The 3D printers that can print anything

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In the same way that your computer’s printer deposits ink onto paper to form words and pictures, three-dimensional printers put plastics and resins on all sorts of materials to make anything from clothing to advanced medical devices. “It does seem like magic,” says Joe Hiemenz, spokesman for 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys, which has dual headquarters in Minneapolis and Rehovot, Israel. Indeed it was magical when preschooler Emma Lavelle was able to use her arms for the first time with the help of a custom-designed robotic exoskeleton made with a Stratasys Dimension 3D printer – so magical that the device has been nicknamed “Magic Arms.” The little girl has a congenital disorder that compromises her joint mobility and muscles. Researchers at the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Philadelphia knew of a metal exoskeleton for adults suffering similar conditions, but it was too big and heavy for a child. More...