Why 3D Printers Are SUPER Useful & Hard To Beat

[Nifty]

Here's a great example of the utility of a 3D printer. My Mazda 6 is great, but NOWHERE to put loose change. I found a coin-holder someone designed specifically for my model/year. 1.5 hours later I had it printed and in place!

So, I don't even know if I could have found / purchased something so perfect for my car... and definitely not in 1.5 hours!

The "thing" https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1480499

 

[stratman]

Fantastic. Now the would be car thief knows you have money to steal before breaking in. Looks like you have enough to get a large drink or a McDouble with cheese at Mickey D's.

Seriously, excellent find and fit!

 

[The Hat]

So, I don't even know if I could have found / purchased something so perfect for my car... and definitely not in 1.5 hours!

There’s something out there you’ve always wanted but haven’t taught about yet ! get a 3D printer and all that will change, take the plunge into the world of 3D printers and you can make all sorts of things, you won’t have to kick the cat out of frustration...

 

[Nifty]

Now the would be car thief knows you have money to steal before breaking in

Well, the armrest closes down on top of it, so the contents will remain unknown to the outside world!

 

[Nifty]

BTW, I made this out of PLA. Not really the best idea since PLA is VERY sensitive to heat, and it can get pretty hot in my car in the sun.

My thought is that since it's under the armrest, it won't get as hot, and if it does, I'm not sure it will lose much structure for very long. I want to give it a test and see how it does. Worst case, if it gets too pliable and deforms, I can re-print in PETG or ABS.

 

[FryingSaucer]

I discovered a great example of the utility of 3D printing in the commercial field.

I'm about to have a dental implant to replace two missing teeth. The surgeon explained how it works. I've already had a CT scan of the jawbone into which the implant will be inserted. The dentist will take an impression of the surrounding teeth and the gum between them. The computer then 3D scans the resulting mould, merges it with the CT scan of the jawbone and works out the best site for the implant. The computer then 3D prints a template which fits exactly over the adjacent teeth. In between the teeth the template fits along the gum and has a hole where the dentist has to drill to get the implant in exactly the right position. This is a much less invasive procedure than the dentist cutting back the gum to see where to drill in the bone.

Essentially the 3D print allows him to do keyhole surgery with significantly less discomfort for the patient and a quicker recovery time. This is an interesting use of 3D technology which will benefit me personally.

 

[stratman]

@FryingSaucer - very cool story. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Nifty]

Wow, that's amazing!

 

[The Hat]

Essentially the 3D print allows him to do keyhole surgery with significantly less discomfort for the patient and a quicker recovery time. This is an interesting use of 3D technology which will benefit me personally

That’s something to get your teeth into...

 

[FryingSaucer]

I had my dental implant surgery on Monday. The dentist used the 3D printed mould I described above. It worked extremely well - the mould, which fitted exactly over my existing teeth, had 2 channels which showed him exactly where to drill and how deep. In fact the surgeon had no choice, he could only drill in the correct place. It did make the process a lot simpler and non-invasive. However, the printer used to do this was highly specialised and expensive.

So I was interested in this report which describes the use of a low cost Ultimaker to produce a personalised model of a human liver. This model assists in preoperative planning and makes the operating procedure much less invasive.

Who will be the first to do this on a CR-10?