Imagine a world where people don’t have to suffer from missing limbs. Imagine a world where there would be no need to go to the shop to buy a simple part. To many, this is a dream with no hope of being accomplished; to others, this is the future.

3D printing is a relatively new technology that was introduced in 1983. Although this struck a fire of interest in the public, the process was flawed. First, it was slow. A basic model 3D printer could take hours to make something small and simple. Second, there are cases where the quality of the printed part is not satisfactory. The layer by layer process makes the designs inconsistent. Third, the parts are rigid. It is impossible to make flexible parts with the old 3D printers.

For decades, these flaws have plagued 3D printers. But now, we have the first improved version of the original concept; Carbon’s Digital Light Synthesis is the technology that will allow 3D printing to leap forward. The new design can be split into five major components, the build platform, resin, oxygen window, dead zone, and the light engine.
These five parts can speed the process from hours to just minutes.

Today, this technology is making its way to the mainstream. Adidas has already made a shoe sole using this style of printer. Although the shoe isn’t perfect, it shows the potential for improvement. This is the first sign that the mass production of daily products could be redefined. A sole that could have taken hours to make now takes less than an hour to be printed out. This printer could also slightly redefine the markets of parts.

If simple parts could be printed at home, then there will be no need to go to shops with limited parts. This may seem bad at first, but the market of simple parts could eventually be replaced with a new market of 3D printers. This idea can also be applied to creating limbs for people who’ve lost them.

Currently, an average person like me has no chance of getting my hands on such a futuristic machine for personal use. Right now, these 3D Printers are in their prototype stages and are being tested by big companies, like Adidas. Ready or not, the future is coming, and it will be bringing new concepts and technology; this updated 3D printer is proof.

<Maxie Xie/ South Pointe Middle School 8th>