Back In January this year,

I mentioned in the blog

a new development in a 3D printer called the MakerBot Thing-O-Matic, it could make small objects from many types of plastic layer by layer, well it appears that scientists at the European Aeronautic Defence and Space group in Filton, near Bristol, have made another step in the same direction, when they were able to 'grow' this fully working bike from nylon, it is made by a process known as additive layer manufacturing (ALM),

the 3D printing method allows products to be made from a fine powder of nylon, carbon-reinforced plastics or metals such as titanium, stainless steel or aluminium, they are drawn using computer-aided design and then sent to a printer, which is filled with the powdered material, the computer splits the 3D design into many 2D layers and a laser beam is used to melt the powder material into the first of the layers, building up the product layer by layer, the manufacturing process uses about one-tenth of the material required in traditional methods, reducing waste, on a global scale, ALM offers potential for products to be produced quickly and cheaply on ‘printers’ located in offices, shops and houses, so there you have it, design and make your own product coming soon to a shop near you!