User:Mgm5238

Matt Murphy | EDSGN 479J | RepRap Wiki Blogs | Fall Semester 2014

Blog #1: 3D-Printed Clothes & Sensor for US Soldiers

http://www.einfolive.com/3d-printing-cloths-sensors/

The article mostly focuses on the current application of 3D printing to the needs of the army. What is really interesting is the ability to 3D print clothing for army needs using precise mixtures of materials to target at a specific application. The article also mentions 3D printing food which is a little mind boggling I would imagine it would be almost similar to how soda fountains work. Where there is a stream of carbonated water and a stream of flavoring that are mixed together. I would think it would be similar with food using some type of protein paste while also extruding a blend of flavoring, into a recognizable food item. Lastly they mention in the article the use of 3D printing using skin cells to heal soldiers on the battlefield, where conventional medicines may not be effective or practical. I would like to do more investigating into biological 3D printing.

Blog #2: NASA is building the World's First 3D-Printed Satellite Camera

http://mashable.com/2014/08/12/3d-printed-cubesat-camera/

This article opens with “NASA is already using 3D printing to make rocket engine parts, a space pizza maker and even physical photos from the Hubble Space Telescope.” A pizza maker? Wow I would like to see how it compares canyon haha. The article mostly emphasizes how convenient it is to use 3D printers to manufacture intricate parts like instruments on space crafts. The 3D printed camera is an assembly of 4 parts, where through conventional methods would have an assembly of nearly 50 parts. The production of this camera was mainly to be able to send it to space to see how it would hold up so in the future, 3D printed parts would be qualified and proven to work in space. This article reconfirm my confidence in the quality and efficiency of using additive manufacturing across of field of applications.

Blog #3: With 3D Printing, Medical Devices are Cool Again

http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/13/medical-devices-are-cool-again/

This article discusses how with the booming use of 3D printing, especially in the medical industry, has brought a lot of attention and interest to the subject. It mentions that recently a University in China was able to successfully print a vertebrae and implant it in a patient. The article also alludes to how in couple years 3D printers will be able to produce full livers! This notion is crazy! The fact no one would have to wait on donor lists any more for organs, and could quickly get new organs when their old ones are failing. 3D printing is also a HUGE advantage for the medical device industry. With the ability to rapid prototype device, manufactures are able to quickly and cheaply evaluate new ideas and continue to make minor tweaks until it is perfected for its use. "These are the right questions to be asking, especially given that the United States is still the leader in medical device manufacturing. The domestic market is projected to reach $133 billion by 2016. This is one area in which jobs are not just secure, but multiplying. We have a natural advantage in devices, right here in our backyard." It seems that I may want to go into the bio-engineering field with job security like that! The potential of the medical field with the increasing use and quality of additive manufacturing is close to unlimited.

Blog #4: Discov3ry Paste Extruder: Afforable Add-on for 3 Printers

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/structur3d/discov3ry-extruder-do-more-than-ever-with-your-3d

It is very surprising that 3D printed icing and chocolate wasn't one of the first applications of 3D printers. This specific start up is for an extruder that you would be able to simply replace the hot tip on your current 3D printer with. Things like icing and chocolate can already be harnessed into a paste like form so I would seem rather effective especially for complicated cake decorations and complex chocolate pieces. This extruder also has the ability to print silicone, latex and wood filler. Im sure there are many uses outside the food industry that paste extrusion could be utilized such as creating casting molds, possible making equipment for physical therapy such as custom bands for stretching and such. This is the first group I have heard of that is offering paste extrusion, and I'm sure if a larger company with more capital put in the time and money, they could really get this technology of the ground. I expect to see this technology utilized at least by cake decorators and chocolate manufactures in the next few years.

Blog #5: Food is the Next Frontier of 3D Printing

http://www.dezeen.com/2013/03/27/food-is-the-next-frontier-of-3d-printing-janne-kytannen/

The slideshow at the beginning of this article immediately caught by attention. There are pasta's being printed in complex shapes, as well as cereals and even burgers with different complexities and variations. Currently the use of this technology is very crude and they are still working on flavoring mechanisms ( I imagine everything tastes pretty bland). Unfortunately this technology may never really get off the ground because of the lack of need and proper business model and pitch. Maybe it has chance with the paste extruder mentioned in Blog #4, so that it could be used more at home. As I read the article more, the images first seen were not actually edible but plastic used as a model for what could be done in the future. I believe its only really chocolate and icings and such that is able to be printed at this time. I would imagine it would be very hard to print an edible burger because of all the different flavors and textures. Its hard to imagine that one machine could simultaneously print the burger patty and lettuce, which are completely different textures, flavors, temperature, color, thickness and which have very very different molecular structures and micro structures unique to itself. I really do hope that this technology continues to grow because I think it could be very fun to see some crazy 3D printed foods.

Blog #6: Nursing Homes in Germany serve 3D-Printed Food

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nursing-homes-in-germany-serve-3d-printed-food/

This new technology mitigates a serious problem nursing homes everywhere are experiencing, and I’m not surprised it’s happening in Germany because Germany is one of the leaders in Additive Manufacturing advancements. Elderly patients living in nursing homes have trouble swallowing their foods and enjoying their blandly repeated meals. 3D Printing healthy, pureed, and completely customized foods for the patients has proven succeed and conquering this challenge. I’m impressed with the visuals of the 3D-Printed foods as they look extremely accurate and even pretty delicious. Although I think the options of foods seem a little limited right now, I’m sure they’ve developed more types of printable foods by now and will continue to in the future. It’s a little scary how diverse the use cases of 3D Printing really is, and this use case certainly is not just a huge advancement, but it is also an amazing cause. I feel that the nutrients required by each patient can now be satisfied on an easier scale than NASA’s operations previously mentioned in earlier blogs. But I’m interested to see how customizable the texture of the foods will become, because I can see the texture getting annoying. Although, this texture is specifically designed to avoid choking, maybe there are other textures that accomplish the same goals.

Now this slightly contradicts what I wrote about in my previous blog. Apparently a nursing home in Germany is 3D 6 different foods that are indeed edible and are even said to taste good! The company is called smoothfood and the foods are basically just pureed food that is then 3D printed to be shaped in to what the food would actually look like! This is quite a marvel ideas for the elderly who may not be able to properly chew food anymore, but don't want to be spooning mush into their mouth. Im sure this implementation has increased the happiness of the residents as they can feel like they are eating real food again. They uses all fresh ingredients like potatoes, cauliflower, chicken and a couple others. They are being printed into a variety of forms and by some of the pictures with this article, some of it looks pretty tasting. However there are indeed limitations and negatives to this technology. Many homes are reluctant to switch because of the capital investment as well as the time and cost to prepare the food more than just the traditional simple puree. Hopefully this technology can be further invested in and become industrialized so that it can then be implemented into home care as well.

Blog #7: NASA Funding 3D Food Printer Research

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Nasa-3d-printing-food-pizza-mars,news-17053.html

As my several previous blog posts have mention, NASA is “hoping the next step for 3D Printing will be food.” It’s true that there is a lot of interest in this specific field, and it certainly has the potential to grow. It’s truly incredible how because 3D Printing has become more popular and widely expressed that there is a new development in the technology every day. 3D Printing has certainly expanded in everyway possible, and I think its due to this popularity boom. At this point, thousands upon Thousands of people are brainstorming new ideas with this technology every day. Even just in the field of 3D-Printed food, there are hundreds of use-cases that all utilize this technology in a different way. NASA is working to remove the moisture from the food so that its shelf life could be as long as 30 years, which once again opens the potential for more space exploration. This once again proves my opinion that Additive Manufacturing is a wildly expanding and opening the world to new possibilities every day. It’s certainly comforting to see NASA’s continued support of this technology.

Blog #8: 3D Printing: Employment Boom or Employment Swoon

http://3dprint.com/3980/3d-printing-jobs-economy/

It’s clear that 3D Printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a booming technology. It’s growth has been explosive in recent years and has brought out major increases in production efficiency, which has increased the design cycle times overall. This, obviously, has a direct correlation with the number of laborers needed to perform the tasks. Thus, there is a projected decrease in traditional manufacturing-related employment because these processes are being decreased. I see this as a very potentially large problem that will cause heated debates in the future, especially with union-employed operations and areas. Now, I’m sure traditional manufacturing will never completely dissipate, but it certainly seems like it will be decreasing. But, on the flip side, because of the efficient potential associated with additive manufacturing, processes cost much less for big industries to perform. Therefore, jobs will now become more available in the USA, rather than overseas, because big businesses will now be able to afford it. Thus, I foresee not a decrease in employment, but instead a change in skill sets. Those people who’s traditional manufacturing jobs are replaced by this booming technology will just need to train in the operations and maintenance of 3D Printers. Hopefully, with this middle ground, there won’t be heavy conflicts in the future regarding these employment rates.

Blog #9: Want to try out 3D Printing? Check your local Library.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/want-to-learn-how-to-3d-print-try-your-local-library/

This article caught my attention immediately because of a rumor that my local library at home now has a Desktop 3D Printer. With my history of involvement within the additive manufacturing world and my constant observations of things being fixed around my house, I’ve considered very heavily purchasing my own Desktop 3D Printer. As of right now, I feel there are still a lot of small problems with most Desktop 3D Printers, as we have been able to easily see during class. Of course, the REPRAPs aren’t quite as high-tech and reliable as professionally produced machines (ie: MakerBots), I still don’t see too many differences. This is what makes me appreciate the open-source world even more; these people are conquering these challenges just out of interest. This certainly seems like a hobby to some, and I would even classify it as one of my own hobbies, but the potential within these technologies are hidden beneath. After reading this article, I am convinced I will check my local library over break to see what capabilities are really there. This read also put my mind back on the idea of my own Desktop 3D Printer, but we’ll see. I think that waiting another year or two may be an appropriate amount of time for the open-source/professional world to overcome some of the small problems that Desktop 3D Printers are still dealing with.

Blog #10: Medical First: 3D Printed Skull Successfully Implanted in Woman

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/medical-first-3-d-printed-skull-successfully-implanted-woman-n65576

I remember hearing about this over the summer and thought to look it up. This accomplishment is not only slightly terrifying (see video below), but it is extremely progressive. This step forward in the medical world is a serious step – this isn’t a kneecap or an arm replacement, it’s a skull replacement. The material capabilities associated with additive manufacturing are incredibly diverse and astonishingly include several materials specifically designated for the medical field. I think that 3D Printing has a huge future within the medical field as researchers and doctors continue to push its limits. This thought instinctively thrives from the fact that medical operations often times induce very custom and specific pieces, which Additive Manufacturing is perfect for. The complex geometries capable with 3D Printing (as opposed to being impossible with traditional manufacturing) may even open a new world of more efficient and lightweight supports/braces/etc for recovering patients. The video explaining the operation can be found below, but I WARN you, it is graphic. Also, the video is in Dutch, but English subtitles can be displayed by clicking the box with “CC” in it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXcz3OdHSHk#t=11 I’m excited to hear more about how the medical field will utilize this booming technology.

Blog #11: Seven Life-Changing Surgeries made possible by 3D Printing

http://www.gizmag.com/seven-life-changing-surgeries-3d-printing/35186/

My last blog (Blog #10: Medical First: 3D Printed Skull Successfully Implanted in Woman) sparked my interest in the development of additive manufacturing within the medical field. Luckily, I found this article almost instantly. This article explains several incredible feats that doctors from all over the world have been able to achieve through 3D Printing. One of the examples that speaks volumes upon volumes of positivity towards this technology is a case in which doctors successfully replaced a cancerous vertebra with a 3D-printed vertebra. This procedure did not only achieve what existing methods could, but it surpassed it. With 3D Printing, the doctors were able to completely replicate the shape of the original vertebra perfectly. This is an example of a use-case that is just simply perfect for 3D Printing – complete customization and specificity. The last life-changing surgery mentioned within this article combines 3D scanning with 3D Printing, which I see as a very strong partnership. As within this case, a 3D model of a child’s heart was perfectly recreated and 3D-printed. This provided the doctors with a plethora of information regarding specifics of the operation that would soon take place, and thus, led to a very successful surgery and a quickly healing child. Every time I read one of these articles, my belief on the versatility and potential of this life-changing technology expands. I have several friends studying medicine, and I hope to communicate with them about the development of Medical 3D Printing in the future.