3D Printing For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Chapter 18

Ten Impossible Designs Created Using Additive Manufacturing

Some designs would be impossible to produce via traditional manufacturing processes. In some cases, they’d be too expensive or difficult to manufacture. In other cases, the necessary technology doesn’t exist. Due to the unique layered process of additive manufacturing, many of these “impossible” designs have become reality. This chapter discusses ten unique products that are best produced with an additive manufacturing process.

Personalized Objects

At some pop-up events around the world, 3D printers are being used to personalize a cocktail drink order by being able to print on demand a simple cocktail stirrer in bio-plastic with the person's initials. Derived from contactless drink payment, a simple model is automatically generated and processed, sent to a 3D printer, and printed in minutes while the cocktail is being elaborately made by the bar staff. It would be impractical to have every combination of a person's initials made and in-stock via traditional methods of plastic injection molding. Using 3D printers to produce an object like this at the point of sale is still a waste of plastic and has questionable value as an ongoing enterprise, but as a marketing stunt and a way to promote your event, bar, or club, it could be quite effective.

More elaborate custom 3D-printed objects can often now be ordered online for delivery in a specific color, with added customer-specific requirements such as the spider ...