In January 2009, the BfB RapMan 3D printer became the first commercial 3D printer available for sale. Since then, the 3D printing industry has flourished, with 80,000 desktop 3D printers sold in 2013, 160,000 sold in 2014, and 275,000 in 2015. A July 2016 report from CONTEXT, an IT market research company, forecasts the global 3D printing industry to grow to $18.4 billion in 2020. This growth largely stems from individuals like you and me entering into desktop or personal 3D printing.

Photo by: MakerBot Industries We have spoken about 3D printing and 3-D printers before; about the various applications that are possible right now, and about some amazing things that could become a reality in future. It sounds a little like something out of a Sci-Fi film that you can simply create objects – three dimensional objects with limited or full utility by the simple press of a button and yet this could well become reality in the not so distant future.