Most people would have by now heard about 3D printing. What one may not know is that there are many different varieties of 3D printing technologies that are available. However, one common point they all share is that the technology can create a three-dimensional object, layer after layer, until the whole object is completely printed out. 3D printing has found varied commercial applications from creating prototypes, when the objects are seen before being sent for mass manufacture, to printing mugs with figurines for holding tea bags.

3D printing works thus: after designing the model of an object in the computer, the 3D printer works much like the regular inkjet printer, but jets out filaments of plastic. The printer head moves in all directions, top to bottom and left to right, and the object is built layer after layer. Typically, it is an additive process and the product hardens as the plastic dries.

The varieties of products that are made using 3D printing are mind boggling: parts of a gun, shoes, acoustic guitars, and bikinis spun from a material, Nylon 12, all of these in a matter of few hours. They can be used to create customized versions of car parts and cell phone covers. The most interesting prediction about 3D printing is that entrepreneurs may not need large scale investments to turn in a profit.

Though the technology has long been in use in the realms of industrial production for almost two decades, commercial 3D printers are expensive and can cost up to $100,000. However, desktop 3D printers are now available for $500. 3D objects are currently made using over 30 materials ranging from metals to ceramics.

The technology as of now is out of reach for most people. Whereas some experts opine that 3D printers are not going to end up as popular home accessories and are going to be used by those who have access to technology, there are others who believe that people will no longer have to go to the store to buy a product online but merely use their 3D printer to just create it. There may be times in future when you can select from a catalog of designs that are available and print whatever object you fancy. Cloud will form back bone to the implemetation in large scale. It may also happen that we can place an order for printing an object with a service provider who would deliver the printed order, which we can then assemble and use. The possibilities are limitless.