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The growth of 3D printing in Israel

Facebook, Google, Apple, Microsoft – all these names have one thing in common: they started in USA and went on to conquer the world. In such a world where most of the technological advancements take birth in US, it is worthwhile to take note of the journey of a Middle Eastern country in one of the most happening technologies – 3D printing. Israel has been doing rapid strides in 3D printing space. Very few people know the Israeli connection of the 3D giants – Stratasys and 3D systems. Both these companies have their CEOs who are Israelis. In fact, is largely an Israeli operation after it merged with Objet Geometries. So the development in the field of 3D printing in Israel is not a shocker.

What is interesting is the new developments in the retail space also to target the B2C space. The new store named “3D factory” that has been set up in Tel Aviv furnishes an Apple-style experience to artists, designers as well as regular folks who are ardently interested in the fascinating world of 3D printing. The mystical world of 3D printing was confided only to universities or labs now with the opening of this new factory it would provide the commoners with the 3D printing experience with otherwise they wouldn’t have experienced. Since the factory is relatively new, the printing will take place in PLA, ABS filament, and other plastic-source objects. But the store has yet to announce the materials that it would use for making the models on their website. The store has a retail section as well, where customers can order a model such as vase, lamps, bottles or even brass knuckles and customize its color, shape, size, and a dozen other criteria. Unlike 3D printing labs, this outlet is a perfect balance between studio gallery, workshop space and retail store.

Since its opening the store has been visited by local people, tourists as well as students, who are eager to see the working of this new machine. The store owner also plans to host workshops, educational groups, seminars, printing parties and all sorts of interactive activities, to increase the awareness among the people about this new technology. The store seems to walk on the footsteps of the newly opened MakerBot store- which offers 3D printing services, seminars, workshops and events. The prices of the products that are there in the shop are quite nominal so it gives the customers something far more special than they could get at a regular retailer, for almost the same price.

As far as the long term perspective goes this store plans to expand itself on a franchise model, in which franchisees will open 3D factories all around Israel and would provide 3D experience in their own communities.

It takes a lot of guts to be the first in anything and hats off to the owners of this new venture for having the guts to start ff something as new as 3D printing in Israel. Giant companies like HP are skeptical to join the league of 3D printing but these entrepreneurs are definitely paving the way and showing all, how it is done!

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The new price wars in 3D printing!

Until now the principal consumers of 3D printing were commercial industries who had the resources as well as the finances. Since the machines have a hefty price, these machines were used by large scale manufacturers for prototyping and production in small scale. The markets were dominated by 2-3 companies like Stratasys, 3D Systems etc. But the expiry of some key patents opened up the world of consumer level 3D printers. Pioneers like the rep rap movement, ultimaker etc play a vital role in this development, but the role of the big companies with their consumer level printers – Cube and Makerbot cannot be underestimated.

The launch of two smaller form of 3D printers with prices as low as $1,000, by the two companies, means that they are very serious about this space and are willing to indulge into price war to expand the 3D printing eco system. So, now the phase that is being faced in the 3D printing industry can be termed as 3D printing price war. The level of competition is very high on the low end 3D printers: Makerbot announced that it would be shipping its MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact 3D printer to customers and in less than 24 hours another pioneer company in 3D printing 3D systems announced that it will begin shipping its Cube 3 and CubePro 3D printers in the second half of June 2014, with pre-orders available now. The prices of both the printers are highly competitive as well. 3D’s Cube 3 and CubePro home and desktop 3D printers are priced as follows: Cube 3 starts at $999 and the CubePro starts at $2,799 on the other hand MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printer which allows users to find more than 300, 0000 free downloadable digital 3D printable items and is priced at $1,375. This is just a case study of two giants of the 3D printing industry there are many other companies that are fighting to survive in the highly competitive world of 3D printing. Other well-known companies like Hewlett-Packard Co. are still skeptical about entering the 3D market.

Apart from the obvious reason to expand their sales of 3D printers, the big companies also want to create a perpetual flow of income by locking the customers with cheaper printers but weighing them with costlier filaments, by restricting the users to use only the filaments produced by them. You can safely compare this to the Gillette strategy, where the razors are sold cheap, but the blades are sold at a very high rate. Hence, though the price war means good news for consumers, they have to calculate their overall costs carefully and take a call whether to go for these printers. Looking at the brighter side of all this, with the recent advancements it seems that the day when 3D printing will reach critical masses in homes, schools and other commonplace setting isn’t far off. This technology will become as revolutionary as computers and mobiles.

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3D printing: Is it overhyped?

It been almost 31years, since Charles Hull had invented 3D printing, it’s travelled a very long and tedious journey. This journey should be much appreciated, as the application of 3D printing has tactfully captured almost all the sectors: jewelry, healthcare, homes, food, and human tissue. Meanwhile, the price of consumer 3D printers has come down considerably and the machine which was all set to rock the manufacturing industry has now crept into the houses of millions. The usage of 3D printers in the household is still in the initial stages as people are still quite skeptical about the durability and affordability of the machine as well as the end product. In this direction, an office-supply retailer named Staples opened “experience centres” in Los Angeles and New York City, where consumers can try out the printers before buying them. The potential of 3D printers was rightfully described by the US President Barack Obama in the 2013 State of the Union as having “the potential to revolutionize the way we do almost everything.”

With all this 3D printing has become the hottest thing in the technology industry — following mobility and competing with connected cars and wearable technology, the nuts and bolts of 3D printing have been around for decades. However, patent issues, the restriction on materials and the high priced printers have restricted the technology firmly within manufacturing for years. But with recent developments in the 3D printing and many patents expiring in a few years the prices of the printers have reduced considerably enabling the household consumers to buy the printers. But there are a few constraints that are restricting people to buy one of the affordable 3D printers.

  • They are too hard to use. The biggest problem with 3D printers is that they are not at all user friendly. The level of difficulty in using them could be described as using MS-DOS back in 1987. Unless you are well aware of certain basic tech knowledge, it’s quite a difficult area to venture into.
  • There are many things that cannot be printed. The main problem lies that the object that you want to print, you should firstly have a blue print in the form of STL file or a 3D plan of the object. If you don’t have the blue print then you’ll have to do it from the scratch that involves a lot of Photoshop and computer aided design (CAD).
  • Useful things cannot be mass printed; mostly things that are produced are proto-types or toys and cannot be used for some useful purposes.
  • There are a lot of legal hurdles. There will be a lot of legal issues, especially those related to intellectual rights.
  • The plastic that is used for the printing process is very expensive. Some of the plastics used in the printers are not very safe. So 3D printed spoons and plates cannot be actually used for eating purposes. Majority of the consumer level 3D printers can only print in one material –plastic, and most probably in one colour. So, there’s still a long way to go.

So now the question stands, is there no revolution with 3D printing?

Yes, there is certainly a thin air of revolution with 3D printing but the expectation of the people is sky high and the printer cannot meet the expectation of the people immediately. The rightful application of this technology can grow in areas like the prototyping market, low-volume productions runs, medical, aerospace and others. On a professional level, 3D printing is very cost-effective option for the manufacturing sector. But the actual break-through in 3D printing industry will take place soon, with more patents set to expire.The technology has applications in the healthcare, construction and manufacturing, but is unlikely to be suitable as a household product beyond small, novelty printers which may be fun to print out doorknobs, hooks and other house hold items, gifts or designs, but no more than that. 3D printing will have limited use in the consumer sector.

Many experts in the 3D printing sector feel that the practicality of the technology is being overshadowed by the actual potential of the machine. In this competitive world even technology changes with every passing day, in this process some technology leaves its mark and some do not. The consumers of the 21st century have become very smart and for any technology to leave a deep impact will have to capture their realm as well as have an application that can be levied at home and businesses. 3D printing is exciting and interesting, at present doesn’t seem to fulfill this role, as it will be a luxury rather than a necessity.

The importance of 3D printing cannot be side tracked but labeling it as “revolutionary” is all due to the technology being in the ‘hype’ stage, but eventually the technology will find its rightful place in the manufacturing, supply chains industry and creation of prosthetics in the healthcare sector. Terming 3D printing as ‘revolutionary’ would mean to analyze the market spread of the product as well as the cost of the product. Mobiles as well as computers can be termed as revolutionary because of the wide usage of the products and the costs of the products have become so cheap that they can be bought by anyone. For 3D printer to reach the zenith of technology, it will take a lot of time and a lot of changes in the technology level of the printer. So, are 3D printers valuable? Absolutely yes, they are! But are they revolutionary? Not currently, but will reach there in coming years!

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Transforming homes: 3D printing venture into the architecture industry

The 3D printing industry is on the brink of transforming almost all the sections of our lives and kick start the latest industrial revolution. With the growth in the population index of the world, there is an increase in the problems of finding a shelter for all. As per Maslow’s hierarchy, the basic needs of a person is food, shelter and clothing, we are running short in all the above areas, thanks to rising population. But 3D printing is opening a new door in the sector of providing shelter to all in an express way. Technology seems to be an answer to all the problems that society faces nowadays!

With the technological advancement of 3D printing and contour crafting, being homeless would be something like polio, which has been eradicated. 3D printing promises to revolutionize the way buildings are designed and built. The methods that currently exist in the construction business is labor intensive, slow, dangerous and the budget is often hay wired. There are thousands who are prone to construction hazards whether minor or major. Construction is the only sector where the role of humans is inevitable and also compulsory but now, with the changes that construction industry will encounter with the help of 3d printing will change the face of construction sector forever.

So far, applications of 3D printing in architecture have been restricted to the proto-typing of models and there have been a lot of talks about using this technology in the process of creating habitable structures. An Italian entrepreneur, Enrico Dini was the first person to print a structure on an architectural scale, with the help of enormous “D-Shape printer”. This machine comprises a giant rig that lays down layers of sand, onto which a row of nozzles linked to CAD software deposits a binding agent that solidifies the sand and it is transformed into a type of artificial sandstone. The problems with this machine is that the material it uses is very fragile and breakdown easily. The other problem with the printer is that the feeding system of the printer is not reliable and the process of evacuating the sand is very tedious and dusty and these elements are very expensive. The positive effects of this technology would be it helps to mechanize the process of construction and efficiently reduce energy use, emissions and labor. CAD designs allow the designers to design what they want and send it through machinery automatically creating the product that they desire for. This takes place with the help of ‘D-shape printers’ and ‘contour crafting helps in scaling this process up making it useful in the home construction. With the help of this technology, homes can be built safely in lesser time and cost. It offers great architectural flexibility and high level of precision. Advanced technologies can be used in such homes without any additional costs.

How exactly does the machine work?

In order to build your home in a 3D printing archetype, all that you have to do is to make some changes in the architectural design of your home and feed the design to the machine. The machine in turn would build your home layer by layer. It would first deposit a layer of concrete through a nozzle in order to set the foundation. The best part of this machine is that the concrete walls that are built with the help of this machine are more strong that the once that are conventionally built. Besides building the foundation, the machine can do the reinforcement, plumbing, electrical wiring, tiling, painting and also give other finishing touches that are required in a house, which otherwise would’ve required a skilled laborer. As per the estimates made by the experts a house of 2,500 square foot can be custom designed in just 20 hours with the help of this machine. It would be something like waving a wand in air and a house just comes out of thin air! Pure magic!

This concept was brought into the lime light by the collaborative efforts of the European Space Agency and Norman Foster, a London based architect who proposed for a 3D printed moon base built from lunar soil, known as regolith. The structures that were proposed by Norman would be formed around an inflated dome, onto which layers of regolith combined with a binding material would be deposited by a printer that would be controlled by a robot. A specially developed cellular structure to foam would reduce the density of the structure and the amount of binding material required, while producing a shell strong enough to protect its inhabitants from the moon’s inhospitable atmospheric conditions.

Another gargantuan printing is in process in Amsterdam where architects proclaim that are using this technology to build a 13 room traditional Dutch canal house. The building is going to be built layer by layer, the Dus architect are printing out huge honey comb like blocks that fit together like Legos to construct the 3D print canal house. This was done with the help of an on-site printer. We have also the example of A Chinese firm that has gone beyond our imaginations and used 3D printing to build 10 rudimentary prototype houses in 24 hours.

Although 3D printing and home building seems to be an answer to numerous problems but it’s still undiscovered exactly how feasible it is. Many people who belong to this industry feel that the idea seems to be very amazing and innovative, but not realistic. At present the entire process seems to be too time consuming and costly for the average people.

While the future of 3D printing is still quite blurry, such ventures are definitely a boost to the 3D printing industry. Architect Dini sees a potential application in Lunar housing, which is being done by Norman Foster. Another institute called the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is actively working towards the development of 4D printing; this is being done by an architect and computer scientist Skylar Tibbits.

Who knows what the future holds for 3D printing in the home building industry and exactly how it will affect the people. Predicting all this is a very difficult task but all that we do know is that the technology and the machine are available that is required making these technological advances. But the actual test of the machine as well as the technology will take place in the hands of time. Only time will test the actual influence of the machine.

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3D Printed Guns: Ugly side of 3D Printing

At a time when the world is warming up to witness the endless possibilities of 3D Printing, the darker side of this amazing technology is also strengthening quietly. Yoshitomo Imura, a 27-year-old college employee was arrested earlier this month for possessing five plastic guns at his home in Kanagawa Prefecture, two of which had the potential to fire lethal bullets.

Interestingly, The tipoff  for this surprisingly came from Imura himself, through the video footage on the Internet of the guns, along with blueprints for them earlier this year. In the video, Imura assembles the handgun from plastic 3-D printed pieces, a few metal pins, screws and rubber bands, then test fires it with blanks. Imura agreed that he produced the guns, but added that he did not that that it was illegal. It’s the first time Japan’s firearm control law has been applied to the possession of guns produced by 3-D printers.

The rapid development of 3-D printing technology, which allows relatively cheap machines to construct complex physical objects by additive manufacturing technique, has thrown a great challenge for law makers and enforcers around the world. In May 2013, the first 3D printed gun, a primitive prototype named “liberator” was unveiled by Cody Wilson,  a 25-year-old law student at the University of Texas, amid major controversy. Since then, the design was enhanced vastly, multiple “how to” videos surfaced on YouTube and many advanced designs became available online for enthusiasts. The first gun could hold just one bullet, but now some have revolving barrels that can hold six or more. The alarming speed at which the technology has progressed shows how close these guns are to accurately mimicking real-life weapons.

With a 3D printer, technically anyone can then download one of the designs and print their own gun, though in reality, users require a decent knowledge of 3D printing and assembly. The ease of availability of these designs is alarming. And the fact they are made of plastic and not metal means they can be taken through metal detectors without being picked up. For the moment, though, ammo and firing pins must still be metal. But there is a possibility that in future entire guns could be 3D-printed – including the ammo. 3D printed guns jumped to the top of agendas worldwide when governments realized they could be taken through metal detectors without setting them off.

The guns produced from these designs are capable to seriously harm and even kill people, just like regular guns – with the difference being the designs for 3D-printed guns can be downloaded from the internet. Hence, this amazing technology, unless regulated properly, can fall into wrong hands and be a lethal weapon against the human race.

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Making the big bucks with 3DP

Now 3D printing is the newest entrant in the “ways to make money” list. 3D printing has become the fastest money making product available in the market. Of late it is one of the coolest technologies that have been introduced in the market. But many people especially the DIYers buy this printer so only to print some component or fabricate something that they need. Very limited section of people have been able to use their 3D printers in a commercial way successfully. But put to proper use, anybody can become an entrepreneur with the help of their 3D printers.

3D printing is becoming affordable with each passing day for individuals like engineers, innovators, designers, doctors- basically anyone who wants to get a new design and exhibit their innovative talents in front of others.

Now, the question stands how can you earn money and start a small business using 3D printing?

There are several designers who are making a living out of 3D products. Alex Horstein and Bilal Ghalib have made their way across the US with only four DIY 3D printers in the trunk of their car. They started this project aiming to start a business of designing, producing and selling products made out of low end 3D printers. The entire process of designing, testing and producing involves two or three days and then they sell the product at a very low price.

There are also many organizations that help individuals to make their dreams turn into reality by helping them print the model that they desire.

One such example would be that of Andreas, an IT guy in Austria customizes Lego “minifigs”, small plastic articulated figurines that are available as construction toy Lego. Since Lego stopped producing these parts, this designer designed a new hat and had it 3D printed at Shapeways. The product became so popular that he sold 5000 items up to now. There are many such designers who with the help of various 3D printing companies become entrepreneurs. Apart from Shapeways, There are various organizations that are enabling others to put their printer to work. Some of such organizations are Ponoko, Sculpteo etc. According to statistics about 10% of the designers selling their products online are making decent money.

Makexyz is the first and the largest print sourcing site. The working of the site is very simple and user friendly. If you have a 3D printer you just have to add it to the directory and the people in and around your area can commission you to get their 3D models at specific rates. This saves the loss of time and cost of shipping which was huge earlier. Another company called CowFab has the best bet for any consumer who wants to buy a 3D model. Instead of consumer tracking down printers, the people who have printers can bid online on the projects of the consumers. Since betting scenario makes it’s a bit competitive but the owner of CowFab are optimistic towards attracting more consumers.

Apart from all this for all those people who have a great idea but do have the CAD skills or a printer to bring their dreams into reality then the apt place to go would be you3dit.com. you can send them the design of the idea that you have and they will get a designer to fabricate the model.

Azavy is an organization that allows both the parties to a win-win situation. Both the designer as well as the printer can make money. you can upload the design and get it printed or you can list your printer and set bids for printing objects, if someone places an order then you might have to print it.

3D printing is a world full of possibilities and promises. It totally depends on an individual as to how to exploit this in the most beneficial way.

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3D Printing : Oh my gold!!

Fancy designing your own jewelry? 3D Printing is giving a whole new dimension to the jewelry industry. Now, anybody and everybody can become a jewelry designer. To start with, the material that is available for making this dream come true is 14k solid GOLD! 14k solid gold is solid gold mixed with an alloy such as copper for hardening for longer ware.

With each passing day more and more companies are using the concept of 3D Printing in the process of making 3D printed gold jewelry. The giants of the 3D printing industry are planning to include gold to the list of materials available for 3D printing. So how exactly 3D Printing is used to print Gold objects?

The widely used process for gold 3d printing is something like this: Wax 3D printing and lost wax casting are used to build the design. The wax printing process is a type of stereolithography that uses a wax like resin. The support structures are also printed with the model to make sure the model does not fall apart. These support structures are generated automatically and can be removed manually after the printing process. After the removal of structures and the model is cleaned, the model can now be prepared for casting.

Firstly, one or more sprees will be attached to the model. Then, it will be attached with the spree to a wax tree, together with a bunch of other models. The tree is then placed in a flask and covered in a fine plaster. When the plaster solidifies, it forms the mould for casting the gold. The plastered mould is then put in the oven and is heated till the wax is completely burnt out. Then the molten gold is poured in to fill the cavities left by the wax. Once the gold has cooled and solidified, the plaster mould is broken and the gold model is removed by the hand. Finally, the model is filed and sanded to get rid of the sprees. It will be sanded, polished or sand blasted for the desired finish. There are certain limitations in this process such as structures such as ball within a ball cannot be made and also links of chains are not possible to be made by this process.

This process is being used by many organizations as well as designers. One of such designers is Ross Lovegrove who has recently designed a collection of 3D printed rings called “Foliates”. The series has six rings are made out of 18carat gold, each of which will be produced in an edition of ten. To create intricate detailed surface on the jewelry Lovegrove used direct metal laser sintering as well as combining 3D printing with lost-wax casting for wax-like patterns. These exceptionally creative 3D printed rings will be officially launched in Art Basel Miami by Louisa Guinness.

A U.K based company; Cookson Precious Metals is using the laser sintering technique to develop these magnificent designs which were not possible earlier. The best feature of this machine is that unlike wax printing and casting process, complex designs can be made rapidly, and can be quickly altered and produced as per the needs of the consumer. The other benefit of this machine would be that solid metal can be manufactured as hollow shapes, reducing their weight and the amount of precious metal used. As all things have some boon as well as bane; the bane of this technology is that the finished product would require finishing before sale and the cost of the fashioning would be expensive. The process requires a lot of gold powder, more gold than which might be required initially to make a model using traditional methods. The ‘toner’ used in the laser sintering process is relatively more expensive than that found in a laser printer cartridge.

A French 3D Printing company, Sculpteo has announced its plan to move on from plastic into precious metals. The company has made a lot of models in plastic but now its all set to place a firm foot in the jewelry industry. Sculpteo is creating objects in gold and silver. They also plan to give their customer the liberty to log on to their website and create their own jewelry for themselves or their partners in real silver and gold. With this new development Sculpteo will hopefully change the way customers purchase jewelry.

On similar stands various others companies plan to set into this new field of gold 3D Printing. Shapeways, a 3D printing firm that is very famous in the 3D business is also planning on introducing 3D printed gold in 14 carat. Earlier Shapeways has designed and manufactured jewelry made out of brass, silver, bronze and steel but with the increase in the demand for metals that are more precious. The items that are going to be manufactured by Shapeways include rings, cufflinks, pendants, earrings, charms, or whatever the customer wants. Shapeways has planned to introduce this into the consumer market.

In order to promote this new development various companies are coming to participate in the Hong Kong Jewelry and Gem Fair. This fair is going to feature some beautiful, cutting-edge 3D printed pieces along with a very special Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) 3D printer. The exhibitor of these pieces is Cookson Precious Metals, who plans to show off their new line of 3D printed jewelry. Apart from jewelry they would also showcase their new EOS Precious M 080 3D printer. Some of the items that would be showcased by Cookson Precious Metals will be the “Towe Bracelet”, the “Nervous Systems Ring” and a laser sintered watch case and pendant. Cookson Precious Metals along with EOS have partnered to offer their DMLS 3D printing service to jewelry designer all over the world. The Hong Kong Jewelry and Gem Fair gives them a perfect place to show off the service, the printer and the products that they can provide their consumers.

Another recent development in the gold 3D Printing industry – a 3D start up firm named Makoo used 3D printing to create a replica of the Russian Crown Jewels and it allows its users to design 3D printed jewelry of their choice.

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Poly Lactic Acids (PLA) – Renewable Raw Material for 3D Printing

3D printing can be done with almost 170 different types of materials but most people choose to 3D print their models in PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) because it is one of the most eco friendly bio plastic available in the market today. PLA is 100% recyclable, bio-degradable, bio-compatible and also very strong as compared to other materials. For the above reasons it is becoming the most popular and widely accepted material for printing.

Polylactic acid is extracted from Lactic acid, (i.e. from renewable raw materials) which is a renewable resource and is used as a natural substitute for petroleum-based plastic and polyster products.

 BIODEGRADATION

PLA starts melting on its own after a certain period of time and also melts at about 180°C. PLA can be made to degrade quickly or last for years as required. This creates smaller polymer chains. The result of this breakdown is lactic acid, which is a nutrient that occurs naturally and is also found in milk. As mentioned earlier, Lactic acid is completely bio-degradable and it is not harmful for the local wildlife or water supplies. Since lactic acid breaks down in the environment, this break down produces carbon dioxide, water and stable organic matter. This combination of elements is used to form humus or top soil.

PROBLEMS

Since PLA can distort at a relatively low temperature of 180°C and at 50% humidity; the transportation of these materials are usually very difficult as a slight fluctuation in the temperature could damage the product. These above issue have restricted the use of PLA to non critical, disposable products like napkins and paper plates.

USES

Due to the harmless nature of PLA, it can tap a wide variety of sectors. The best usage of PLA can be seen in the medical industry. PLA bio-degrades naturally over time into something that is harmless and non toxic so it is widely accepted in the healthcare industry; for the production of sutures and stents. It shows a great scope in the pharmaceutical delivery systems as well. Apart from all this, it is used in disposable garments, trays, and as filler in upholstery, pillows, and diapers due to its environmentally friendly chemical profile.

PLA has very good optical properties i.e. in terms of transparency and gloss. It also has good fat, oil and flavor barrier. It is a breathable material so it is used in the packaging for ready to eat vegetables. Since it has good twist retention, it is widely used in the sweet industry. The use of PLA has helped in conserving fossil fuel resources such as oil. For example in Europe, up to 1.5 milliom tons of polyster per year could be replaced by bioplastics in the next 10years. That would be roughly 5% of the European market for plastic packaging. After a lot of research the heat tolerance capacity of PLA has been increased, so now PLA packaging has expanded remarkably. They are now being used in a number of hot food and beverage containers and packaging applications.

The need to protect our environment from unnecessary pollution and to use a sustainable resource to fulfill our needs is important and necessary. In this scenario, PLA is the answer to all such queries.

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3D Food Printers – Sci-fi Tech turns into reality

With the advancement in technology, all that we saw in films as sci-fi is now turning into reality. The new ground breaking news is from the 3D printing arena. Many 3D printing organizations are all set to launch 3D printed food replicators in the market. This printer would turn fresh ingredients into a fully cooked meal without having to dirt your hands. In this new field of 3D food companies like: Foodini, 3D Systems’ and the Sugar Lab’s Chefjet, and Choc Edge are leading the way. Apart these, two Italian companies, WASP and 3DiTALY have gone to Modica, the Sicilian realm of chocolate, to give it a shot. Foodini plans to sell its printer for $1,300 and ChefJet is planning to charge a whooping $5000 for its smaller printer and for the larger ones the price could be as high as $10000. For most of the consumers these prices will be hard to swallow.

Some see this as a cutting edge technology but some are quite skeptical about this. It might take some time for people to embrace this new technology. These days’ people have become very conscious about their health, so when they hear of this new concept the first thing that strikes them is whether it is safe? Does it cause cancer? Any thing to do with radiation? These are some questions that haunt the minds of many. When microwaves were introduced in the market in 1950s, they were rejected by most people but now it has become a household item. The same could be the case with 3D printed food items.

The working of the printer is similar to any other 3D printing process. The printer works by taking fresh ingredients that has been prepared for printing by cooking and blending. This is then extruded through a nozzle onto a glass plate. By putting in the right ingredients, the printer could save time and effort. It could also replicate designs that would otherwise be difficult to do by hands. Examples include pumpkin gnocchi, Christmas-tree-shaped cookies, and elaborate edible vessels for holding dips or nibbles.

Now, let’s take a look at the 3D printing concepts that have been propagated by various companies.

CHOCOLATE

3D systems announced about an agreement that has been made with candy maker Hershey. This agreement was made so that innovative opportunities could be developed for using 3D printing technology in the creation of edible food. The printer will give the manufacturer the liberty to create candies in various shapes and sizes. The best part would be the candies could be custom made also.

PIZZA

NASA has granted a contract of $125,000 with Systems & Materials Research to develop a pizza printer for the astronauts that go outer space. The proto-type that was developed used shelf-stable powdered food and oils. These ingredients offered nutrition as well as reduced the garbage on the space ship.

RAVIOLI

Foodini has decided to launch this year a printer can print all sorts of food. The process is quite simple. The dough is needed to be prepared and poured in the food capsules of the printer and select ravioli on the printer’s iPad like surface. Then patience is the key and Voilà ravioli is ready to be eaten. The price of this printer is $1,400. Apart from ravioli Chickpea nuggets can also be prepared in this machine.
CORN CHIPS

 A business firm known as the Cornell Creative Machines Lab has built a printer that can create a swirly, flower-shaped corn chip, using masa dough. It can also make Hamburger patties.

The possibilities that exist with 3DP is endless but how much of all this can be materialized is the big question.