“Simple Solution To A Big Problem”: 90 Times People Used 3D Printers To Make Brilliant Things They Couldn’t Find Anywhere Else

There seems to be no limit to what people are willing to try when it comes to 3D printing. Just recently, scientists announced that they’ve managed to recreate one of the hardest metals on Earth using a new 3D printing technique. It’s a massive breakthrough, and here’s why…

“Tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC-Co) is valued because it can withstand intense wear, pressure, and repeated use,” explains Science Daily, adding that it’s ideal for industrial tools. However, adds the site, the material is difficult to shape, expensive to produce, and often requires more raw material than ultimately ends up in the finished component.

The fact that the scientists have found a way to 3D print WC-Co, could be a game-changer. It means less waste and lower production costs while still preserving the strength and hardness that make the material special.

In case you’re unfamiliar with how a 3D printer works, the HP site explains that the machine creates a physical object by stacking layer after layer of a particular substance. Almost like making a sandwich...

“Each layer is poured as a liquid. Once the liquid dries or hardens, the next layer is poured on top," say HP's experts. "There are other 3D printing methods, but they work in roughly the same way.”

Every day, people are pushing the boundaries of 3D printing and surprising us with what can be created. Researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago have even printed artificial mouse ovaries using gelatin. And these weren’t just for show… The team actually surgically implanted the 3D-printed ovaries in seven infertile mice. 

“Of the seven mice that received implants, three mice successfully gave birth to litters of pups,” reports HP. The researchers are hoping this will lay the groundwork for artificial human ovaries to be printed one day, helping infertile people and even cancer patients.

Pizza, cheese and chocolate are among the culinary creations coming out of 3D printers nowadays. According to South African-based VEA Foods, 3D food printers use a process similar to traditional 3D printing but with edible ingredients instead of plastic or metal.

“The ingredients, stored in cartridges, are deposited layer by layer, forming complex shapes and patterns,” explains the site. “These ingredients can range from chocolate and icing to mashed vegetables and dough, depending on the desired final product.”

It's also possible to 3D print food that can later be baked or cooked.

3D printing is even helping to save our seas. More than half of the ocean’s living coral coverage has been lost since 1950. And experts estimate that a shocking 90%of all coral reefs could be gone by 2050 because of climate change, urbanization, overfishing, and other factors.

In a bid to restore bleaching-damaged ecosystems, marine scientists have started printing reef lattice structures from ceramic or reef-safe sandstone. They use materials that mimic the texture of real reefs to help larvae attach and grow.

"Existing artificial reefs have difficulty replicating the complexity of coral habitats and hosting reef species that mirror natural environments. We introduce a novel customizable 3D interface for producing scalable structures, utilizing real data collected from coral ecosystems," said Natalie Levy, one of the scientists involved in the ground-breaking project.