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Running head: WINDOW INTO 3D PRINTING

A Window into the 3D Printed World

Sharon D. Hartsell

Appalachian State University

Author Note

This paper was prepared for English 2001, Section 147, taught by Andy Roller.

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WINDOW INTO 3D PRINTING

Abstract

3D printing is a revolutionary technology that is rapidly coming into focus as a new

manufacturing method. It has the potential to be more efficient and less wasteful for

manufacturing a wide variety of objects, from shoes to airplane parts, or even buildings. In the

not so distant future, we may see 3D printed food, weapons, or even living tissue. 3D printing is

also contributing to advances in anthropology, forensic science, and medicine.

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A Window into the 3D Printed World

Robert Downey, Jr., truly became Ironman for Ironman 2. Certain scenes in the movie

couldn’t be computer generated, so instead of building an Ironman suit by hand, the filmmakers

turned to 3D printing. 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, involves using a 3D printer to put

down layers of materials to make complex shapes based on a digital design model. In “the film’s

scenes that were done in live-action—as opposed to CGI (computer-generated imagery)—its

star, Robert Downey, Jr., can be seen wearing a suit that was first digitally modeled, then

produced in pieces on a sophisticated 3D printer, and then painted” (Terdiman, 2012). In

addition to reducing handwork, this also allows directors to more convincingly mix CGI and

live-action because the 3D printed model is based on the same digital model as the CGI scenes

are using. 3D printing is an up-and-coming technology that could revolutionize manufacturing

by increasing efficiency and reducing waste, or even bringing manufacturing into your living

room. There are many applications for 3D printing, including printing objects, buildings, organs,

food, even weapons, as well as applications in forensic science, medicine, and anthropology.

How It Works

To understand how 3D printing works, imagine replacing the inks in a basic inkjet printer

with plastic, or other materials. Then, the printer can print the material in layers based on a

digital model to create a three-dimensional object (Noorani, 2012, p. 5). 3D printed products

range widely in scale. For example, forgoing traditional production methods, Continuum

Fashion prints lightweight yet sturdy high heels out of layers of nylon (Mok, 2012). Or, on a

larger scale, Italian inventor Enrico Dini “has developed a huge three-dimensional printer called

D-Shape that can print entire buildings out of sand and an inorganic binder” (Dulis, 2011). The

printer can create curved surfaces that are typically very expensive, and the construction time is

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four times faster than traditional building methods. It is also eco-friendly because there is less

waste left behind. There is even the possibility of printing a moon base using lunar dust. This

technology could lead to more efficient and sustainable building methods (Dulis, 2011).

Sustainability and 3D Printing

There are three main environmental benefits to additive manufacturing: less waste, no

need for specialized machines, and files can be transmitted digitally, so parts can be printed

where they are needed. On the other hand, 3D printing is electricity-intensive and slow in

production (Grunbaum, 2012). This hasn’t stopped General Electric (GE) from integrating 3D

printing technology into their manufacturing processes to increase efficiency. Traditionally,

many pieces of metal are welded together to create one fuel injector. With 3D printing, a laser

“traces out the shape of the injector’s cross section on a bed of cobalt-chrome powder, fusing the

powder into solid form to build up the injector one ultrathin layer at a time” (“more efficient

product manufacturing,” 2012, p. 9). A 3D printed fuel injector is less costly to produce and is

expected to be lighter weight. GE is also 3D printing “4-ft long strips bonded onto the leading

edge of fan blades...[which] deflect debris and create more efficient airflow” (“more efficient

product manufacturing,” 2012, p. 9). Previously, forging these strips took hours and about 50

percent of the titanium was lost. GE estimates it will save about $25,000 per engine by switching

to additive manufacturing. Clearly, 3D printing is a more efficient manufacturing method in

terms of reducing waste and costs. Both of these 3D printed parts are expected to be used

commercially by 2013, and start appearing in full-scale production runs by 2016 (“more efficient

product manufacturing,” 2012, p. 9).

Additive manufacturing can also reduce waste by allowing people to make repairs instead

of buying new. In an article from National Public Radio (NPR), an interviewee used 3D design

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software to recreate the exact part he needed to fix the lock on his dryer door, which would have

cost him nearly $40 to buy a replacement part or several hundred dollars for a new dryer. In the

future, you could design and print your own parts to do simple household fixes like this yourself.

And, if you don’t have the software or the know-how to design your own 3D model of the part

you need, many free designs and software are available online. For example, 123D Catch is a

free program that generates a digital 3D model from pictures of the object you want to recreate

(Kalish, 2012). 3D printing has the potential to reduce waste in factories and in homes.

3D Printed Food

Surprisingly, food can be printed as well. You could design a cake digitally and simply

print your design in lines of frosting on the cake. 3D printing technology can 3D print soft

foods, like cookie dough, frosting, or even a burrito. It uses raw ingredients like inks dispensed

through syringe-like nozzles. Imagine printing cookie dough instead of mixing it by hand—you

could make cookies in any shape without a cookie cutter in sight, and you wouldn’t be left with

wasted scraps of dough (Read, 2011).

But printed food doesn’t stop at cookie dough. A Missouri-based startup called Modern

Meadows has received funding to 3D print meat. According to Modern Meadow co-founder

Andras Forgacs, hamburgers are “an environmental train wreck” due to the high resource

intensity required to produce them (Langan, 2012). A recent NPR study found that “it takes 6.7

pounds of grain, 52.8 gallons of water, 74.5 square feet of land, and 1,036 BTUs of fossil fuel

energy for feed production” (Langan, 2012). Modern Meadows’ initial goal is to print an edible

1-inch piece of meat using the same 3D printing technology currently in use to print medical

grade tissue. However, the greatest challenge for printed meat is convincing the consumer that it

is desirable. Printed meat would reduce the number of livestock going to the slaughterhouse and

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the tremendous resource cost associated with raising livestock. Yet, “printed meat” sounds

unsavory, and considering the current backlash against genetically modified food, it will likely

be a long time before printed meat shows up in the grocery store (Langan, 2012).

3D Printed Weapons

There is also a dark side to 3D printing with the developing ability to print weapons.

Defense Distributed is an organization dedicated to creating “a design file for what they call a

Wiki Weapon, a functional, 3D-printed firearm” (Brown, 2012). There are significant hurdles,

like the concern that printing plastic may not be strong enough to make a stable weapon.

Furthermore, there are legal considerations, such as “the Undetectable Firearms Act [which]

says, simply, that you may not manufacture or possess a firearm that cannot be detected by an

airport metal detector” (Brown, 2012). However, Defense Distributed is confident about

producing a 100 percent 3D printed gun and then making this knowledge publicly available.

According to Cody Wilson, chief spokesman, it’s “less about the gun...than about democratizing

manufacturing technology. His intention is that ‘the non-expert user will have the ability to make

a gun with just a click’” (Brown, 2012). What if printing out a gun was as easy as printing a

Word document? Gun control laws would be extremely difficult to enforce, and criminals would

have unprecedented access to weapons (Brown, 2012).

Medical Applications

On the bright side, 3D printing offers some exciting applications for medical technology.

Bioprinting involves 3D printing a new organ using the patient’s own cells as “ink,” significantly

reducing the chances that the organ would be rejected once transplanted. Bioprinting could put

an end to the waiting list for organs. There’s even the potential to bioprint skin for burn victims

(Boykin, 2011). My aunt needs a kidney transplant, so bioprinting is something I really hope to

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see become reality.

The medical field can also benefit from being able to print models of a patient’s bones

from a computer tomography (CT) scan. Using these models, surgeons can rehearse complicated

procedures, reducing the time spent in actual surgery and the risk of complications (Noorani,

2006, p. 270). 3D printing also allows for customized surgical implants and prosthetics.

Currently, surgeons use standard size implants, meaning “a patient is often left on the surgery

table...while the implant is being customized to fit” (Noorani, 2006, p. 271). Instead, a custom

implant could be 3D printed in advance based on CT scans. A 3D printed prosthetic can also be

tailored to fit the patient exactly, accommodating the patient’s specific alignment characteristics

and providing reinforcement for weight-bearing regions of the prosthetic socket. This would

decrease the number of times the prosthetic must be refitted, making it easier on the patient and

reducing the cost (Noorani, 2006, p. 271).

Forensic Science Applications

Forensic scientists in Poland used 3D printing for the first time to determine how a

woman suffered a fatal head injury. An elderly woman was found in her home with multiple

severe head wounds. She was taken to the hospital and underwent surgery for numerous skull

fractures, but she died due to severe brain damage. The forensic scientists’ task was to determine

exactly what caused her injuries. Using a CT scan taken before the patient underwent surgery,

they were able to create a digital 3D model of her skull and the injuries she sustained. The shape

and pattern of the fractures suggested death by blows to the head from a relatively small object.

Then, they printed a physical 3D model to compare with potential weapons. “The only tool

[they] were able to able to reasonably match to the bone injury was a handle of a fire poker, the

shape of which was consistent with the shape of the reconstructed fractures” (Wozniak et al.,

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2012). In this case, printing a 3D model was key to explaining how the injuries occurred. While

CT scans and digital models may suffice in some cases, a physical model is better suited for

explaining the mode of injury to people with no medical training, such as a jury in court

(Wozniak et al., 2012). Being able to model a crime is especially important due to the CSI

effect, which “is short-hand for the enhanced expectations jurors have for forensic evidence —

and corresponding disregard for circumstantial evidence — as a result of watching crime and

punishment shows on television” (French, 2011). The prosecution could present an exact 3D

printed model of the victim’s skull to show jurors clearly how the fire poker could be the

weapon. Having a physical model could make the difference between convicting the wrongdoer

and letting a criminal off simply because the jurors expected more impressive evidence (French,

2011).

3D printing is also a useful tool for identifying remains, particularly when there are no

living relatives. The remains of a soldier killed in World War I, now identified as Private

Thomas Lawless, were discovered “in 2003 at a construction site near Avion, France”

(Thilmany, 2012). Due to a lack of living family members, standard DNA testing for

identification was not possible. So, the research team, led by Andrew Nelson, “an associate dean

of research for faculty of social science at the University of Western Ontario in London,” created

a 3D computer-aided design (CAD) model of Lawless’ skull from scans of large skull fragments

(Thilmany, 2012). Then, they 3D printed a physical model of Lawless’ skull, from which an

artist reconstructed a face out of modeling clay, “guided by muscle markings on the skull model

and tissue-depth tables” (Thilmany, 2012). Finally, the team photographed the reconstructed face

and compared it with photographs of potential matches, looking at face and jaw shape. They

narrowed it down to two potential matches, and used further analysis of the teeth and jawbone to

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determine that the remains were indeed those of Lawless. Facial reconstruction is not limited to

identifying the remains of soldiers; it could also be applied to Egyptian mummies, to recreate a

face or create physical models of the bones without disturbing the wrappings (Thilmany, 2012).

Anthropology Applications

Anthropology can also benefit from 3D printing. It allows anthropologists to study and

run tests on “accurate replicas of delicate bones and artifacts...without causing any damage to the

original finding” (Noorani, 2006, p. 271). The models are created from CT scans with a high

degree of accuracy, making them suitable for both research and display. For example, the

“Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History is currently using [additive

manufacturing] technology to re-create and replace a triceratops skeleton that has been standing

since 1905” (Noorani, 2006, p. 284). Due to the age of the bones and the fact that the skeleton

has been standing for over 100 years, the bones are beginning to weaken and are in danger of

collapsing. The replica will be more complete than the original due to more current information

and “the ability to replicate bones that were initially missing” (Noorani, 2006, p. 284).

3D printing can also help students in the classroom. Cornell University has a collection of

kinematic machines designed by Franz Reuleaux in the late 1800s. Considered the father of

kinematics (the geometry of motion), Reuleaux created “more than 800 models of simple

mechanisms, such as a crank,” to “teach students about kinematics and the history and theory of

machines” (Thilmany, 2012). Until recently, Cornell students could only look at these models on

display, but now they can print out a model of their own. “Rather than just seeing virtual models

or watching movies online, students anywhere with access to the Internet and a 3-D printer will

be able touch and experience these models directly and get a true sense of how they function”

(Thilmany, 2012).

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3D printing has an astounding number of applications in a variety of fields, from food to

weapons to forensic science. And the industry is growing, according to the Wohlers Association

of Fort Collins, Colorado. The 2012 report “found that global industry revenue for 3-D printers,

products, and services grew nearly 30 percent in 2011” (“Is Print Dead?” 2012). 3D printing is

growing rapidly and being used in manufacturing for both prototyping and production. The best

use of 3D printing in production is for expensive and relatively low volume products, like

aerospace parts and dental implants. The growth trend also includes an increased number of

designs for items like jewelry and light fixtures that are printed and sold “‘on demand by

companies like Shapeways and Materialise. It is a relatively small segment of the $1.7 billion 3-

D printing industry, but it is growing very fast’” (“Is Print Dead?” 2012). 3D printing is an

exciting new part of the printing industry, and one that promises strong growth for the future (“Is

Print Dead?” 2012).

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References

3-D printing for more efficient product manufacturing. (2012). Advanced Materials & Processes,

170(2), 9.

Advanced Materials & Processes is published by ASM International, a “society dedicated

to serving the materials science and engineering profession” according to its About page

online. The organization is the authority on new developments in materials and

manufacturing processes, so this information seems credible.

Boykin, S. (2011, November 28). Growing organs, cell at a time. Charlotte Observer. Retrieved

September 23, 2012, from

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/11/28/2809541/growing-organs-cell-at-a-

time.html#storylink=misearch

The Charlotte Observer is a reliable newspaper, and this article includes an interview

with the director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The article also

opens with a case study about a bladder grown in a lab and transplanted, showing that

functional organs can already be made in the lab. This makes the possibility of

bioprinting in the future more believable.

Brown, R. (2012, September 6). You don't bring a 3D printer to a gun fight -- yet. In CNET.

Retrieved September 28, 2012, from http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57499326-

1/you-dont-bring-a-3d-printer-to-a-gun-fight-yet/

CNET is a website dedicated to showing “you the exciting possibilities of how

technology can enhance and enrich your life,” according to its mission statement. The

information about new technology seems dependable, but the site is definitely pro-

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technology. Therefore, the articles may overemphasize the benefits of new technology

while downplaying possible side effects.

Dulis, P. (2011, February 7). The world of 3D printing expands to build a house. Graphic Arts.

Retrieved September 23, 2012, from http://graphicartsmag.com/articles/2011/02/the-

world-of-3d-printing-expands-to-build-a-house

Graphic Arts is an industry magazine, so the article is written from the perspective of

business owners looking to incorporate new technology into their businesses. This article

has a section entitled “Market Opportunities” to point out the many industries in which

3D printing is already in use, presumably to encourage business owners to invest in the

new technology.

French, David. "Casey Anthony and the "CSI Effect"." National Review Online. N.p., 5 July

2011. Web. 7 Nov. 2012. <http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/271128/casey-

anthony-and-csi-effect-david-french#>.

National Review is a conservative magazine. It clearly favors Republican viewpoints;

after the election, the main article was not about Obama’s victory speech, but an analysis

of why Romney lost. However, for this article about the “CSI Effect,” the conservative

bias does not seem to matter. It provides a short explanation of the CSI Effect as applied

to the Casey Anthony trial.

Grunbaum, M. (2012, April 9). A Sustainability Scorecard for 3D Printing. In ecomagination.

Retrieved September 23, 2012, from http://www.ecomagination.com/sustainability-

scorecard-3d-printing

Ecomagination is a site from GE promoting sustainable developments in technology. It

is likely biased toward GE products, but this article seemed to have a balanced review of

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3D printing’s environmental impact.

Is Print Dead? Not in 3-D. (2012). Mechanical Engineering, 134(9), 12.

Mechanical Engineering is a magazine published by the American Society for

Mechanical Engineers, a not-for-profit organization that aims to provide information

about new trends and technology for the benefit of engineers. This is a credible source,

and the information is still current.

Kalish, J. (2012, July 7). New Projects Help 3-D Printing Materialize. In NPR. Retrieved

September 18, 2012, from http://www.npr.org/2012/07/07/156416954/new-projects-help-

3-d-printing-materialize

NPR is a well-known and credible organization. This particular broadcast interviewed

people who had direct experience using 3D printing. One person designed his own 3D

printed part to solve a simple household problem, and another interviewee works for a

company that makes 3D printing software.

Langan, L. (2012). Today's special: 3-D printed meat. Electronic Engineering Times (01921541),

(1627), 43-44.

Electronic Engineering Times is a website focused on showcasing new kinds of

engineering technologies. This article also cites an NPR study and an interview with the

founder of Modern Meadows, so the information seems reliable.

Mok, K. (2012, August 21). Cutting Edge Cinderella Shoes Are 3D Printed out of Nylon. In

TreeHugger. Retrieved September 28, 2012, from

http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/3d-printed-strvct-shoes-

continuum-fashion.html

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Treehugger, published by Discovery, is a reputable site. It leans toward eco-friendly and

sustainable products while showcasing articles about new technologies. This article

includes quotes from the designers of the shoes, increasing its credibility.

Noorani, R. (2006). Rapid Prototyping: Principles and Applications. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley

and Sons, Inc.

Author Rafiq Noorani, Ph.D., is a professor of Mechanical Engineering at Loyola

Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. His work has been published in

multiple journals, and he belongs to numerous professional engineering organizations.

Clearly, this is a credible source. This book is also designed to be a textbook for a class

on 3D printing, so it has thorough explanations of how additive manufacturing works.

Read, K. (2011, September 15). Fresh cookies, hot off the… press! Graphic Arts. Retrieved

September 23, 2012, from http://graphicartsmag.com/news/2011/09/fresh-cookies-hot-

off-the-press

Graphic Arts is an industry magazine that focuses on new developments in printing

technology, especially technical developments. Read is a regular writer for Graphic Arts,

and this information is still current since it was published just over a year ago.

Terdiman, D. (2012, April 14). Why Hollywood Loves 3D Printing. In CNET News. Retrieved

October 30, 2012, from http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-57413967-235/why-

hollywood-loves-3d-printing/

Daniel Terdiman is a senior writer for CNET, a website dedicated to promoting

technological advances. This article includes interviews with people from Hollywood

effects studios explaining how 3D printing is improving the prototyping process. The

site’s bias that all technology is beneficial is evident because the article fails to mention

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that some artists may be out of a job if prototypes can be 3D printed instead of sculpted

and painted by hand.

Thilmany, J. (2012). History in 3-D. Mechanical Engineering, 134(4), 44-46.

Mechanical Engineering is a magazine published by the American Society for

Mechanical Engineers. This organization aims to support engineers by providing

information on new developments in the field. This recent article explores several

applications for 3D printing in anthropology.

Woźniak, K., Rzepecka-Woźniak, E., Moskała, A., Pohl, J., Latacz, K., & Dybala, B. (2012,

October 10). Weapon identification using antemortem computed tomography with virtual

3D and rapid prototype modeling—A report in a case of blunt force head injury. Forensic

Science International, 222, 29-32. Retrieved October 21, 2012, from http://0-

www.sciencedirect.com.wncln.wncln.org/science/article/pii/S0379073812002976

Forensic Science International is a journal that publishes research papers on various

topics in forensic science. It is a technical journal, so this case study was challenging to

read due. However, after sifting through the unfamiliar terminology, this case study

proved to be an interesting example of another application for 3D printing.

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