Will 3D Printing Revive American Manufacturing?

http://blogs.forbes.com/richkarlgaard/2011/06/23/3d-printing-will-revive-american-manufacturing/

According to Rich Karlgaard, publisher of Forbes and writer on innovation, "The transformative technology of the 2015-2025 period could be 3D printing."

He writes in Forbes that "This has the potential to remake the economics of manufacturing from a large-scale industry back to an artisan model of small design shops with access to 3D printers. In other words, making stuff, real stuff, could move from being a capital intensive industry into something that looks more like art and software. This should favor the American skill set of creativity."

A ready-to-wear 3D-printed bikini. A breakthrough in fashion + technology?

The N12 bikini is the world's first ready-to-wear, completely 3D-printed article of clothing. All of the pieces, closures included, are made directly by 3D printing and snap together without any sewing. Created by Continuum Fashion, they claim the "N12 represents the beginning of what is possible for the near future." Watch the video here:

http://www.continuumfashion.com/N12.html

"N12 is named for the material it's made out of: Nylon 12. This solid nylon is created by the SLS 3D printing process. Shapeways calls this material "white, strong, and flexible", because its strength allows it to bend without breaking when printed very thin. With a minimum wall thickness of .7 mm, it is possible to make working springs and almost thread-like connections. For a bikini, the nylon is beautifully functional because it is waterproof and remarkably comfortable when wet."


Learn more about the inspiration behind this surprising project with serious design and fabrication implications here:
http://www.continuuminum.com/