What are You 3D Printing; Functional vs Fun 3D Prints.

3d printing has been growing at a fast rate in recent years with 3d printers becoming more affordable and accessible for more people worldwide. Advancements in printer technology and software have made it easier than ever for anyone to 3d print, even children, with 3d printers marketed for them to start using and learning about this technology.

There are no shortage of designs that can be downloaded and printed, with many websites built around building a community of makers and artist sharing designs ready to download and 3d print with ease. This has me asking the question, are you 3d printing for function or for fun?

Functional 3D Printing

Functional 3d prints include things like making replacement parts for an object. Maybe you have a broken tool and it's not possible or practical to purchase a replacement part to fix it. Chances are you can 3d print a replacement part and in many cases you can find that part already designed and downloadable from many of the websites where 3d print files are shared. If you are skilled in CAD design you can even design and print that part all on your own.

Another type of functional printing being done is the ability to 3d print objects to replace the functionality of a much more expensive part or tool. 3d printed version of a tool may not be as durable or perfect as the manufactured part but in a lot of cases can perform the task that needs done in a short term use.

In some cases a part may not exist at all. Many 3d printed objects are made to increase the functionality of something, adding a feature or function that wasn't originally a part of the device.

Rapid Prototyping

Rapid prototyping in 3d printing is largely used to quickly design parts for a project to test functionality and design without having the time and cost associated with having the parts sent to a manufacturing facility.

This exciting development in 3d printing gives engineers the ability to quickly build and test a part by 3d printing it, allowing engineers to create new and exciting technology without the typical costs involved in manufacturing them. This has opened up many new possibilities in all aspects of engineering, from architecture to medical devices.

3D Printing For Fun

Another equally amazing aspect of 3d printing is the ability for artists and toy makers to build fun new designs available for anyone to make. There is a large community of people creating fun and exciting designs from simple figurines of characters to elaborate toys and even full 3d printed costumes.

3D Printing in Gaming

A large community of folks love to design and 3d print custom characters for their tabletop games. This could be anything from creating new figures in existing games to building a whole new game based on the figures they design.

3D Printed Toys

Another popular use for 3d printing is to design new toys and accessories for popular toys. You can find a wide range of 3d printed toys available from simple gadgets and trinkets to elaborate and intricate 3d printed toys. Not only are a lot of the toys themselves fun to use when finished but the process of building them can be a fun family project to do together.

3D Printed Costumes

The cosplay community has adopted 3d printing as well. What used to be a costly and sometimes impossible task for some is now in reach. The ability to 3d print custom designs for costumes has allowed more people to create exciting and interesting pieces to show off their artistic abilities. It's now possible for anyone to create movie quality costumes at a fraction of the cost.

Conclusion

3d printing technology has revolutionized how we do things. Allowing anyone the ability to engineer new and exciting technology or giving artist the ability to create amazing works of art. This technology is opening up the world to amazing possibilities that were once limited to people and companies with access to manufacturing facilities.

Of course you are not limited to just printing one type of design, you can create revolutionary engineering designs as well as build fun and exciting toys and art. That is the amazing part of 3d printing, the limit is only your imagination!