9 Incredible 3D Printing Facts

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Nine Astonishing Facts About 3D Printing

Rapid ExpansionRapid Expansion

Worldwide shipment of 3D printers is expected to reach just less than 100,000 units this year. It is expected to double in 2015.

Sales SurgeSales Surge

The 3D printing market is expected to grow at 23% annually through 2020, reaching $8.4 billion.

MarkdownMarkdown

While commercial 3D printers cost $15,000 or more, their price should fall to less than $2,000 by 2016.

History LessonHistory Lesson

The concept of 3D printing dates to the early 1980s, when inventor Chuck Hull issued a patent for “a system for generating three-dimensional objects by creating a cross-sectional pattern of the object to be formed.”

Lucrative IdeaLucrative Idea

Hull’s company, 3D Systems, now commands more than $460 million in total assets and $230 million in revenues.

Scaling DownScaling Down

The Photonic Professional GT 3D printer can create objects with widths as thin as a human hair.

License to PrintLicense to Print

The James Bond movie, Skyfall, used 3D print technology to produce models of 007’s famed Aston Martin DB5 luxury grand tourer.

Something to Talk AboutSomething to Talk About

In Belgium, biomedical specialists implanted a 3D-printed titanium jawbone into an 83-year-old woman.

Tasty TechTasty Tech

NASA has made 3D-printed pizza to feed astronauts in outer space.

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