Most people think 3D printing is a new technology, but it has been around for 30 years. Since 1984 the technology has been evolving, and it has been the next big thing for just as long as it has been around. But since MakerBot Industries introduced the DIY 3D printer kits in 2009, the market has progressed with new innovations. The latest one comes from Gregory Mark, who invented a 3D printer that can print carbon fiber, a first in this field.

As with all invention, necessity plays a great role in pushing people to come up with something they need. For this invention Gregory needed carbon fiber parts for the computer-controlled racer wings his company builds. These parts are made with carbon fiber, but the process is both time consuming and expensive.

His search for a carbon fiber 3D printer was fruitless, so he decided to invent one, the MarkForged Mark One.

The carbon fiber 3D products printed in the Mark One are stronger than CNC machined aluminum by weight, because this composite material has one of the highest strength to weight ratios. In addition to the carbon fiber the printer can also use fiber glass, nylon and PLA (Polylactic Acid), a thermoplastic.

The printer will be available for pre-order starting in February, with shipments beginning in the second half of 2014 with a $5,000 price tag (News - Alert). Considering the amount of money it takes to create items with carbon fiber, the price point is low enough for consumers as well as businesses.

The coverage for 3D printing in the media shows these machines making trinkets. Although this approach to marketing the machine will attract a wider audience, the technology has been responsible for many innovations in the automotive industry, aviation, health care, design and more.

In 2011 Kor Ecologic introduced the Urbee, a car that gets 200 mpg highway and 100 mpg city, with a body that was created using 3D printing. And in 2012 doctors in the Netherlands implanted a jaw that was printed using a LayerWise 3D printer. Additional applications include printing prosthetics, growth of bone tissue, and even blood vessels, which was performed in 2009.

Scientists are also more optimistic than ever for long term space exploration once 3D printing has been perfected. With this technology astronauts in space will be able to replace parts they need by printing it. Temporary shelter can also be constructed in other planets using resources available on location.

Whether this will be the year of the 3D printer only time will tell, but the technology has the potential to change the face of manufacturing of virtually everything we use, here on earth and in outer space.