Star Trek Beyond And The Art of 3D Printing

Star Trek Beyond is coming out in a matter of weeks, July 22nd to be more exact. With all the buzz around the third installment, we wanted to get you excited about the future as it relates to new tech

Star Trek Beyond is coming out in a matter of weeks, July 22nd to be more exact. With all the buzz around the third installment, it’s going to showcase all the traditional elements of a space movie - high tech gadgets, flying ships, possible aliens and more. To simplify, let’s call it all things future. In advance of the film’s debut, we wanted to get you excited about the future as it relates to new technology and 3D printing.

Although most people commonly draw parallels between Star Trek’s Replicator and 3D printing, the beam ability is also quite similar. As any treky knows, the franchise is famous for many things, one of which is the phrase “Beam me up Scotty.” A technological advancement existing in a fictional world, it is a process that uses a transporter that converts a person or object into an energy pattern (dematerialization) and then beams it to a target where its reconverted into matter (rematerialization). While 3D printing doesn’t work in the same way as beaming, it does follow a similar principle of rebuilding an object based on a known image into a 3 dimensional figure.

3D printing uses an additive process to transform a digital file (be it a photo, drawing or scan) into a 3 dimensional solid object. With the ability for any 3D printed object to be composed of materials such as clay, bronze, resin, and more, you can end up with a final product that looks like a carbon copy of the original digital file. Some lifelike items treky fans can have fun replicating in time for the premiere using a 3D printer are:

• Spock’s Transponder 

• Scotty’s Communicator 

• Phaser 

• Jaylah’s Staff 

• USS Enterprise 

These items can be printed to the actual size, color and intricacies of the actual props in the film (well, maybe with the exception of the USS Enterprise however there are 3D printed homes and buildings so anything is possible). As 3D printing uses software that allows you to fine tune and incorporate numerous details onto your renderings, any piece can be made as accurate as you like (down to the serial number displayed). You don’t have to go out and purchase these props from Amazon or spend a ton of money by dealing with a collector, you can dream up these items from the comfort of your own home or download some inspiration from MyMiniFactory.

The beauty of 3D printing is that the only real limit when creating solid objects is your imagination. The technology in this industry is only growing more robust so why not dive into it a bit further and play around with 3D printing just in time for Star Trek Beyond!