The Manchester Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI, www.mosi.org.uk) and the multinational Renishow, a company in the field of measurement, motion control and high precision machining, have jointly organised a 3D printing exhibition, which can be visited free of admission fee. (Needless to say that Renishow has a 3DP unit.)

The exhibition entitled “3D: Printing the Future” is intended to acquaint the general public with 3D printing technology, also known as additive manufacturing in the industry, to attract the interest of as many people as possible, and to demonstrate various applications (in the field of medicine, manufacturing, aircraft industry, etc.). The organisers have made sure that the “introduction” is enjoyable and easy to understand, for instance, visitors can see a printer in action.

More than 500 printed objects are on display, including the world’s first bicycle that was built making use of printed parts.

The exhibition can be viewed until 19 April. MOSI has already hosted a number of exhibitions on information technology and IT history, and it does so now as well by putting on show the past, present, and future of one of the youngest branches in IT. For no matter how much 3D printing is about the technology of the future, it is also part of IT history.