Insight Upper-intermediate Unit 9

3D printers have been around for a while. They date back to 1983, when Chuck Hull of 3D Systems Corporation invented the first. Since that time, the technology has gone largely under the radar due to the elevated manufacturing costs. Other emerging technologies like smartphones and tablets have had much greater success – that is, until now. Back in 2002, any standard techie could tell you that at £20,000 per printer, it just wasn’t financially viable for most businesses. Yet, lately, this has decreased to a fraction of the previous price, so it is finally being considered to have legs in the manufacturing world.So how does it work exactly? 3D printing, or ‘additive manufacturing’, as it is also known, requires an initial computer design or a scan of the desired object. This is sliced into wafer-thin virtual layers by the computer, and these are then printed in sequence using melted plastic, creating a three-dimensional object. This means that literally any shape, however weird, wonderful or unique, can be printed as a solid object, in theory.Dr Phil Reeves, who is the managing director of an additive manufacturing company, claims that the ability to mass-personalize goods and produce individual products for individual consumers has opened up an incredible opportunity. He says that we have been living in the age of mass production, where everything is the same, but that we are now developing digital tools to make unique products designed by and for individuals. In this way, manufacturing has come full circle to before the Industrial Revolution, when the emphasis was on individual craft.In east London, Alice Taylor runs a doll-making business called MakieLab. Not so long ago, her dolls would probably have been cheaper to mass-produce abroad, but thanks to 3D printing, that’s no longer the case. She uses suppliers in London and Amsterdam to print the dolls, but all of the assembly is done at her office, and an employee even makes all of the clothes individually and by hand. Every doll is unique. For Alice, it’s cheaper to make dolls to order for her customers, rather than mass producing them and paying the manufacturing and transport costs.Alice’s business is not alone. We are seeing more and more businesses like hers focusing on personalized consumer goods. This has a knock-on benefit for the environment as well, since consumers are more likely to keep a product for longer if it has been tailor-made and holds particular sentimental value for them.Once the technology gets up to speed, what does the future hold for 3D printing? It seems that as soon as different materials can be used and can be combined with electronics, it will be possible to print not just a mobile phone cover (these are already being made by a limited number of start-up companies), but also a working phone. Richard Hague, Professor of Innovative Manufacturing at the University of Nottingham, is excited by 3D printing’s potential. He said that he was trying to move away from single material additive manufacturing, to manufacturing the whole product or system using different materials.3D printing is currently under close scrutiny, because it is still largely in development, but in the future it is thought that it could be used to produce lighter aircraft, spare parts for spacecraft and even working body parts. However, we might have to wait a little while to see if those plans actually come to fruition.

Choose the correct answersSchools are put under ______________ to buy the most up-to-date technology.

• Age

• Pressure

• Scrutiny

Ben looks pale and tired. He’s been quite under ______________ at the moment. 

• His belt

• The radar

• The weather

Many schools still need to get online bullying under ______________. 

• Age

• Pressure

• Control

She has got two years’ experience under ______________ working at a tech start-up. 

• The weather

• Control

• Her belt

His parents didn’t let him watch the film because he was under ______________. 

• Age

• Pressure

• Attack

We can ______________ to the high-quality service at the shop.

• testify

• Suggest

• Demonstrate

The school is ______________ the advantages and disadvantages of using tablets in class. 

• Testifying

• Assessing

• Suggesting

Circle the correct words to complete the sentences. 

1. The police told  __________ more slowly.

• them to drive

• That they drive

She criticized him _________  late.

• For always being

• That he was always

The shop manager refused  ________  me a refund.

• To give

• Giving

He reminded the tourists _________ of their wallets.

• to take care

• Taking care

My friend insisted  __________  for the meal. 

• That she would pay

• To pay

The teacher warned the students against  _________  each other’s work. 

• Copying

• To copy

My mum reminded ____________  my book back to the library.

• That I take

• Me to take

3D printers have been popular since the 1980s.

• True

• False

Because of reduced costs, 3D printers are now being taken seriously. 

• True

• False

A 3D printer works by building up a series of layers until a solid object is formed. 

• True

• False

Dr Reeves says the mass production of identical objects is what makes 3D printing useful. 

• True

• False

In some ways, 3D printing is similar to pre-industrialized manufacturing. 

• True

• False

Alice Taylor has offices in the UK and overseas. 

• True

• False

There are potential environmental benefits to 3D printing.

• True

• False

At the moment, 3D printing can produce things like dolls and cases for smartphones. 

• True

• False

The next step in 3D printing is to develop multi-material manufacturing.

• True

• False

3D printing is expected to develop rapidly in the near future.

• True

• False