Ah, but have you looked at stereolithography lately? http://www.zcorp.com/
This company markets 3D rapid prototyping machines based on inkjet printers. They lay out a base of starch powder and then the printhead comes along and sprays a binding agent instead of ink. I've been to a demo they did, and the level of detail and speed were pretty amazing. I would say they create prototypes (in up to 4 colors) accurate to 1/100th inch. IIRC they use standard HP inkjet printheads. --- Jones Beene <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Eat you heart out "Gutenberg"... > > ....yes, it is just a name these days, a symbol not > a real person, but it now has an even-more > undeserved-legacy than anyone could have > imagined...(see footnote 1) > > Anyone who has bought a computer recently realizes > that the manufacturer or retailer practically > gives-away an ink-jet printer to go with it. > (Catch-22 : the printer company makes enormous > profits on the quickly depleted ink cartridges) > > In the near future, however, surprising things are > being anticipated in the field, based on the > evolution and convergence of several connecting > technologies (in the James Burke tradition). > > One of them is ink. The other is paper (or > film)....Doh.... > > The result is a computer printer which will print > not just a document but real computer circuits- even > a CPU, memory chips, op-amps, RFID stuff like that > (IOW= brains) - the sky is the limit for printing. > > Imagine ink which is conducting, semiconducting, or > controllably corrosive (so as to burn several > million holes through special paper, in an applied > pattern. Imagine printing five to fifteen sheets of > special paper or film, with circuit patterns aligned > on each sheet and then laminating (the collating > printer of the future will do all of these things > automatically). > > Just on more step in the evolution towards the > (under-appreciated) goal of machines being able to > reproduce. Self-replication is NOT a limitation for > machines of the future. > > Move over, simple-minded bipeds, the next dominant > species of planet earth is on the way... > > http://www.intertechusa.com/conferences/conferenceDetail.aspx?displayDetail=overview&WCID=105 > > Jones > > (1) a rare vortex footnote. One thing to remember > is that Gutenberg gets credit for an invention that > is thought to have been developed over many > centuries by many un-named folks simultaneously in > Holland, Prague and ... not to mention, mostly in > China and elsewhere. > Block print technology in China was probably as > important as what Gutenberg contributed, but racism > is deeply ingrained in Western History. Some of the > other inventions brought together by Gutenberg in > his pursuit of a printing press were: > > > a.. The adaptation for printing of the screw-type > press, which had been in use for hundreds of years, > throughout Europe and Asia, for making wine or olive > oil. The adaptation of block-print technology - > known in Europe only since the return of Marco Polo > at the end of the 13th century. > b.. The development of mass production > paper-making techniques. Paper was brought from > China in the 12th century. > c.. The development of oil-based (rollable) inks. > These had been around since before the 10th century > in China for use with block printing. > d.. Gutenberg's contribution to printing was the > amalgamation of a complete SYSTEM. > e.. It was a punch and mold system which allowed > the mass production of the movable block type. > Everything but the system was in place in China at > the time - but one disadvantage of having too many > people, even then (and cheap labor) is that there is > no incentive for the labor-saving system of > Gutenberg - and that is primarily what it was. > f.. Necessity is the mother of invention > g.. The lack of population in Gutenberg's time > caused by the black plague coming around every other > generation supplied the necessity. > h.. Shouldn't the bacterium "Yersinia pestis" or > the rodent "ratus ratus" be given some of the > credit? Actually the bacterium may have come from > the East also, but they had more skill at > controlling the population of "ratus ratus" - can > you say "mum, that was a tasty stir-fry and what was > that meat that tastes like chicken, General Hsu ?" > Merlyn Magickal Engineer and Technical Metaphysicist __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
