Multi-material3D printers havearrived. But so havechallenges to wide-scaleadaptation, beginning withthe machines' hefty price tags.How revolutionary is 3D printing for the manufacturingworld? Potentially as game-changing as Neil Armstrongstepping onto the Moon was for NASA. By enabling amachine to produce objects of any shape, on the spot and asneeded, 3D printing is ushering in a genuinely new era.And it's happening fast. The process was actually invented back in the early 1980s, and languished for the better part of two decades before going mainstream 10 years ago. Since then, there seems to be no stopping it. The technology has captured the popular imagination, and 3D printers have evolved to the point where they can now use all kinds of materials, including plastics, chemicals, rubber, metals, ceramics, sugar, wax, and even living cells. It means designers can progress rapidly from concept to final product.
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