3D printers are capable of printing almost any object imaginable depending on the material being used. The field is expanding rapidly and the materials that can be used is expanding as well. Hobby 3D printers are expected to be able to print not only in plastic, but in wood, limestone, iron, and bronze by the end of 2015. In manufacturing 3D printing, often referred to as additive manufacturing, is only beginning to have an impact on the manufacturing process. In addition to rapid prototyping 3D printing has been found to provide advantages in creating fixtures for machining, molds, prosthetics, resurfacing turbine blades, and even creating rocket engine parts with designs that could not be produced using other methods. The future of 3D printing includes the possibility of combining materials such as metals and ceramics that could not have been done in any other way to create materials with properties of the combined materials.
