Building stints and the region

    3-d printing has mostly been confined to plastics so far. This pliable material continues to support many of the innovations in the maker community but as costs for printers continue to shrink varying materials will be explored. PLA plastic, which is the material used most often can actually be printed in two different parts. I found on a recent trip to the Cleveland Library that although the physical size of the printing area is limited through this method larger objects can be created. Through manufacturers who often must prototype complicated prototypes at a loss this can be a boon.

     What will be the next material that 3-d printing will be able to innovate with. I would look to biomedical fields that are already using molds to make limbs for people that are missing theirs. Instead of costly molds intricate replacements could be made for people that would be custom made for their body type, weight and activity level. With increased accuracy the first 3-d printed stint was created for an infant in the North East Ohio area. Hospitals are one of the shining gems of the region and refining these could advance our example for the country.