The power to create objects that suit our needs and have specific details that matter to us is a power that humans have wanted for thousands of years. Luckily, we live in the modern world, and that power is becoming more real every day.
3D printers are changing the way manufacturers create products by making them compete with the consumer they are trying to market to.
With the power of the 3D printer, the average person or the consumer can create objects exactly how they like them and for a fraction of the cost.
Plus, there is no need to put on clothes and drive to a store when a user can just load a file into their 3D printer and wait.
But what can be built with a 3D printer?
The real question you should be asking is: What can’t I build with a 3D printer? The only thing a person cannot build with a 3D printer is anything will a heartbeat, and that’s about it!
What are some objects that can be made with a 3D printer?
The main point of a 3D printer is not to create a standard item. The main point of a 3D printer is to allow the user to completely customize and create a device exactly how they want it.
As long as the 3D printer user has the material and the design fits within the limits of the 3D printer, they can create whatever they want. So, what are some objects that are popular to make?
Everyday items
- Toys for aquariums
- Figures and moving toys from popular movies and shows, like Star Wars and the Witcher
- Everyday objects that are adapted from a person’s disability, like kitchen utensils and phone holders.
- Intricate prop items for costumes
- Replacement parts for broken items
- Complex fabrics
- Musical instruments with modified parts
- Specialized teaching objects for classrooms
- Action figures posed exactly how the user wants.
This list is by no means comprehensive, as there are so many things a 3D printer can create.
Another field that has embraced 3D printers is the medical field. Hospitals in every country are using 3D printers, so they don’t have to wait for shipments and deliveries. Here are common items that hospitals print every day.
Medical Items
- Surgical tools like knives and forceps
- Masks and goggles
- Prosthetics – which take months to develop and ship when made traditionally.
- Models to study tumors and organs
- Casts
- Personalized implants to better fit the patient’s body.
What about specialty printers?
3D printing solid objects are not the only type of 3 printing there is. There are many different kinds of 3D printing, and one of the most popular types of printing is food printing.
Food
The creation of food with the power of a 3D printer is something that experts didn’t even see coming. But as long as you have the right organic materials required, you can use a 3D printer to make some foods. Not every type of food is available yet, and the nutritional value is iffy at best. But in the next ten years, we should see advancements like never before!
- Pizza
- Sushi
- Salmon
- Rice
- Chocolate
- Pastries
- Cake art or decorations
- Some softer cheese
- And even Avocado!
Food printers are nowhere near as cheap as regular 3D printers, but if you have $4,000 to spare, then you can print all kinds of foods in an array of designs in the comfort of your home. Just know that if the 3D printer does not cook the food for you. So, if you want to make a 3D printed pizza, you will have to print the pizza first and then place it in the oven to cook.
What should you try to make with your first 3D printer?
So now that you know what kinds of things a 3D printer can make, you can Unleash Your creativity and start designing items that you would love to print. There are so many different options and ideas, so where should you start?
Plates, cups, forks, knives, and bowls
Everybody eats two to three times a day, so the first items you can make with your new 3D printer are utensils, plates, and cups. There is nothing better than a personalized mug, but now you can customize your mug exactly how you like it. Maybe you are a wine connoisseur, and you would love a drinking glass that is shaped like a miniature wine bottle. There’s an idea!
You can also make a soup bowl with a cute little designer that you can only see when you finish your soup!
Smartphone holder
Smartphone owners tend to have exhausted arms and hands from holding their phones for long periods.
If you don’t mind people staring at you strangely, then you can make a Smartphone holder that wraps around your neck so you can watch Netflix while you are on public transportation or in the passenger seat of a vehicle.
Customize your garden!
From stylized pots to a tool hanger to cute signs in the shape of the flower or plant it is displayed in front of, there is no shortage of things you can print to enhance your garden.
If you have leftover seeds, you can create a small seed separator to keep all of your seeds organized.
A lockable safe and a key
Creating a safe that only you know how to open and a key to go with it is the best reason to have a 3D printer. These two objects might be on the more difficult side, so you may want to wait until you are skilled at overseeing intricate details. You don’t want to create a clunky safe that opens with any key, not just your specially made key.
Create Pokemon figurines
If you don’t know what Pokemon is, then you have been living in another universe for Pokemon does not exist. Everyone and their mother have a Pokemon that they love, even if they don’t even like the game or the show. Create your favorite Pokemon in your 3D printer, and you’ll want to carry that little figurine with you wherever you go.
A food container for your vehicle
Eating while driving is an intricate dance between your food, your eyesight, and your reflexes. Plus, every driver has to slow down at the right speed to not send their food flying. But if you make a food container in which you can strap it in with a seatbelt, then your food will stay safe and secure. Don’t forget to add a sauce holder inside it too.
Conclusion
In less than 20 years, 3D printers will be in every person’s home, and the future of logistics and shipping will be nothing like it is now. Companies that create products had better utilize 3D printers in their future designs as the technology isn’t going anywhere. Companies may be left behind if they don’t hit that fast enough.
There are so many different things a person can create using a 3D printer, and within the next 15 years, there will truly be no limit!
Read also:
- How does a 3D printer work? [The Full 3D Printing Guide]
- 3D Print Miniatures: Guide to Accurate 3D printed Custom Miniatures
- What are the different Types of Printers? [Complete Guide]