9/12/2013 @ 5:01PM
What Works And What Doesn't In 3D Printing: A Talk With Terry Wohlers

The hype around 3D Printing bothers Terry Wohlers, president of Wohlers Associates, a research consultancy focused on additive manufacturing and 3D printing. “It’s unsettling to read this oversimplification (of 3D printing technology) where you push a button and out pops a shiny new thing,” he says.

The reality, of course, is different.

3D printed objects “pop out” only after a long design and (depending on object size) printing process. This disconnect bothered Wohlers so much that he wrote a post about it.

Wohlers knows what he is talking about.

The fifty-five-year-old former Colorado State University faculty member has been working with additive manufacturing systems and 3D printers for over 25 years. He first encountered 3D printers back in 1987. After reading about 3D system’s 3D printer, he wrote to them. They sent him a videotape and a 3D printed part. That was enough for Wohlers to get hooked onto the promise of 3D printing.

Over the years, Wohlers’ industry report on 3D printing has become the definitive book about the industry. Inspite of its 297 pages, the report is a fascinating read and assimilates multiple perspectives, including historical ones, betweens its covers.

For example, I learned that 1994 and 2004 were breakout years for 3D printing. The latter year, Wohlers explains, was especially important because it released pent up demand and restored business confidence after the dot com bust and 9/11 attacks.
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http://www.forbes.com/sites/rakeshsharma...-terry-wohlers/

Quote: Sanguine wrote in post #2

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I want one.

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