实用科技英语_吕栋腾，孙永芳著_9787560432144

　　本书共14个单元，内容包括先进制造技术、机械设计与加工、数控原理及编程、航空航天技术、机电一体化技术、自动控制系统及自动生产线、典型工业控制器和软件、工业机器人、数字信号处理、虚拟仪器仪表、人机交互、虚拟现实、人工智能、物联网技术、电子商务等方面的英文材料。本书在强调专业知识的基础上，加强学生对科技文章词汇、结构、特点、语法的认识。使学生在学习结束后，在掌握专业词汇的基础上，能够独立阅读、检索、分析、撰写典型的科技文章。

　　Unit1
　　ReadingMaterial
　　3DPrinting
　　ABSTRACT:Theindustrialrevolutionofthelate18thcenturymadepossiblethemassproductionofgoods,therebycreatingeconomiesofscalewhichchangedtheeconomyandsocietyinwaysthatnobodycouldhaveimaginedatthetime.[1]Nowanewmanufacturingtechnologyhasemergedwhichdoestheopposite.Three-dimensionalprintingmakesitascheaptocreatesingleitemsasitistoproducethousandsandthusundermineseconomiesofscale.[2]Itmayhaveasprofoundanimpactontheworldasthecomingofthefactorydid.
　　KEYWORDS:3Dprinting;production;principle
　　Theterm"3Dprinting"wascoinedatMITin1995whengraduatestudentsJimBredtandTimAndersonmodifiedaninkjetprintertoextrudeabindingsolutionontoabedofpowder,ratherthaninkontopaper(Fig.1-1).Theensuingpatentledtothecreationofmodern3DprintingcompaniesZCorporation(foundedbyBredtandAnderson)andExOne.
　　Fig.1-1Theprinciplemodelof3Dprinter
　　Itworkslikethis.Firstyoucallupablueprint(digitalmodel)onyourcomputerscreenandtinkerwithitsshapeandcolorwherenecessary.Thenyoupressprint.Amachinenearbywhirrsintolifeandbuildsuptheobjectgraduallyeitherbydepositingmaterialfromanozzle,orbyselectivelysolidifyingathinlayerofplasticormetaldustusingtinydropsofglueoratightlyfocusedbeam.[3]Productsarethusbuiltupbyprogressivelyaddingmaterial,onelayeratatime,hencethetechnology'sothername,additivemanufacturing.Eventuallytheobjectinquestion—asparepartforyourcar,alampshade,aviolin—popsout.(Fig.1-2)Thebeautyofthetechnologyisthatitdoesnotneedtohappeninafactory.Smallitemscanbemadebyamachinelikeadesktopprinter,inthecornerofanoffice,ashoporevenahouse;bigitemslikebicycleframes,panelsforcars,aircraftpartsneedalargermachine,andabitmorespace.
　　Fig.1-2Thecomponentsthrough3Dprinting
　　Theadditiveapproachtomanufacturinghasseveralbigadvantagesovertheconventionalone.Itcutscostsbygettingridofproductionlines.Itreduceswasteenormously,requiringaslittleasone-tenthoftheamountofmaterial.Itallowsthecreationofpartsinshapesthatconventionaltechniquescannotachieve,resultinginnew,muchmoreefficientdesignsinaircraftwingsorheatexchangers,forexample.Itenablestheproductionofasingleitemquicklyandcheaply—andthenanotheroneafterthedesignhasbeenrefined.
　　Atthemomenttheprocessispossibleonlywithcertainmaterials(plastics,resinsandmetals)andwithaprecisionofaroundatenthofamillimeter.Aswithcomputinginthelate1970s,itiscurrentlythepreserveofhobbyistsandworkersinafewacademicandindustrialniches.Butlikecomputingbeforeit,3Dprintingisspreadingfastasthetechnologyimprovesandcostsfall.Abasic3Dprinter,alsoknownasafabricatoror“fabber”,[4]nowcostslessthanalaserprinterdidin1985.
　　Thetechnologywillhaveimplicationsnotjustforthedistributionofcapitalandjobs,butalsoforintellectual-property(IP)rules.Whenobjectscanbedescribedinadigitalfile,theybecomemucheasiertocopyanddistribute.Justaskthemusicindustry.Whentheblueprintsforanewtoy,oradesignershoe,escapeontotheinternet,thechancesthattheowneroftheIPwillloseoutaregreater.
　　Justasnobodycouldhavepredictedtheimpactofthesteamenginein1750,ortheprintingpressin1450,orthetransistorin1950,itisimpossibletoforeseethelong-termimpactof3Dprinting.Butthetechnologyiscoming,anditislikelytodisrupteveryfieldittouches.Companies,regulatorsandentrepreneursshouldstartthinkingaboutitnow.Onething,atleast,seemsclear:although3Dprintingwillcreatewinnersandlosersintheshortterm,inthelongrunitwillexpandtherealmofindustry.

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