The Good & Bad of 3D Printing

As with any new technology, it’s easy to get swept up in the benefits of 3D printing. It opens up a world of new possibilities for all industries, and stands to lessen transportation costs, environmental impacts, waste, and reliance on corporations by enabling the maker movement. The future is undoubtedly bright for 3D printing technology. The popularity of 3D printing will go beyond enthusiasts & hobbyists and the technology will make its way to the average consumers’ homes. This will form a gateway to a newer form of manufacturing process called distributed manufacturing where smaller, distributed digital factories located much closer to the point of demand will sprout up instead of centralized factories, massive ports and transportation networks. Advanced forms of the technology will be created namely, additive, or augmented manufacturing in which 3D printing complements existing digital processes. Injection molding, composites fabrication and casting are all being revolutionized right now and provide endless opportunities for the technology. Proliferation of 3D printing in medical science will result in newer and advanced methods of saving lives. Soon, hospitals will be able to create exact replica of bones, tissues and entire organs of patients resulting in limited dependence on organ transplants.

The 3D printer is a double-edged sword. It stands to transform technology and society for the better, but we also can’t ignore the potential negative consequences. Perhaps the most obvious drawback of 3D printing is the freedom it allows for the user to create anything they want – good or bad. Last year, the world’s first 3D gun was printed by controversial American group Defense Distributed, who have plans to publish the blueprints online. The firearm was manufactured on a printer which cost its builder $8,000 – and in future, those who wish to manufacture their own will probably be able to do so at a much reduced price, due to the diminishing costs of the printer. Even more worryingly, they will not have to apply for a gun license, making gun control virtually impossible. Aside from the manufacture of firearms and other weapons, the device could theoretically be used to create counterfeit money as well, which could cause no end of problems for the world’s economy.

3D printers are still potentially hazardous, wasteful machines, and their societal, political, economic, and environmental impacts have not yet been studied extensively.