Academy of Digital Doctors Journal Edition 1 | Page 20

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ACADEMY OF DIGITAL DOCTORS JOURNAL

TECH DISRUPT

3D PRINTING REVOLUTION:
FRIVOLOUS OR FUNCTIONAL?
Just a craze or much more than that?

Remember when you were a
young kid and you were playing with your action figure
toys all day and night? Those
were the times. Who can
forget those exciting people
and all the adventures you'd
built for them? Well, now you
can relive your childhood, but
this time you can actually be a
part of the toys' world. Stores
can customize your own head
to fit onto a minifigure using
3D printing. But what is 3D
printing and is 3D printing
going to be just limited to the
creation of funny heads?

What is 3D Printing?
3D printing seems out of this
planet and very futuristic. A
normal printer works by
spraying ink on paper
controlled by a computer.
Similarly, 3D printing involves
putting down layers of a wide
range of materials until the
layers add up to an object
determined by the digital 3D

model provided to the computer. The process is also
called additive manufacturing
since multiple layers are
added to form the object.

How is 3D Printing
Going to Change the
World?
Any product with customization needs will start using 3D
printing even at the cost of
loss of economies of scale.
However, there might still be

some cost savings because of
reduction in shipping, inventory and retail costs. 3D printing technology can construct
actual, working bridges on
Earth, build elaborate decorative accessories for your
home, produce prosthetics for
amputees...the list is rather
exhaustive. 3D printing is
going to ensure that the goods
are produced at the point of
consumption and hence
disrupt supply chains.