CNC machines are used throughout the world of industry and manufacturing and simply put this technology is what has been at the heart of automated custom piece and machine making for many years. The basics of this software are that you preload a program into the computer which it will then use to cut and mould pieces of materials for use. This of course saves time and money, as well as adding accuracy to what is being made. There are some CNC machine shops near me however which have taken that technology and are now using it for 3D printing, the brave new world of this kind of tech. I was chatting with an owner last week about the most impressive things that 3D printing has been used for, and here is what he told me.
A Working Gun
We have seen, somewhat scarily I imagine, the creation of a fully functional rifle which has been made using a 3D printer. Now there were some early ideas for this but unfortunately most of them fell apart or broke upon being fired once r twice. Defense Distributed however, they saw more potential and they were able to create a fully automatic and semi-automatic gun which has been able o fully fire and has lasted the length and the test of time.
Acoustic Guitar
Last year Scott Summi was able to create the world’s very first acoustic guitar using 3D printing and since then we have seen the creation of many more musical instruments. The acoustic guitar has been made with plastic and features a metal sound hole cover and a heel joint.
House
Earlier this year in Antwerp we saw the creation of the very first 3D printed house. Now there have been designs for a house for many years now, with some suggesting that it could put an end to homelessness given the incredibly low cost of the creation of those homes. Until this year however we don’t see a fully plumbed and wired home, yet now we know for sure that this can be a reality.
Kid’s Drawings
In one of the more heartwarming designs that we have seen with 3D printing, turning your kid’s drawings into a sculpture looks like an amazing piece of design. This can be done for just 100 Euros and it will be printed just like the drawing, with as sculpture that is around 4 inches in length and made from soft clay.
Camera Lens
A working camera lens is one of the most mind blowing achievements which has been made in the 3D printing world and they work incredibly well indeed. The photos which have been taken with the lens are of a very high quality and it is clear that this is going to help to greatly reduce the cost of cameras in the future.
What is the most impressive thing that you have seen created with a 3D printer?