UPSC Prelims 2018 question on Additive Manufacturing Applications

Analysis

3D printing has applications in all five areas, so the answer is (d).

3D printing, or additive manufacturing, makes three dimensional solid objects from a digital file by laying down successive layers of material, each a thin horizontal cross-section of the eventual object. A 3D printed food restaurant has opened in the Netherlands, covering item 1. In America a 3D printed bionic ear was generated by printing a cell seeded hydrogel matrix in the anatomic geometry of a human ear, covering item 2. Industrial 3D printers have opened new paths at every stage of motor vehicle production, from functional prototyping and design to tooling and parts manufacture, covering item 3. The technique has been used in reconstructive surgery to repair damaged tissue in cases ranging from birth defects and traumatic injuries to severe burns, covering item 4. It is also used to produce computer parts such as circuit boards, which are used in data processing, covering item 5.