The worldwide RepRap Project

The first ‘ self-replicating manufacturing machine ’ was created by Dr Adrian Bowyer , in what was known as the worldwide RepRap Project . Bowyer was later awarded an MBE in the New Years Honours for his dedication to 3D printing .

First prosthetic limb printed

It ’ s rare in history for a single limb to make history . But , in 2008 , the world heard about the first prosthetic leg to be 3D printed , offering amputees a new opportunity in life . The following year , the patents moved into the public domain and manufacturers got to work .

Rocket takes to the skies

The 34-metre rocket Terran-1 left its launch pad in Cape Canaveral in Florida and powered skyward for a few minutes before falling back to Earth . Some 85 % of the rocket was produced using 3D printing . California-based Relativity Space , which produced the rocket , has designed its own machines to fabricate both large and small parts , from tanks to engines .

supplychaindigital . com 19