Fabricated audiobook cover - The New World of 3D Printing

Fabricated

The New World of 3D Printing

Hod Lipson, Melba Kurman

★ 4.2 / 5(17 ratings)
Start ListeningDownload App
Categories:
PoliticsTechnology & the FutureEconomics

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

Listen to Fabricated — Free Audiobook

Loading player...

Key Takeaways from Fabricated

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Fabricated

Mind Map

Fabricated
Mechanics of 3D Printing+
Manufacturing Revolution+
The Ladder of Life+
Environmental Impact+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 6
How does a 3D printer physically construct an object?
  • A. By carving a three-dimensional shape out of a solid block of raw material
  • B. By pressing heated materials into pre-designed digital molds
  • C. By painstakingly building it one thin, flat layer at a time from the bottom up
  • D. By automatically assembling pre-manufactured parts using robotic arms
Question 2 of 6
What is a primary advantage of 3D design software over traditional two-dimensional blueprints?
  • A. It automatically calculates the exact cost of materials needed for mass production.
  • B. It uses an XYZ coordinate system that allows designers to easily manipulate and alter proportions from any angle.
  • C. It completely eliminates the need for human engineers in the manufacturing process.
  • D. It instantly translates paper drawings into physical objects without the need for mathematical equations.
Question 3 of 6
How does 3D printing serve as a 'middle ground' between mass production and artisanal craftsmanship?
  • A. It combines the extremely low per-unit cost of mass production with the slow speed of artisanal work.
  • B. It allows for the precise, endless reproductions of mass production while offering the design flexibility of artisanal production.
  • C. It requires the same expensive machinery as mass production but relies on hand-crafted assembly.
  • D. It produces unique, one-of-a-kind items exclusively, but at the speed of an automated assembly line.
Question 4 of 6
According to the text, what is 'cloud manufacturing'?
  • A. A decentralized production model where design files are matched with a network of small manufacturers who print and deliver the product.
  • B. A method of 3D printing that uses condensed water vapor to cool down heated plastics.
  • C. A centralized system where only giant factories have access to cloud-based design files.
  • D. A virtual reality environment where prototypes are tested digitally instead of being physically manufactured.
Question 5 of 6
What does the 'ladder of life' represent in the context of 3D printing?
  • A. The environmental impact of printing organic materials versus synthetic plastics.
  • B. The evolutionary timeline of manufacturing technologies from the Industrial Revolution to today.
  • C. The hierarchy of 3D printing companies, from small start-ups to global corporations.
  • D. A model representing the varying levels of complexity involved in printing inanimate objects, tissues, organs, and eventually living creatures.
Question 6 of 6
Which of the following is an environmental DISADVANTAGE of 3D printing mentioned in the text?
  • A. It requires the use of toxic 'release agents' to pry objects out of molds.
  • B. It can consume up to 10 times more electricity than traditional machines to make an object of equal weight.
  • C. It produces significantly more wasteful metal byproduct than traditional airplane manufacturing.
  • D. It relies entirely on non-recyclable metal powders.

Fabricated — Full Chapter Overview

Fabricated Summary & Overview

Fabricated (2013) offers a detailed view of the nuts and bolts of additive manufacturing – or, as it is more commonly known, 3D printing. In addition to exploring some of the technology’s more far-out possibilities, these blinks also provide insight into its more personal implications.

Who Should Listen to Fabricated?

  • Designers and engineers
  • Inventors
  • Tech geeks

About the Author: Hod Lipson, Melba Kurman

Hod Lipson is a professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University, where he directs the Creative Machines Lab. He specializes in robotics and asking questions about whether they’ll ever become self-replicating. His work has appeared in notable publications such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Melba Kurman is a technology writer and blogger who is interested in the impact technology has on our lives. She holds degrees from Cornell University and the University of Illinois. Her other books include Driverless: Intelligent Cars and the Road Ahead and Tech Transfer 2.0.

 

© Hod Lipson, Melba Kurman: Fabricated copyright 2013, John Wiley & Sons Inc. Used by permission of John Wiley & Sons Inc. and shall not be made available to any unauthorized third parties.

🎧
Listen in the AppOffline playback & background play
Get App