3D Printing: Printing the Path to the Future
Summary
The first patent issued for a stereolithograpy apparatus was back in 1986 by Mr. Charles Hull, co-founder of 3D Systems. For those of you who are not fans of 1980’s technology and don’t know what a stereolithography apparatus is, it is a 3D printer. Charles Hull is arguably the Steve Jobs of 3D printing. He was the first to ever get an official patent for this new technology and founded one of the largest 3D printing companies. Beginning in the 1980’s and Hull’s first original patent, the field he so proudly discovered has become one of the most promising technological advances of this century. However, 3D printing is still a very new field, filled with many fears and uncertainties. Although there are concerns about 3D printing, the benefits outweigh these issues.
In the span of it’s life, 3D printing has already proven its usefulness. In the beginning, 3D printing was used and primarily for industrial purposes. It helped create prototypes for product development since it was a quicker and more cost effective way to do so. As 3D printing’s usefulness quickly became understood, more and more fields began adopting this new technology. Now, 3D printing is being used from industrial manufacturing to hospitals all around the world.
Although starting out as an industrial technology, 3D printing has proven itself to be a universal tool. 3D printers are being used by doctors in the medical field as well as the average Joe with a creative idea. A big appeal for many industrial companies originally was the productivity compared to its waste in regards to 3D printing. In an article on the New York Times website, “Will the Future of American Manufacturing Be Printed? the author talks about the ways in which 3D printing uses it resources in comparisons to more traditional methods. “According to the U.S. Department of Energy, subtractive manufacturing, the process of removing material from a block to create a product, can waste up to thirty pounds of material to create a one-pound product in some circumstances.” However, where as, “3D printing uses raw materials to build objects layer by layer and reduces the amount of material used.” The article then goes on to say that by using 3D printing, we also minimize the carbon footprint caused by more standard manufacturing techniques. As good as this sounds, there are still many negatives weighing down 3D printing.
According to Massshootingtracker.org, (which defines a mass shootings as four or more people killed or injured) in 2014 there were three hundred and twenty five mass shootings, and in 2016 there have been four hundred and fifty seven mass shootings. Since 2014 the number of shootings have only increased. During this time, the field of technology was rapidly improving. In May 2013, Cody Wilson created the first fully 3D printed working handgun. Needless to say this has many people upset. An alumni of the University of Central Arkansas, Cody has been pushing the boundaries of 3D printing for quite some time. He originally started working with 3D printing as a means to create individual parts for guns. When he was kicked off of Makerbot’s “Thingiverse” , a design sharing website, for such parts, his ideas began to change. In 2012, Cody launched his own company Defense Distributed and created his own “thingiverse.” On his website, there were no guide lines or restrictions to what people put up. Cody had the intention to create a 3D printable file for a gun and upload it to his site. On May 5, 2013, he did just that.
3D printing is a new and wondrous field. This new technology has the potential to change the world and truly bring in a new era of manufacturing. It has the potential to eliminate all the pollution and waste that comes with industrial manufacturing and could bring instant creations to people’s hands within minutes. However, with that comes the unknown. What will people make? Who will regulate what is being made? With mass shootings increasing each year, is having technology such as 3D printing available to so many people a good idea? 3D printing is slowly becoming the universal tool of tomorrow; however, before tomorrow comes, we must first understand what 3D printing is today.
How 3D Printing is Used
3D printing was originally made as a tool to for industrial manufacturing to make prototypes and minimize time/cost for certain products. John Ouimet, an engineering teacher at my high school, spent many years working with 3D printing in the early years of its creation. He worked at an air craft company where he used 3D printing to create such things. As a person who has dealt with 3D printing for a long time, he truly believes in it’s usefulness and thinks it does have the possibility to change the world.
As 3D printing is tested and perfected, more new industries begin to adapt it. Industries such as aerospace, architecture, electronic, military, educational, and medical have all adopted and begun using 3D printing in their fields. In the aerospace field, companies are using this technology to create the standard prototypes and smaller parts; however, as the 3D printing technology grows, more and more materials and products are being added. Soon, 3D printers will be able to print massive pieces in metals and other materials. The electronics field is using 3D printing in anyway possible, from prototypes to the final product. Since many electronic gadgets don’t demand such strong material, many companies can print out their product straight from the easy plastic in the printers. In the medical field, doctors and surgeons have begun to use 3D printing to create three dimensional x-rays of their patients. This way, doctors can observe the problem up close like never before and see what needs to be done before surgery rather than during. In fact, certain scientist have begun to use 3D printing in an even newer way. Scientist and doctors can now print out cells, tissue, blood vessels, and even some organs using the technology of 3D printing. Although not possible yet, doctors and scientists have been working to produce fully 3D printed organs capable of working and thriving within the body. Scientists have created organs that can live outside the body; however, they are still not yet ready for a body transplant. Although, as great and beneficial as this seems, should we do it? Is it our place as the human race to create artificial life? Many people don’t think so and are very against bio-printing.
Pros and Cons of 3D Printing
As I have stated before, the possibilities for 3D printing are almost limitless. If used properly, 3D printing could become the most beneficial piece of technology, possibly ever. With such potential comes great risk. With a technology as powerful as 3D printing, is it justifiable to make it available to everyone? Whether the person has good intentions or not, they could create something that could be dangerous to both them and the people around them.
In 3D printing’s short lifespan, it has already dealt with much criticism and problems. Many people are afraid of a technology so powerful. Cody Wilson, a kid in his twentys, took this promising technology and completely flipped it on its side. With this, people are also concerned about how 3D printing may impact the work force. If a machine can do what a human does in less time and require less money, why wouldn’t manufacturing companies adopt such technology? During great recession, industrial manufacturing companies would resort to using machines and robots because it was time and cost effective. Rhe same could happen with 3D printing. These companies would use 3D printers that can do the job just as well, if not better, than people and lay off all of the employees. Although 3D printing has great potential, this new found technology must first be understood and regulated.
Ways to Regulate 3D Printing and How It’s Used
Like a child, new technology has to be worked with and guided in the right direction to reach its full potential. With 3D printing, if it is not properly guided, it could become a real life Frankenstein. In 3D printing’s short life span it has already been mistreated and misused. Not having better regulations will wind us in an apocalyptic-esc world with no law and order. To start the regulation, 3D printing companies should limit and even stop the production of certain desk top printers. 3D printing is a very promising field and eliminating this field as a whole would not the answer. However, the answer would be to monitor it’s use to a point that the technology is fully understood. Therefore, the possibility of making such weapons or objects such as guns is eliminated. Creating these laws and regulations would be a very long process; however, to reach 3D printing’s full potential in a safe way this is what has to be done.
The Future
The future of 3D printing is very bright and promising. It is full of new and innovative ways to progress this new technology. As with any new technology, problems are to be expected, but with growth comes mistake. It would be unrealistic to say that 3D printing is going to come in and revolutionize the world with no problems at all. If the 3D printing field continues to grow, I see this new technology literally changing the world. To be able to create anything on the spot in the moment that you need it could revolutionize the way we live.
Conclusion
3D printing has the potential to change the world; however, it is up to us as people of this world to make sure that this new technology changes it in a positive way. Since it’s creation in the early 1980’s, 3D printing has grown immensely. Beginning as an industrial tool for manufacturing, this new technology has been used and adapted by almost all fields. Although 3D printing has had some issues, I truly feel it can change the world.
“Editorial Contest Winner | ‘Will the Future of American Manufacturing Be Printed?’.” The New
York Times. The New York Times, 10 May 2016. Web. 16 Dec. 2016.
