3-D printing has the potential to be one of the biggest technological breakthroughs in modern times – forget wearbale tech, that’s small-time in comparison, 3-D printing will be up there with the driverless car as far as game changers go.
But what exactly is 3-D printing? And how will it help those who work from home? Let’s take a look…
What is 3-D printing?
3-D printers do pretty much what you’d expect – in short, they print three-dimensional, real-life objects from digital CAD files. This means you can digitally transfer the ‘print out’ for anything from replacement machine parts to home or office appliances and then print them off from a 3-D printer and assemble them.
And while this sounds like it’s straight from the world of science fiction, falling hardware costs mean the technology is becoming an increasingly affordable reality.
The question remains though, could you not buy a 3-D printer, print yourself another one and then take the original back to the shop? Hmmmm….
3-D printing hitting the mainstream?
Amazon has just joined a list of companies offering consumers a way to purchase 3-D printed goods – even if they don’t have a 3-D printer at home.
Amazon’s 3-D printing store enables customers to order custom products, such as figurines, jewellery, or electronics that can are printed off by third-party affiliates who then ship the items to customers.
This means consumers can create truly customised creations – but how can this help those who work from home?
How 3-D printing can help the home worker
As things stand, working from home is pretty much the preserve of those who have the luxury of sitting at a computer all day, whereas it isn’t really practical for jobs that require physical effort or specialist equipment.
However, if 3-D printing really takes off, the possibilities are limitless – in theory, people who assemble products on factory lines could print off and assemble parts at home, or if someone needs a special piece of equipment, they can simply be sent it over email before printing it off and assembling it at home.
Sounds like science fiction, but it could quickly become science fact.
What do you think? Will 3-D printing take off? Let us know…
