of
software that can be used to fix these errors are net fabb and Mesh mixer, or even Cura, or Slic3r.
Once that's done, the .STL file needs to be processed by a piece of software called a "slicer"
which converts the model into a series of thin layers and produces a G-code file containing
instructions tailored to a specific type of 3D printer (FDM printers). This G-code file can then be
printed with 3D printing client software (which loads the G-code, and uses it to instruct the 3D
printer during the 3D printing process). It should be noted here that often, the client software and
the slicer are combined into one software program in practice. Several open source slicer
programs exist, including Skeinforge, Slic3r, and Cura as well as closed source programs
including Simplify3D and KISSlicer. Examples of 3D printing clients include RepetierHost, ReplicatorG, Printrun/ Pronterface.

Fig 2.1 3D Printing Model

3

Note that there is one other piece of software that is often used by people using 3D printing,
namely a G Code viewer. This software lets one examine the route of travel of the printer nozzle.
By examining this, the user can decide to modify the G Code to print the model a different way
(for example in a different position, e.g. standing versus lying down) so as to save plastic
(depending on the position and nozzle travel, more or less support material may be needed).
Examples of G Code viewers are Gcode Viewer for Blender and Pleasant3D.

CHAPTER 3

PROCESS

Several different 3D printing processes have been invented since the late 1970s. The printers
were originally large, expensive, and highly limited in what they could produce.
A large number of additive processes are now available. The main differences between processes
are in the way layers are deposited to create parts and in the materials that are used. Some
methods melt or soften material to produce the layers, e.g. selective laser melting (SLM)
or direct metal laser sintering (DMLS),selective laser sintering (SLS), fused deposition
modeling (FDM), or fused filament fabrication (FFF), while others cure liquid materials using
different sophisticated technologies, e.g. stereo lithography (SLA). With laminated object
manufacturing (LOM), thin layers are cut to shape and joined together (e.g. paper, polymer,
metal). Each method has its own advantages and drawbacks, which is why some companies
consequently offer a choice between powder and polymer for the material used to build the
object. Other companies sometimes use standard, off-the-shelf business paper as the build
material to produce a durable prototype. The main considerations in choosing a machine are

generally speed, cost of the 3D printer, cost of the printed prototype, cost and choice of
materials, and color capabilities.

Selective laser sintering (SLS)

Stereo lithography

Fused deposition modeling (FDM)

Laminated object manufacturing

3.1 Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is an additive manufacturing (AM) technique that uses a laser as
the power source to sinter powdered material (typically metal), aiming the laser automatically at
points in space defined by a 3D model, binding the material together to create a solid structure. It
is similar to direct metal laser sintering (DMLS); the two are instantiations of the same concept
but differ in technical details. Selective laser melting (SLM) uses a comparable concept, but in
SLM the material is fully melted rather than sintered, allowing different properties (crystal
structure, porosity, and so on). SLS (as well as the other mentioned AM techniques) is a
relatively new technology that so far has mainly been used for rapid prototyping and for lowvolume

production of

component

parts.

Production

roles

are

expanding

as

the commercialization of AM technology improves.

Working
An additive manufacturing layer technology, SLS involves the use of a high power laser (for
example,

a carbon

dioxide

laser)

to

fuse

small

particles

of plastic, metal, ceramic,

or glass powders into a mass that has a desired three-dimensional shape. The laser selectively
fuses powdered material by scanning cross-sections generated from a 3-D digital description of
the part (for example from a CAD file or scan data) on the surface of a powder bed. After each

cross-section is scanned, the powder bed is lowered by one layer thickness, a new layer of
material is applied on top, and the process is repeated until the part is completed.
Because finished part density depends on peak laser power, rather than laser duration, a SLS
machine typically uses apulsed laser. The SLS machine preheats the bulk powder material in the
powder bed somewhat below its melting point, to make it easier for the laser to raise the
temperature of the selected regions the rest of the way to the melting point.
Unlike some other additive manufacturing processes, such as stereo lithography (SLA) and fused
deposition modeling(FDM), SLS does not require support structures due to the fact that the part
being constructed is surrounded by unsintered powder at all times, this allows for the
construction of previously impossible geometries.

Fig. 3.1 Selective laser Sintering

Applications
Some SLS machines use single-component powder, such as direct metal laser sintering. Powders
are commonly produced by ball milling. However, most SLS machines use two-component
powders, typically either coated powder or a powder mixture. In single-component powders, the
laser melts only the outer surface of the particles (surface melting), fusing the solid non-melted
cores to each other and to the previous layer.

3.2 Stereo lithography

6

Stereo lithography (SLA or SL; also known as optical fabrication, photo-solidification, solid
free-form fabrication, solid imaging and Resin printing) is an additive manufacturing or 3D
printing technology used for producing models, prototypes, patterns, and production parts up one
layer at a time by curing a photo-reactive resin with a UV laser or another similar power source.
Working
Stereo lithography is an additive manufacturing process which employs a vat of liquid
ultraviolet curable photopolymer "resin" and an ultraviolet laser to build parts' layers one at a
time. For each layer, the laser beam traces a cross-section of the part pattern on the surface of the
liquid resin. Exposure to the ultraviolet laser light cures and solidifies the pattern traced on the
resin and joins it to the layer below.
After the pattern has been traced, the SLA's elevator platform descends by a distance equal to the
thickness of a single layer, typically 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm (0.002 in to 0.006 in). Then, a resinfilled blade sweeps across the cross section of the part, re-coating it with fresh material. On this
new liquid surface, the subsequent layer pattern is traced, joining the previous layer. A
complete 3-D part is formed by this process. After being built, parts are immersed in a chemical
bath in order to be cleaned of excess resin and are subsequently cured in an ultraviolet oven.
Stereo lithography requires the use of supporting structures which serve to attach the part to the
elevator platform, prevent deflection due to gravity and hold the cross sections in place so that
they resist lateral pressure from the re-coater blade. Supports are generated automatically during
the preparation of 3D Computer Aided Design models for use on the stereo lithography machine,
although they may be manipulated manually. Supports must be removed from the finished
product manually, unlike in other, less costly, rapid prototyping technologies.

Fig 3.2 Stereo lithography

Advantages And Disadvantages
One of the advantages of stereo lithography is its speed; functional parts can be manufactured
within a day. The length of time it takes to produce one particular part depends on the size and
complexity of the project and can last from a few hours to more than a day. Most stereo
lithography machines can produce parts with a maximum size of approximately 505060 cm
(202024 in) and some, such as the Mammoth stereo lithography machine (which has a build
platform of 2107080 cm), are capable of producing single parts of more than 2 m in length.
Prototypes made by stereo lithography are strong enough to be machined and can be used as
master patterns for injection molding, thermoforming, blow molding, and various metal
casting processes.

3.3 Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is an additive manufacturing technology commonly used for
modeling, prototyping, and production applications. It is one of the techniques used for 3D
printing.
FDM works on an "additive" principle by laying down material in layers; a plastic filament or
metal wire is unwound from a coil and supplies material to produce a part.
The technology was developed by S. Scott Crump in the late 1980s and was commercialized in
1990.

The term fused deposition modeling and its abbreviation to FDM are trademarked by Stratasys
Inc. The exactly equivalent term, fused filament fabrication (FFF), was coined by the members
of the Rep Rap project to give a phrase that would be legally unconstrained in its use. It is also
sometimes called Plastic Jet Printing (PJP).
Working
FDM begins with a software process which processes an STL file (stereo lithography file
format), mathematically slicing and orienting the model for the build process. If required,
support structures may be generated. The machine may dispense multiple materials to achieve
different goals: For example, one may use one material to build up the model and use another as
a soluble support structure, or one could use multiple colors of the same type of thermoplastic on
the same model.
The model or part is produced by extruding small beads of thermoplastic material to form layers
as the material hardens immediately after extrusion from the nozzle.
A plastic filament or metal wire is unwound from a coil and supplies material to
an extrusion nozzle which can turn the flow on and off. There is typically a worm-drive that
pushes the filament into the nozzle at a controlled rate.
The nozzle can be moved in both horizontal and vertical directions by a numerically controlled
mechanism.

The

nozzle

follows

tool-path

controlled

by

a computer-aided

manufacturing (CAM) software package, and the part is built from the bottom up, one layer at a
time. Stepper motors or servo motors are typically employed to move the extrusion head. The
mechanism used is often an X-Y-Z rectilinear design, although other mechanical designs such
as deltabot have been employed.

Fig 3.3 Fused Deposition Modeling

Application
FDM, a prominent form of rapid prototyping, is used for prototyping and rapid manufacturing.
Rapid prototyping facilitates iterative testing, and for very short runs, rapid manufacturing can be
a relatively inexpensive alternative.
FDM

uses

the thermoplastics ABS,

ABSi, polyphenylsulfone (PPSF), polycarbonate (PC),

and Ultem 9085, among others. These materials are used for their heat resistance properties.
Ultem 9085 also exhibits fire retardancy making it suitable for aerospace and aviation
applications. FDM is also used in prototyping scaffolds for medical tissue engineering
applications.

3.4 Laminated Object Manufacturing

Laminated object manufacturing (LOM) is a rapid prototyping system developed by Helisys Inc.
(Cubic Technologies is now the successor organization of Helisys) In it, layers of adhesivecoated paper, plastic, or metal laminates are successively glued together and cut to shape with a
knife orlaser cutter. Objects printed with this technique may be additionally modified by
machining or drilling after printing. Typical layer resolution for this process is defined by the
material feedstock and usually ranges in thickness from one to a few sheets of copy paper.
The process is performed as follows:
1. Sheet is adhered to a substrate with a heated roller.

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2. Laser traces desired dimensions of prototype.

3. Laser cross hatches non-part area to facilitate waste removal.
4. Platform with completed layer moves down out of the way.
5. Fresh sheet of material is rolled into position.
6. Platform downs into new position to receive next layer.
7. The process is repeated.

Fig 3.4 Laminated Object Manufacturing

CHAPTER 4
PRINTING CYCLE
1) Preparation
2) Printing
3) Depowdering/ Recycling
1) Preparation

11

Once you click 3D print from Z-print , the printer initiates the pre build routine.

First it warms the air inside the printer and creates optimum operating environment.

At the same time , it fills the Build Chamber with 1/8 th inch layer powder ( so that
finished parts rest on it).

2) Printing

Once the pre-build is complete , the printer begins printing the layers created in the Zprint software.

The machine deposits 0.1mm thick layer of powder from the Hopper. The Print
Carriage then moves across this layer depositing the binder.

The binder solidifies the powder in that cross section of the model.

The piston below the Build Carriage lowers the powdered bed by 0.1mm ,
preparing the next layer.

The process repeats until the model is complete

3) Depowdering /Recycling

When finished the model, it is suspended in the powder to cure.

At the end of curing time , the machine then automatically removes most of the
powder around the model by vacuum pressure.

The loose powder is pneumatically conveyed through the system for reuse.

CHAPTER 5
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
Advantages

Manufacture of Customized Products

When 3D printing technology, manufacturing stuff has becomes easier than never before.
Now anyone can manufacture any product they want, using nothing but a 3D printer and
12

the desired raw material. This has paved the way for customized products, as it allows

you to create your own designs in 3D and get them printed.

Rapid Prototyping
Since 3D technology can manufacture stuff in an instant, it facilitates rapid prototyping,
which means, it takes really short time for designs to get converted into the respective

prototyping.
Low Production Cost
You might think that the cost of 3D printing is very high, but the truth is that while the
initial cost or cost of set-up is high, it is less than compared to labor costs and other costs
involved in manufacturing the products in the conventional way. Add to this, the fact that
the cost of manufacturing using a 3D printing is the same for small scale and mass

production and you have a winning technology at hand.

Elimination of Storage Costs
Mass production gives rise to the problem of storage. Since small scale production does
not cost higher when using 3D printing technology, the need for mass production is
eliminated and along with it, the requirements and cost of storage are also done away

with.
Creation of Employment Opportunities
The increasing use of 3D printing technology would create the requirement for highlyskilled designers who are adept at using 3D printers and technicians who are skilled at
trouble shooting.

Boon for Organ Donation

One of the biggest break thoughts brought about by 3D printing technology would be in
the field of medicine and organ replacement to be specific where thousands of people die
every year for the want of donor organ. This technology of creating human organs using a
3D printing, is termed as bio printing and the time is not far away when we shall be able
to create complex human organs such as the heart and the brain using tissue from the
organ recipient. This will not only address the shortage of donor organs, but also cut
down organ rejections.

Disadvantages

Counterfeiting

13

The biggest possible disadvantage of 3D printing is counterfeiting or production of

fake stuff and the copyright infringement issue arising due to it. This technology makes
a manufacturer out of anyone who owns a 3D printer and gets hold of the blueprint. Thus
it would be very difficult to trace the source of fake items, and copyright holders would

have a hard time protecting their rights.

Manufacture of Dangerous Items
If you give technology in the hands of people, there will always be a few who would use
it for the wrong purposes and 3D printing is no exception. With everything being created
with a click of the mouse, this technology can be easily used to create guns and other
dangerous weapons. In fact a Canadian man has reportedly created the worlds first 3D
printed rifle out of plastic, using a blueprint that he downloads from internet. Also the

technology can be used by small children to print out stuff that might prove hazardous.
Size limitations
At present, 3D printers have limitations when it comes to size of the objects created.
However in the near future we shall have printers that can even print architectural

structures.
Productions of Unnecessary Stuff
Another possible disadvantage of 3D printing is that people would print stuff on a whim
and this would results in a huge number of unnecessary stuff being produced. Add to that

the difficulty we already face in recycling stuff and you have a serious problems here.
Raw Material Limitations
Currently 3D printing is viable for items made from a single raw material only. However
the technology of creating stuff using more than one material is being developed and will
soon be a reality.

14

Fig 5.1 Applications Of 3D Printing

CHAPTER 6
APPLICATION
Industry use

15

As of October 2012, Stratasys now sells additive manufacturing systems that range from $2,000
to $500,000 in price and are employed in several industries: aerospace, architecture, automotive,
defense, and dental, among many others. For example, Ultimaker, its awarded as fastest and
accurate 3d printer, General Electric uses the high-end model to build parts for turbines.
Consumer use
Several projects and companies are making efforts to develop affordable 3D printers for home
desktop use. Much of this work has been driven by and targeted atDIY/enthusiast/early
adopter communities, with additional ties to the academic andhacker communities.
RepRap is one of the longest running projects in the desktop category. The RepRap project aims
to produce a free and open source hardware (FOSH) 3D printer, whose full specifications are
released under the GNU General Public License, and which is capable of replicating itself by
printing many of its own (plastic) parts to create more machines. Rep Raps have already been
shown to be able to print circuit boards and metal parts.
Manufacturing Application
Additive manufacturing's earliest applications have been on the tool room end of the
manufacturing spectrum. For example, rapid prototyping was one of the earliest additive
variants, and its mission was to reduce the lead time and cost of developing prototypes of new
parts and devices, which was earlier only done with subtractive tool room methods (typically
slowly and expensively). With technological advances in additive manufacturing, however, and
the dissemination of those advances into the business world, additive methods are moving ever
further into the production end of manufacturing in creative and sometimes unexpected ways.
Parts that were formerly the sole province of subtractive methods can now in some cases be
made more profitably via additive ones.
Standard applications include design visualisation, prototyping/CAD, metal casting, architecture,
education, geospatial, healthcare, and entertainment/retail.
Distributed manufacturing
16

Additive manufacturing in combination with cloud computing technologies allows decentralized

and geographically independent distributed production. Distributed manufacturing as such is
carried out by some enterprises; there is also a service to put people needing 3D printing in
contact with owners of printers.
Some companies offer on-line 3D printing services to both commercial and private
customers, working from 3D designs uploaded to the company website. 3D-printed designs are
either shipped to the customer or picked up from the service provider.
Rapid prototyping
Industrial 3D printers have existed since the early 1980s and have been used extensively for
rapid prototyping and research purposes. These are generally larger machines that use proprietary
powdered metals, casting media (e.g. sand), plastics, paper or cartridges, and are used for rapid
prototyping by universities and commercial companies
Research
3D printing can be particularly useful in research labs due to its ability to make specialised,
bespoke geometries. In 2012 a proof of principle project at the University of Glasgow, UK,
showed that it is possible to use 3D printing techniques to assist in the production of chemical
compounds. They first printed chemical reaction vessels, then used the printer to
deposit reactants into them. They have produced new compounds to verify the validity of the
process, but have not pursued anything with a particular application.
Automobiles
In early 2014, the Swedish supercar manufacturer, Koenigsegg, announced the One:1, a supercar
that utilises many components that were 3D printed. In the limited run of vehicles Koenigsegg
produces, the One:1 has side-mirror internals, air ducts, titanium exhaust components, and even
complete turbocharger assembles that have been 3D printed as part of the manufacturing process.
An American company, Local Motors is working with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and
Cincinnati Incorporated to develop large-scale additive manufacturing processes suitable for
17

printing an entire car body. The company plans to print the vehicle live in front of an audience in
September 2014 at the International Manufacturing Technology Show.
Construction
An additional use being developed is building printing, or using 3D printing to build
buildings. This could allow faster construction for lower costs, and has been investigated for
construction of off-Earth habitats. For example, the Sinterhab project is researching a lunar base
constructed by 3D printing using lunar regolith as a base material. Instead of adding a binding
agent to the regolith, researchers are experimenting with microwave sintering to create solid
blocks from the raw material.
Electric motors and generators
The magnetic cores of electric machines (motors and generators) require thin laminations of
special preprocessed electrical steel that are insulated from each other to reduce core iron losses.
3D printing of any product that requires core materials with special properties or forms that must
be preserved during the manufacturing process, such as the material density, non-crystalline or
nano-crystalline atomic structures, etc. or material isolation, may only be compatible with a
hybrid 3D printing method which does not use core material altering methods, such as sintering,
fusing, deposition, etc. Preprocessing the raw material is not an extra manufacturing step because
all 3D Printing methods require preprocessed material for compatibility with the 3D Printing
method, such as preprocessed powdered metal for deposition or fusion 3D printing. To
conveniently handle the very thin insulated laminations of amorphous or nano-crystalline metal
ribbon, which can reduce electric machine core loss by up to 80%, the well-known Laminated
Object Manufacturing (LOM) method of 3D Printing may show some compatibility for 3DPrinting of electric machines but only if the method mitigates at least the alteration of the noncrystalline structure of the amorphous material (for instance) during the forming of slot channels
for holding the electric machine windings or during post manufacturing processes, such as
grinding the air-gap surface to flat precision, all while enhancing the packing density of the
material.
Firearms
18

In 2012, the US-based group Defense Distributed disclosed plans to "[design] a working
plastic gun that could be downloaded and reproduced by anybody with a 3D printer." Defense
Distributed has also designed a 3D printable AR-15 type rifle lower receiver (capable of lasting
more than 650 rounds) and a 30 round M16 magazine. The AR-15 has multiple receivers (both
an upper and lower receiver), but the legally controlled part is the one that is serialised (the
lower, in the AR-15's case). Soon after Defense Distributed succeeded in designing the first
working blueprint to produce a plastic gun with a 3D printer in May 2013, the United States
Department of State demanded that they remove the instructions from their website. After
Defense Distributed released their plans, questions were raised regarding the effects that 3D
printing and widespread consumer-level CNC machining may have on gun control effectiveness.
Medical
3D printing has been used to print patient specific implant and device for medical use. Successful
operations

include

titanium pelvis implanted

into

British

patient,

titanium

lower jaw transplanted to a Belgian patient, and a plastic tracheal splint for an American infant.
The hearing aid and dental industries are expected to be the biggest area of future development
using the custom 3D printing technology. In March 2014, surgeons in Swansea used 3D printed
parts to rebuild the face of a motorcyclist who had been seriously injured in a road accident.
Research is also being conducted on methods to bio-print replacements for lost tissue due to
arthritis and cancer.
Computers and Robots
3D printing can be used to make laptops and other computers, including cases,
as Novena and VIA Open Book standard laptop cases. I.e. a Novena motherboard can be bought
and be used in a printed VIA Open Book case.
Space
In September 2014, SpaceX delivered the first zero-gravity 3-D printer to the International Space
Station (ISS). On December 19, 2014, NASA emailed CAD drawings for a socket wrench to
astronauts aboard the ISS, who then printed the tool using its 3-D printer. Applications for space
19

offer the ability to print broken parts or tools on-site, as opposed to using rockets to bring along
pre-manufactured items for space missions to human colonies on the moon, Mars, or elsewhere.
The European Space Agency plans to deliver its new Portable On-Board 3D Printer (POP3D for
short) to the International Space Station by June 2015, making it the second 3D printer in space.

Art
In 2005, academic journals had begun to report on the possible artistic applications of 3D
printing technology. By 2007 the mass media followed with an article in the Wall Street
Journal and Time Magazine, listing a 3D printed design among their 100 most influential designs
of the year. During the 2011 London Design Festival, an installation, curated by Murray Moss
and focused on 3D Printing, was held in the Victoria and Albert Museum (the V&A). The
installation was called Industrial Revolution 2.0: How the Material World will Newly
Materialize.
Communication
Employing additive layer technology offered by 3D printing, Terahertz devices which act as
waveguides, couplers and bends have been created. The complex shape of these devices could
not be achieved using conventional fabrication techniques. Commercially available professional
grade printer EDEN 260V was used to create structures with minimum feature size of 100 m.
The printed structures were later DC sputter coated with gold (or any other metal) to create a
Terahertz Plasmonic Device.
Education and research
3D printing, and open source Rep Rap 3D printers in particular, are the latest technology making
inroads into the classroom. 3D printing allows students to create prototypes of items without the
use of expensive tooling required in subtractive methods. Students design and produce actual
models they can hold. The classroom environment allows students to learn and employ new
20

applications for 3D printing. Rep Raps, for example, have already been used for an educational
mobile robotics platform.
Environmental use
In Bahrain, large-scale 3D printing using a sandstone-like material has been used to create
unique coral-shaped structures, which encourage coral polyps to colonise and regenerate
damaged reefs. These structures have a much more natural shape than other structures used to
create artificial reefs, and, unlike concrete, are neither acid nor alkaline with neutralpH.

Intellectual Property
3D printing has existed for decades within certain manufacturing industries where many legal
regimes, including patents, industrial design rights, copyright, and trademark may apply.
However, there is not much jurisprudence to say how these laws will apply if 3D printers become
mainstream and individuals and hobbyist communities begin manufacturing items for personal
use, for non-profit distribution, or for sale.
Gun legislation and administration
The US Department of Homeland Security and the Joint Regional Intelligence Center released a
memo stating that "significant advances in three-dimensional (3D) printing capabilities,
availability of free digital 3D printable files for firearms components, and difficulty regulating
file sharing may present public safety risks from unqualified gun seekers who obtain or
manufacture 3D printed guns," and that "proposed legislation to ban 3D printing of weapons may
deter, but cannot completely prevent their production. Even if the practice is prohibited by new
legislation, online distribution of these 3D printable files will be as difficult to control as any
other illegally traded music, movie or software files."

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CONCLUSION

3D printing is an expanding technology which may soon start an industry in which

everyone has the possibility of being a manufacturer.

3D printing has a lot of possible benefits to society, although the products created must be
regulated.

22

REFERENCE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-3d-printing-

technology.html
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-3d-printing-

technology.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_laser_sintering
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereolithography
https://www.google.co.in/?
gfe_rd=cr&ei=HNYTVf6uF6XV8ge9g4HQCA&gws_rd=ssl#q=fused+deposition+model
ing

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