Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
11.
Where Do I Go From Here?
So, what do you think about 3D printing? It's an amazing technology, and it's
only in its infancy. Imagine where 3D printing technology will be in 5 years...10
years...50 years!
But right now, you have the opportunity to have some real fun and maybe even
design some useful items with a 3D printer. It's not futuristic technology—it's here
today, and you're ready to go.
If you're like me, you may have been bitten by what they call the maker bug. It's
a deep desire to tinker, to make things, to fix things, and to try to express your cre-
ativity by adding new tools and skills. 3D printing is certainly a fun technology,
but it's actually quite useful; many companies use 3D printing to create prototypes
of products that will eventually be sold in stores. Inventors use 3D printing to test
out sizes and shapes of items, such as gears and cases. Teachers use 3D printing as
a tool for introducing the power of CAD software that is the core of many techno-
logies and jobs of the future.
But 3D printing isn't the only technology that can satisfy that maker bug. Hob-
byists and professionals around the world have access today to some amazingly
powerful tools that weren't readily available just 10 years ago. Costs have
dropped, sizes have decreased, and tools that were previously available only to
multimillion-dollar manufacturing corporations are now being found in garages,
workshops, and schools everywhere.
I'm not talking about the standard shop tools, like table saws, drill presses, routers,
and lathes. I'm talking about more powerful tools, and I introduce you to a few of
them as I wrap up this topic. You should have a good grasp of how a 3D printer
works and the hardware and software used to make the magic happen. That know-
ledge is going to help you make another jump (if you want to do so) to some other
tools that will be much easier to learn about now that you're experienced with 3D
printing.
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