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3D Printing in 2016 is Still All about the Materials Carlie Wagner Although 3D printing has been around for more than 30 years, most people didn’t hear about it until relatively recently when prices fell to a point that caused smaller companies and even home hobbyists to take note. Motivated by their desire to stay on the cutting edge and—let’s be honest— play around with some pretty cool technology, organizations rushed out to purchase a printer. Soon, however, many of these fi rst-wave printers were relegated to the corner of an offi ce to collect dust amidst a sea of plastic knick-knacks. and much more. As we look forward to the impressive material innovations that are to come this year, let’s take a moment to appreciate some of the remarkable printing materials that have already been developed. Building Materials In March of 2015, Chinese design fi rm WinSun wowed the 3D printing world While many organizations failed to have a proper when they 3D printing plan in place (for more information announced the about introducing a 3D printer to your organization, development check out Steve Schain’s presentation at the of a 3D printer most recent AU), another factor is simply that the so large it could materials available in the more affordable desktop print a whole printers, such as PLA and ABS plastics, were house. Shaped somewhat limiting in terms of usability. similarly to a giant icing bag, Recognizing that limited materials posed a WinSun’s printers used a signifi cant barrier to entry for many design mixture of recycled waste, organizations, printing manufacturers have fi ber, and concrete to craft ten embarked upon a sort of Wild West gold rush to homes in a 24-hour period. develop printers that can print in everything from glass to limestone to—yes, I am serious—mashed Not willing to rest on their laurels, WinSun made potatoes headlines again in 2016 by printing a fi ve-story apartment building and an ornate mansion that In many ways, innovations in materials are truly comes in at just under 12,000 square feet. going to be the key to ensuring that the future of 3D printing reaches its vast potential. The ability While it doesn’t appear that we will be seeing to test and prototype a part that is printed out of these particular 3D printed homes anytime soon, materials similar to those used in the fi nal product WinSun has made a serious impression, forcing is invaluable to anybody working in product design. architects, printer manufacturers, and designers to A bigger variety of materials also opens up whole start reimagining how buildings are made. new possibilities in the world of 3D printing jewelry, wearable fashion, customizable manufacturing, www.cadlearning.com 25