Earlier this week, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) held its annual International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in San Diego. Paramount was a discussion on 3D printing and manufacturing and its impact for our future. One of the 12 technologies outlined by McKinsey Global Institute as having the potential to transform life, business and the global economy, 3D printing is the process of creating a three-dimensional object using digital media…Schools like the University of New Hampshire, University of Alabama and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have dedicated spaces where students and staff can learn how to use the equipment and make prototypes…At the University of Alabama, 53 students were trained in using the equipment and the school has outlined new opportunities for research. According to a report by the school, the feedback from the students and community has been overwhelmingly positive.