Decatur woman uses 3D printing to help change lives

To many people, three-dimensional technology _ 3D _ is something you only see at the movies.

But while that may be the best-known use of it, 3D has long had applications beyond cinema. One of the biggest areas where it is being applied is in 3D printing.

For years now, manufacturers have used these futuristic-sounding copying machines to crank out all manner of parts and items. More recently, 3D printing has had an impact in the medical field. Its lower-cost production promises all kinds of ways to help people.