Objects created using 3-D printing have a common flaw: They
are fragile and often fall apart or lose their shape.
"I have an entire zoo of broken 3-D printed objects in
my office," said Bedrich Benes, an associate professor of computer
graphics at Purdue University.
The printed fabrications often fail at points of high
stress.
"You can go online, create something using a 3-D
printer and pay $300, only to find that it isn't strong enough to survive
shipping and arrives in more than one piece," said Radomir Mech, senior
research manager from Adobe's Advanced Technology Labs.