3D printing: What even is it and (why) do we need it?

Why 3D printing is a thing

But before we get into why 3D printing is a cool thing, we must get to know what is it. The printing part of the name is really poorly chosen, just like the name imaginary numbers in maths, how can they exist, if they are imaginary? And a similar question arises here, how can you “print” a 3D object? To avoid this, the experts have come up with a word even more terrifying, “additive manufacturing” which does, in fact, describe the underlying logic, but sounds horrifying. So, additive manufacturing is a process where you make an object layer by layer until it gets its final shape.

Why is that interesting? Well for the past 150 years the standard has been taking a large chunk of material and slowly chewing away at it, either using a lathe or a mill. That technology evolved to CNCs, where the computer takes care of the precise movements, and only in the 1980s did humans come up with the idea of adding material instead of taking it away. I won’t bore you with the history of 3D printing, and will rather tell you what the situation is today. We have lots of very affordable 3D printers, some coming in at under 300$, which is quite fascinating, but why would an average person use such a machine?

Reasons to buy a 3D printer

The first thing that comes to mind is making random toys, which is in fact what a lot of people do. But many also find better home uses for the technology, it is used a lot in DIY computers and electronic devices, for making all sorts of cases and different mechanical parts. Speaking of mechanical parts, remember the countless times you have broken the battery cover on a remote control, and then tapped it up with duck-tape. Well with a 3D printer there is no need for that because you can just print a new part. There are also other applications for 3D printing, like making houses, printing human organs, and many others, but that is another story, and also can’t be done on a 500$ machine.