Although 3D printers have dramatically altered the process of prototyping in manufacturing, the products that they print are fairly limited in scope. A small printer, for example, generally means that you can only print a small object — or spend a lot of time printing many different components of a larger one.
California software company Autodesk, however, could have a solution.
The company recently debuted a system called Project Escher, which features five independent 3D printer heads working in concert to produce larger components in hours rather than days or weeks. Autodesk engineers said that the system provides much more flexibility to developers, including the possibility of printing and milling designs at the same time. The process could also open 3D printing to a broad range of larger industrial applications.
SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Is this system practical for manufacturers? What kinds of things could Project Escher make that a conventional printer couldn't?
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