WHAT COULD BE DONE BY 3D PRINTERS

METAL PRINTING

Early this year, BAE Systems, a defence company in the US, used 3D printed metal parts in its RAF Tornado fighter. The possibilities of metal printing are enormous and with the low-cost 3D printer developed by Michigan Technological University’s Joshua Pearce and his team, the technology is now accessible to the masses, too. The printer is built using $1,500 worth of material, much less than commercial metal printers which cost over half a million dollars

FOOD PRINTING

Food printers are timesaving devices that could become as ubiquitous in kitchens as the microwave oven. One such printer is Foodini which can print individual ravioli instead of the cook having to knead the dough and fill and assemble each piece. The printer is at the prototype stage and differs from other food printers as it does not work only on pre-filled food capsules.

ChefJet is another food printer which can be used by professional bakers and restaurateurs to make coloured confections.

Fracktal, a start-up launched by the Manipal Institute of Technology, is also working on printing food items such as birthday cakes