The London 3D Print Show 2012.

Over the weekend I went to the 3d Print Show which was held in London. It had exhibitions and stands from several manufacturers of 3d print machines, software companies, bureau printers, researchers and users such as product designers and artists. Whilst it is still relatively early days yet for the printing technology, the explosion of creativity that it will release has already been detonated. I have shown a few snaps of objects displayed. Architects and engineers are familiar with, the CAD environment, so for them, the 3D print is just the last stage of a work flow already well established. But other industries such as the medical profession are waking up to the power of the technology. For example by printing-out scans of body parts an operation can be studied before it is executed live. One of the more interesting things I saw, was the adoption of the technology in fashion. Printed jewellery has been around for sometime but 3D printed fabrics are now being explored by designers. For example there were several samples of chain-mail, a fabric made from interconnected rings, and formerly uses by medieval knights as flexible armour. But also printing woven fabrics in ready made garments such as ...stiff scarves or weird fascinators, looked promising.