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3D printing innovating today’s world

Technology is a big part of today’s world, it continues to change at a rapid rate. It

changes much of how we go throughout our day. It has made almost everything faster and more

efficient. Another big advancement in today's world is 3D printing. What is 3D printing? 3D

printing is the process of making a physical object from a three dimensional digital model, by

stacking layers on layer. I have been interested in how 3D printing works and how it is

incorporated in the real world since my freshman year. 3D printing is used in many places,

people use it in their homes and businesses. It also has industrial and manufacturing uses as well.

One example of it being used in the real world is the Swiss guard swapping out their ancient

metal helmets for 3D printed ones. 3D printing is used in good ways like this, but is also used in

negative ways. 3D printing has been used to make items such as guns and other weapons, and

since they are plastic can get through metal detectors.

3D printing can be dangerous in the wrong hands, but in the right hands can be useful. 3D

printing has been a big part of incorporating STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and

mathematics) into education. 3D printers show people that anything is possible, they are the

future. There are some 3D printers that are so big they have been used to create even cars and

homes. This is a big step, something that would have taken months to create can now be created

in days or weeks. In today's world where anyone can get a 3D printer for as low as 500 dollars it

is hard to control how they are used. Another way 3D printing is changing the world for the

better is in the medical field. It is being used to print low cost prosthetics, medical models to help

doctors prepare for surgery, it is even being used to create bone, cells, and organs. This is only

some of the ways 3D printing is changing today’s world. I was interested in ways 3D printing is

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changing our world in various ways. This led me to the question: How has 3D printing created

new possibilities in the medical field, education, and manufacturing?

Let's start with some of the ways 3D printing has made many things in the medical field a

reality. 3D printing has been used to help save many lives. It is being incorporated into many

hospitals across the world. “Hospitals across the U.S and around the globe are setting up 3D

printing labs within their complexes so that healthcare professionals can incorporate the process

into a normal day’s work” (Giges). This shows how 3D printing is starting to be incorporated

into hospitals and how doctors are using them as a part of their practice. 3D printers have helped

to create new possibilities for medicine. They have helped to create vital instruments faster and

cheaper than before. The biggest ways 3D printing has changed medicine is the creation of

bioprinting which is the process of using “living cells instead of plastic or metal” which other 3D

printers use. “These tissue constructs or organoids can be used for medical research as they

mimic organs on a miniature scale. They are also being trialled as cheaper alternatives to human

organ transplants” (Nawrat). This is very important because it helps to save money, lives, and

time. Currently people have to wait on a donor list and wait for an organ to become available for

them. Many people die waiting or have the organ fail, what if there was a way to create a organ

by the push of a button. 3D printing can help to solve many problems in medicine. Of course it is

not that easy yet, but it is something that we can look forward to in the future.

“Finding an organ to transplant is problematic for obvious reasons: it requires a donor.

For some organs, like kidneys, the donor can be alive, most people aren't eager to part

with their organs. For others --- like hearts, for example---the donor has to be deceased.

In both cases, it's difficult to find a donor. Even if a donor is found, blood types have to

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match between the donor and the recipient of the transplant (among other requirements).

After all of that has been done, it's still possible for the transplanted organ to be rejected

by the recipient. The human body just isn't too accepting of tissue that originated in

another body. Luckily, researchers think 3D printing can solve both these problems. The

idea is that tissue is harvested from the patient's own body and use as the material to 3D

print a new organ. This means a donor isn't needed, and also means that the patient's body

is likely to accept the new organ this possibility alone is enough to revolutionize

medicine, but it doesn't stop there (Coward 321).

Although the ability to 3D print a functioning organ is widely available, the future holds lots of

new possibilities. Just imagine how 3D printing will help to save lives in the future. This is only

one of the ways 3D printing is starting to revolutionize medicine in today’s world. Many of the

things that we can only imagine will soon be a reality.

It is also creating 3D models to help prepare for surgeries. This is a big step from having

to go into a surgery without a lot of preparation to being able to practice on a actual model of the

organ. In an email interview with Nick Kloski he said “One notable way is in surgical

pre-planning. Using CT or to a smaller extent, MRI scans, surgeons can 3D print problematic

anatomy beforehand, and test out their "plans" for accomplishing surgical outcomes”. This will

also create possibilities to do more complex surgeries easier. It is already a reality and has

already helped to save lives.“In Dubai, where hospitals have a mandate to use 3D printing

liberally, doctors successfully operated on a patient who had suffered a cerebral aneurysm in four

veins, using a 3D printed model of her arteries to map out how to safely navigate the blood

vessels” (Nawrat). This is only one of the many stories where using a 3D printed model has

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saved a life. It doesn’t only save a life but using a model to prepare for surgery allows it to go

more efficiently. “Studies of surgeons using 3D printed models to rehearse procedures have

shown that operations can be completed faster and with less trauma for patients” (Black). 3D

printing is being used to save lives, make surgeries faster and more efficient while causing less

trauma for the patient. 3D printing has helped change medicine in many other ways as well.

Other than being able to use 3D printing for organs and models to help prepare for

surgery, it is also able to be used to make low-cost prosthetics/artificial limbs and medical

equipment. “The science of artificial limbs is making a big leap forward thanks to improved

medical imaging technology, better design software, and improve materials. 3D printing offers

amputees and doctors a previously unheard- of level of customization. Bespoke’s 3D printed

limbs are designed to fit exactly the shape of the wearers’ bodies and lifestyles and to appeal to

their sense of style” (Lipson 108). This shows how much 3D printing is changing lives, it has

allowed doctors to customize people prosthetics at a lower cost. 3D printing also allows for

custom tools/medical equipment as well as prosthetics. “Not only can 3D printing in medicine

help to build custom tools and equipment for patients that require prostheses, it can make the

actual prosthetic device much more comfortable and effective” (Wagenen). Since 3D printing

allows you customize in turn it also makes the prosthetic more comfortable and makes the tools

easier to use. 3D printing is definitely changing the medical field, but not only the medical field

has been changed by 3D printing.

3D printing has endless possibilities you can create anything “the only limit is your

imagination”. As you can see 3D printing has changed the medical field in so many ways and

will help save so many lives, but there is so much more out there 3D printing is used for.

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Education being a big one. I have been learning how 3D printing works since it peaked my

interest as a freshman but there was so much I did not know. 3D printing has been being adopted

by more and more schools and libraries. I began looking which schools in the areas have 3D

printers and use them on a daily basis when I found Patricia Galindo a STEM teacher at Walnut

Acres Elementary. I met Mrs. Galindo at Walnut Acres, she showed me her classroom with the

3D printers and all the other technology she had. I had a talk with her and learned a lot of

interesting information.

“ I taught 5th graders last year but this year I have been teaching 4th graders. They use

Tinkercad which is a online design program that is very simple to use and I can monitor

what they do which makes it easier for me to 3D print there items for them. I put them in

groups and have them build something and they have to explain what they are building.

Yes, they do enjoy it very much. I begin by teaching them the difference between 2D and

3D, than explain to them how it works and the process with videos. This gets them really

interested in technology and shows them that you can build anything. I really enjoy

working with them on this and hope to get a dual extruder 3D printer the future so I can

print there stuff in different colors. We have talked about 3D printing in medicine a little

but we mainly focus of other areas of study”.

3D printing is so available in today's world and there are so many different programs for

beginners, that it doesn’t matter how old you are. Mrs. Galindo shows that you can learn how 3D

printing works and build items as long as you can use a computer. 3D printing gets students vary

hand on in the world of technology. All it takes is a little time and patience to learn. Since 3D

printers are becoming more and more popular so many companies have created easier software

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for anyone to create and print objects at home. It is only getting easier to create your own items.

“3D printing software is considerably more user friendly than it was two years ago, which makes

it ideal for younger children to grasp. Innovative apps for mobile phones and tablets make it easy

and efficient to create designs and send them to a 3D printer for production” (Biggs). 3D printing

can be used by any age because of how easy it is getting to use. How else has 3D printing

changed today’s world?

3D printing has also changed manufacturing in various ways. It has been used to create

homes/other building, food yes food, musical instruments, and so many other things, as I stated

before the only limit is your imagination. 3D printing homes and building would help to reduce

the affordable housing crisis and help a lot of Americans get more affordable homes. “ICON is

one of many companies attempting to deploy 3D-printing in solving the affordable housing crisis

and fighting homelessness” (Bruggeman). If it was possible to create a house in just a day

imagine how much money that would save. These 3D printers use common building materials

such a cement more effectively by doing to same thing regular 3D printers do just stack layers on

top of one another. There is so many ways in which 3D printing technology is being used to

create building and not only in the US, but all over the world. “In less than 24 hours, a

400-square-foot house was constructed in a suburb of Moscow with 3D printing technology. The

possibilities for quickly erecting houses and other structures with 3D printing are intriguing

when time is critical such as to create emergency shelters for areas after a natural disaster.

Additionally, the potential for new architectural visions to be realized, that weren't previously

possible with current manufacturing methods will lead to design innovations. An entire two-story

house was 3D printed from concrete in Beijing in just 45 days from start to finish”(Marr). 3D

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printed house is really interesting. There are also negatives to using 3D printing for

manufacturing, such as unemployment. As 3D printing begins to become more efficient,

unemployment may become a bigger problem since this technology can reduce the time is takes

to build something by a person or people significantly. Of course it is still going to take a while

for 3D printing to create many of the things we need people for.

3D printing is changing drastically everyday. “American designers are now working on

3D printed cars, while in China and Holland, 3-D printers are building entire houses. The first

3D printed hamburger was recently created in England, heralding the possibility of a man-made

food supply” (Federico). You can’t just print all this on one printer at home. 3D printing food

would make it, so we don’t exhaust our food resources. It would also help to reduce greenhouse

gasses that are created by food waste. This would be a different type of printer then the ones that

would create organs or houses. “Different kinds of 3D printers print different objects. Some print

food. Others create pieces of art or fashion, such as vases or jewelry. Some can print human cells

to make human tissue. And larger 3D printers have even built houses”(Kenney 6). Yes, 3D

printers can be used to print anything, but it all depends on the printer you have. I wish it was

possible to go get a 3D printer and print food, but unfortunately we are not at that level.

Currently most household printers can only be used to print miniature models. Maybe in the

future it will be a possibility. In today’s world we are already revolutionizing the 3D printing

industry. Just like all technology it is getting more and more advanced every day.

3D printing is a very interesting topic. It has peaked my interest since I was a freshman,

which is why I decided to research and write about it. 3D printing is making advancement to our

world that we don’t even know about. No one wakes up thinking about 3D printing, but you

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should because it is the future of technology. 3D printers can be purchased by anyone now for as

low as 500 dollars. This should be a positive thing, but unfortunately there are people in this

world who are not good and use 3D printers to print guns, knives, and other weapons. Since 3D

printers are so easy to buy now it is impossible to regulate who uses them for what. 3D printing

has changed medicine, education, manufacturing, and technology in general, but in the wrong

hands it can be fatal to others. 3D printing can be used for good and for bad, yet 3D printing has

helped so many people. If people decide to use this technology for bad there is not much we can

do. 3D printing is the future of technology.

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Biggs, Simon. ​The Future of 3D Printing in Education,​ 8 Aug. 2017,

www.eurekamagazine.co.uk/design-engineering-blogs/the-future-of-3d-printing-in-education/15

8336/.

Black, Chuen. “5 Ways 3D Printing Could Totally Change Medicine.” ​Futurity,​ 25 Aug. 2017,

www.futurity.org/3d-printing-transforming-medicine-1525732/.

Bruggeman, Jacob. “How 3D Printing Could Fix the Housing Crisis.” ​RealClearPolicy,​ 22 Mar.

2019,

www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2019/03/22/how_3d_printing_could_fix_the_housing_crisis_1

11134.html.

Coward, Cameron. ​3D Printing​. Alpha, 2015.

Federico-O'Murchu, Linda. “How 3-D Printing Will Radically Change the World.” ​CNBC,​

CNBC, 12 May 2014,

www.cnbc.com/2014/05/09/will-3-d-technology-radically-change-the-world.html.

Galindo, Patricia. Personal Interview. 11 Mar. 2019.

Giges, Nancy S. “Top 5 Ways 3D Printing Is Changing the Medical Field.” ​ASME.org,​

www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/manufacturing-design/top-5-ways-3d-printing-changi

ng-medical-field.

Kenney, Karen Latchana. ​Cutting-Edge 3D Printing​. Lerner Publications, 2019.

Kloski, Nick. Personal interview. 10 Mar. 2019

Lipson, Hod, and Melba Kurman. ​Fabricated: the New World of 3D Printing.​ John Wiley and

Sons, 2013.

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Marr, Bernard. “7 Amazing Real-World Examples Of 3D Printing In 2018.” ​Forbes​, Forbes

Magazine, 23 Aug. 2018,

www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/08/22/7-amazing-real-world-examples-of-3d-printing-i

n-2018/#a4364a06585c.

Nawrat, Allie. “3D Printing in the Medical Field: Four Major Applications Revolutionising the

Industry.” ​Verdict Medical Devices​, 7 Aug. 2018,

www.medicaldevice-network.com/features/3d-printing-in-the-medical-field-applications/.

Wagenen, Juliet Van, et al. “Is 3D Printing in Healthcare a Medical Revolution?” ​Technology

Solutions That Drive Healthcare​, 21 Aug. 2017,

healthtechmagazine.net/article/2017/08/healthcare-cusp-3d-medical-printing-revolution.

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