The 3D Printing Revolution You Have Not Heard About
From bones to guns, 3D printing’s route to mainstream consciousness (and media notoriety) has largely consisted of fantastic objects made using the technology.
Not many, however, have reported of a prosaic, medical object made using this technology. If you wear a hearing aid, chances that you are already part of the 3D printing revolution. This is because your hearing aid was, probably, 3D-printed.
According to Phil Reeves, author of a report on the 3D printing industry, there are more than 10,000,000 3D printed hearing aids in circulation worldwide.
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While it has streamlined production and introduced consistency into the manufacturing process at Starkey, 3D printing processes have also increased capital investment costs at Starkey. “The cost of the machinery and software is expensive,” says Fauks.
Depending on the build size and complexity, the cost of a hearing aid 3D printer can vary from anywhere between $20,000 to $150,000. “Those are ballpark figures on both ends,” says Franklin from EnvisionTec.
See the full story here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/rakeshsharma/2013/07/08/the-3d-printing-revolution-you-have-not-heard-about/