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Source: The post is based on the article “India’s first 3D-printed post office inaugurated in Bengaluru: How does 3D printing work?” published in Indian Express on 19th August 2023
What is the News?
India’s first 3D-printed post office was inaugurated in Bengaluru’s Cambridge Layout.
Multinational company Larsen & Toubro Limited built the post office with technological support from IIT Madras.
What is 3D Printing?
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a process that uses computer-created design to make three-dimensional objects layer by layer.
It is an additive process, in which layers of a material like plastic, composites or bio-materials are built up to construct objects that range in shape, size, rigidity and color.
How is 3D printing done?
To carry out 3D printing, one needs a personal computer connected to a 3D printer. All they need to do is design a 3D model of the required object on computer-aid design (CAD) software and press ‘print’.The 3D printer does the rest of the job.
3D printers construct the desired object by using a layering method, which is the complete opposite of the subtractive manufacturing processes.
These machines are capable of printing anything from ordinary objects like a ball or a spoon to complex moving parts like hinges and wheels.
What are some of the notable examples of 3D Printing?
3D printing is being used in a host of different industries like healthcare, automobile and aerospace.
In May 2023, aerospace manufacturing company Relativity Space launched a test rocket made entirely from 3D-printed parts, measuring 100 feet tall and 7.5 feet wide.However, shortly after its take off, it suffered a failure.
At the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the healthcare industry used 3D printers to make much-needed medical equipment, like swabs, face shields, and masks, as well as the parts to fix their ventilator.