Computer Aided Design (CAD) and 3-D Printing may not be the most exciting topics in the Design of Goods and 
Services chapter (Ch.5), but after you show this 4-minute video clip, there will be a definite uptick in class discussion. Our photo of a 3-D printer just can’t do justice to the amazing work going on in this rapidly advancing area of OM. So when Prof. Bruce Elwell showed me the video we link to here, I knew it’s something important to share in the blog.
I recommend that you bring a crescent wrench with you to class to bring home the product and its design. Pass it around while the video plays so your students can get a better feel for the tool. And if you would like more background on 3-D printers, take a look at the blog we did on the subject a few months ago. It was based on a major article in The Economist in Feb., 2011.