Molecular manufacturing promises to change the way many products are assembled.
Billions of dollars are being poured into nanotechnology-the science of building devices at the scale of individual molecules. Because it promises to revolutionize many industries, ranging from automotive to aerospace and consumer products to medical devices, commercial nanotech applications appear to be endless. And, after several years of hype and hoopla, nanotech-based products are starting to emerge from laboratories and R&D centers.
Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating atoms and molecules to fabricate materials, devices and systems. Unlike current production methods, in which existing parts and components are combined, nanotechnology takes individual atoms and precisely assembles them to produce items with desirable characteristics. Objects are built in a manner similar to the way bricks are stacked on top of one another to build a wall.