In his novel The Diamond Age, the science fiction author Neal Stephenson describes a future where every street corner, machinery synthesize the objects of your choice, thanks to advanced nanotechnology. The technology is not yet complete, but 3D printing, or creating objects to the request from a computer file, saw the past two years accelerated development.
Very expensive and reserved for a clientele of professionals, the three-dimensional printing is gradually democratized. In theory, this technology can create objects on demand is simple: it is based on the operating system of conventional printers with a trolley that makes round trips to submit a drawing point by point on a map paper.
The 3D printing machines work the same way: they solidify, laser or water, a path defined in a file. After each layer of a tenth of a millimeter over, the machine shifts its head up and solidifies the next layer. "This is the main drawback of this technology: it takes time," explains Clement Moreau, founder of Sculpteo, a French company that was launched two years ago in 3D printing.
"It takes about one hour per centimeter. However, the quality of goods produced has made great progress: we can now create solid objects with great precision, and produce forms that would be very difficult to produce with conventional machine tool. "A MACHINE TO ASSEMBLE YOURSELF Based in Vanves near Paris, with a workshop production in the Pyrenees since 2009 Sculptéo put on 3D printing.
The company develops customized software, and" printed "also designs with the order. For a few dollars, anyone can create custom figurines from photographs. But if this service is a "showcase" for the company, it is mostly a demonstration of what can making technology, which involves mainly professionals and tinkerers 3D.
"In the first category are engineers or architects who need to test parts or models generate. The first 3D printing machines, developed United States or Germany, also met the needs of large enterprises who need to quickly create prototypes. These machines "rapid prototyping", also known as 3D printing, remain very expensive - several tens of thousands of euros - but no longer the preserve of manufacturers.
Besides the companies that offer "print" designs by everyone, a project of machine self-assembly has existed for several years at a cost more affordable. The RepRap project, now in its third generation creates its own machine for less than a thousand euros. Even more interesting: the machine, mainly made of plastic, can be used to create the pieces ...
another RepRap. Designed by British engineer Adrian Bowyer, in an experiment, the machine is to build itself, and thus reserved for handymen. Some companies offer other models, however, partially pre-assembled for a little over a thousand euros. These machines offer a print resolution somewhat coarser than the more expensive models, but products are much cheaper than professional models, and as such interested enthusiasts to 3D.
THE Tinkerers OF 3D Thomas Roussel is one of those fans who create their own objects on the computer before you make physical impressions. "Self taught" in 3D, he now works for Pixologic, a leading provider of 3D software. "I started taking interest in 1996: at the time, was the 3D polygon: we connected the dots.
Technology has changed tremendously since then! "Interested in anime and manga, he worked on models of figurines, but disillusioned when it seeks to achieve them." Until recently, he had to go through complex machine tools, milling three axes for example. It was very complicated, very heavy and very expensive.
For four years you can easily print a figure for a few hundred euros. This is expensive, but worth it for a single object. "Another advantage of printing on conventional machine tools, they can make difficult to create forms with other processes, such as hollow objects. The prints are not perfect however, and require some precautions.
The very fine pieces, in particular, may prove fragile. But the main challenge for designers is "the transition from virtual to reality: we are left with the constraints of the physical world as centers of gravity for example. "A hobby reserved for strong math and physics? Not at all, Thomas J.
Roussel." Of course, you learn to manipulate the 3D itself, but there are many tools all prices and tutorials on the Internet. Today, 3D creation is much more artistic than technical. "Indeed, 3D creation, popularized by both video games and movies, today finds new forms of expression within communities" of 'amateurs'.
Thingiverse The site, which lists thousands of designs and 3D object files, and offers beginners and enthusiasts to download free designs to adapt or "print". With the development of technology is also present first legal problems: mid-April, the site received its first notification, violating copyrights after the publication of a user of a design inspired by another artist.
Problems that could be amplified through the through 3D scanners, a price drop faster than printers, and can easily scan any type of object. "There are about ten years, when digital cameras began to democratize the boundary between the image and the file began to dissipate, "said Clement Moreau, Sculptéo." Today, no one speaks of a 'file bitmap'pour speak of an image: photography and digital file become one.
We believe that the same process will occur for the objects: perhaps in ten years, when we say 'I bought a new chair', we speak actually a 3D file. Said like that, today, that's a bit Star Trek, but the future. " 
Very expensive and reserved for a clientele of professionals, the three-dimensional printing is gradually democratized. In theory, this technology can create objects on demand is simple: it is based on the operating system of conventional printers with a trolley that makes round trips to submit a drawing point by point on a map paper.
The 3D printing machines work the same way: they solidify, laser or water, a path defined in a file. After each layer of a tenth of a millimeter over, the machine shifts its head up and solidifies the next layer. "This is the main drawback of this technology: it takes time," explains Clement Moreau, founder of Sculpteo, a French company that was launched two years ago in 3D printing.
"It takes about one hour per centimeter. However, the quality of goods produced has made great progress: we can now create solid objects with great precision, and produce forms that would be very difficult to produce with conventional machine tool. "A MACHINE TO ASSEMBLE YOURSELF Based in Vanves near Paris, with a workshop production in the Pyrenees since 2009 Sculptéo put on 3D printing.
The company develops customized software, and" printed "also designs with the order. For a few dollars, anyone can create custom figurines from photographs. But if this service is a "showcase" for the company, it is mostly a demonstration of what can making technology, which involves mainly professionals and tinkerers 3D.
"In the first category are engineers or architects who need to test parts or models generate. The first 3D printing machines, developed United States or Germany, also met the needs of large enterprises who need to quickly create prototypes. These machines "rapid prototyping", also known as 3D printing, remain very expensive - several tens of thousands of euros - but no longer the preserve of manufacturers.
Besides the companies that offer "print" designs by everyone, a project of machine self-assembly has existed for several years at a cost more affordable. The RepRap project, now in its third generation creates its own machine for less than a thousand euros. Even more interesting: the machine, mainly made of plastic, can be used to create the pieces ...
another RepRap. Designed by British engineer Adrian Bowyer, in an experiment, the machine is to build itself, and thus reserved for handymen. Some companies offer other models, however, partially pre-assembled for a little over a thousand euros. These machines offer a print resolution somewhat coarser than the more expensive models, but products are much cheaper than professional models, and as such interested enthusiasts to 3D.
THE Tinkerers OF 3D Thomas Roussel is one of those fans who create their own objects on the computer before you make physical impressions. "Self taught" in 3D, he now works for Pixologic, a leading provider of 3D software. "I started taking interest in 1996: at the time, was the 3D polygon: we connected the dots.
Technology has changed tremendously since then! "Interested in anime and manga, he worked on models of figurines, but disillusioned when it seeks to achieve them." Until recently, he had to go through complex machine tools, milling three axes for example. It was very complicated, very heavy and very expensive.
For four years you can easily print a figure for a few hundred euros. This is expensive, but worth it for a single object. "Another advantage of printing on conventional machine tools, they can make difficult to create forms with other processes, such as hollow objects. The prints are not perfect however, and require some precautions.
The very fine pieces, in particular, may prove fragile. But the main challenge for designers is "the transition from virtual to reality: we are left with the constraints of the physical world as centers of gravity for example. "A hobby reserved for strong math and physics? Not at all, Thomas J.
Roussel." Of course, you learn to manipulate the 3D itself, but there are many tools all prices and tutorials on the Internet. Today, 3D creation is much more artistic than technical. "Indeed, 3D creation, popularized by both video games and movies, today finds new forms of expression within communities" of 'amateurs'.
Thingiverse The site, which lists thousands of designs and 3D object files, and offers beginners and enthusiasts to download free designs to adapt or "print". With the development of technology is also present first legal problems: mid-April, the site received its first notification, violating copyrights after the publication of a user of a design inspired by another artist.
Problems that could be amplified through the through 3D scanners, a price drop faster than printers, and can easily scan any type of object. "There are about ten years, when digital cameras began to democratize the boundary between the image and the file began to dissipate, "said Clement Moreau, Sculptéo." Today, no one speaks of a 'file bitmap'pour speak of an image: photography and digital file become one.
We believe that the same process will occur for the objects: perhaps in ten years, when we say 'I bought a new chair', we speak actually a 3D file. Said like that, today, that's a bit Star Trek, but the future. "
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