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Will 3D printing change the world? (Original Post) DainBramaged Mar 2013 OP
Well, it will probably change manufacturing, at least. MineralMan Mar 2013 #1
Every hour of every day, the world changes, doesn't it? randome Mar 2013 #6
Exactly. The world is constantly changing. MineralMan Mar 2013 #9
Yes. TeeYiYi Mar 2013 #2
It seems almost a certain Johonny Mar 2013 #3
So less pollution, I assume? Neglible, even? randome Mar 2013 #7
most of the driver is unique shapes-blends of material Johonny Mar 2013 #45
Yes aristocles Mar 2013 #4
It's not about your paper profits..... DainBramaged Mar 2013 #5
It won't 'catch on' without investment returns. That's reality. randome Mar 2013 #8
That's a pipe dream as well DainBramaged Mar 2013 #25
My investment in them helps fund their success. aristocles Mar 2013 #11
Right DainBramaged Mar 2013 #24
Yes. There are two where I work. NYC_SKP Mar 2013 #10
Well but at least we save on the shipping costs Duer 157099 Mar 2013 #12
The 3d printer doesn't create matter. antigone382 Mar 2013 #32
Hopefully a Duer 157099 Mar 2013 #36
Factories don't create matter either. antigone382 Mar 2013 #47
Some plastic comes from other plastic Duer 157099 Mar 2013 #49
Yes, recycling is an improvement over throwing things away. antigone382 Mar 2013 #50
Downcycled plastic, perfect fodder for home 3D printers Duer 157099 Mar 2013 #51
That is true, and I don't mean to crap all over this thread. antigone382 Mar 2013 #54
"Filabot" milk jugs, other plastics can be recycled into spools of stock for printers. NYC_SKP Mar 2013 #42
Good to know, than you for the info. n/t antigone382 Mar 2013 #48
Most of the objects I've seen 3d printed could have been done better with wood and a pocketknife. nt lumberjack_jeff Mar 2013 #17
Yup. This handheld unit is cool, though. NYC_SKP Mar 2013 #19
This one is already commercially available.... jberryhill Mar 2013 #22
Exactly. n/t lumberjack_jeff Mar 2013 #26
It looks like their prototype is built around a glue gun jberryhill Mar 2013 #28
I know, huh? Duer 157099 Mar 2013 #37
Saw that last week, it is cool! liberal N proud Mar 2013 #31
I'm much more excited about nano-printers in the next 20 years.. tridim Mar 2013 #13
Damn right Duer 157099 Mar 2013 #38
You'll need a lot of Scotch tape to attach those suckers. Believe me, I know. randome Mar 2013 #52
Eh, what's a little tape when I have Duer 157099 Mar 2013 #56
when the printers are smaller, faster and cheaper... maybe Motown_Johnny Mar 2013 #14
^^^^ this Duer 157099 Mar 2013 #40
No more or less than the revolution in robotics to introduction of computer control 1-Old-Man Mar 2013 #15
. snagglepuss Mar 2013 #16
Maybe future iterations will Bosonic Mar 2013 #18
3D printing is a presage aristocles Mar 2013 #20
This message was self-deleted by its author aristocles Mar 2013 #21
Yes. GreenStormCloud Mar 2013 #23
Nope, it will be banned because people can make gun mags and such The Straight Story Mar 2013 #27
to the naysayers DainBramaged Mar 2013 #29
My primary concern: will this tech increase or reduce ghg emissions and global resource extraction? antigone382 Mar 2013 #34
The new fervor over 3D printing amuses me liberal N proud Mar 2013 #30
Well, if space travel becomes affordable to everyone Duer 157099 Mar 2013 #43
For porn magazines --- yes Nuclear Unicorn Mar 2013 #33
Yes, very much so. Ellipsis Mar 2013 #35
I foresee a future with more overpriced craptastic plastic struggle4progress Mar 2013 #39
Short answer? Yes. Warren DeMontague Mar 2013 #41
3d printing is easy. Material science is the limiter XRubicon Mar 2013 #44
Not just kidneys. I wanna see a 3D-printed Swiss watch jsr Mar 2013 #46
It's in its infancy right now Warpy Mar 2013 #53
I am certain. You could actually print an entire human body. Lint Head Mar 2013 #55
Republicans will create new voters with photo ids LiberalFighter Mar 2013 #57

MineralMan

(146,317 posts)
1. Well, it will probably change manufacturing, at least.
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 02:59 PM
Mar 2013

It may even change how we build structures like homes and other buildings. Change the world? I don't know quite what that means.

 

randome

(34,845 posts)
6. Every hour of every day, the world changes, doesn't it?
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 03:04 PM
Mar 2013

I think some look for an abrupt paradigm shift that transforms us all overnight. I doubt things will happen that quickly.

MineralMan

(146,317 posts)
9. Exactly. The world is constantly changing.
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 03:06 PM
Mar 2013

I don't see 3D printing as one of those abrupt paradigm shifts, though. It may well become a major manufacturing method, though, at some point. It's an extension of automated manufacturing, which has already changed manufacturing to a large degree.

Johonny

(20,854 posts)
45. most of the driver is unique shapes-blends of material
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 08:42 PM
Mar 2013

that simply aren't possible using traditional casting/molding and machining techniques. As people have posted as this technology improves the kinds of materials you can print will add serious novel devices. There is some safety aspects and pollution aspects although ATM I don't think these are big drivers.

 

aristocles

(594 posts)
4. Yes
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 03:02 PM
Mar 2013

I have significant positions in DDD and SSYS. So far good paper profits on them both.

I'll hold for the long term unless either has negative news.

DainBramaged

(39,191 posts)
25. That's a pipe dream as well
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 05:15 PM
Mar 2013

marketing makes the world go round. Those of you buying stock for dividend or post-sale profits contribute nothing to the process, just your own pocketbooks.


If you had been an investor 10 years ago I'd be impressed, but for buying stock, not a chance.

 

aristocles

(594 posts)
11. My investment in them helps fund their success.
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 03:09 PM
Mar 2013

And the ultimate success of this technology. It is indeed all about my profits.

 

NYC_SKP

(68,644 posts)
10. Yes. There are two where I work.
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 03:09 PM
Mar 2013

Mostly, people use them to make crap.

So we just use more energy and resources making crap.

Better we take up carving or pottery.

Duer 157099

(17,742 posts)
12. Well but at least we save on the shipping costs
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 03:10 PM
Mar 2013

I mean, if we're gonna have crap, may as well have the home grown variety instead of shipping it in from China.

antigone382

(3,682 posts)
32. The 3d printer doesn't create matter.
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 05:53 PM
Mar 2013

Where does the raw material that is rendered into a product come from?

antigone382

(3,682 posts)
47. Factories don't create matter either.
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 09:32 PM
Mar 2013

There materials that make certain resources come from the earth. Plastic comes from petroleum. Metal comes from mining. Wood comes from trees. If 3-D printing doesn't cut our resource consumption then it will not improve our ecological problems.

I'm not saying it won't cut our resource use--I don't know enough about it to judge either way. But that must be the criteria by which we determine whether it is a technology worth adopting or not, because our fates depend on it.

antigone382

(3,682 posts)
50. Yes, recycling is an improvement over throwing things away.
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 10:15 PM
Mar 2013

However, even recycling requires a lot of energy and resources, and very often the product that results from recycling is a lower grade material that must be used to create an inferior good--a phenomenon known as "downcycling."

antigone382

(3,682 posts)
54. That is true, and I don't mean to crap all over this thread.
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 10:17 PM
Mar 2013

However, in the long term I think we have to figure out a way not to produce the plastic in the first place.

 

lumberjack_jeff

(33,224 posts)
17. Most of the objects I've seen 3d printed could have been done better with wood and a pocketknife. nt
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 03:26 PM
Mar 2013

tridim

(45,358 posts)
13. I'm much more excited about nano-printers in the next 20 years..
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 03:11 PM
Mar 2013

But I do like how 3d printers are spitting out items that are normally impossible to manufacture with traditional methods.

 

Motown_Johnny

(22,308 posts)
14. when the printers are smaller, faster and cheaper... maybe
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 03:12 PM
Mar 2013

I'll tell you one thing that they might do that would make a big change. For people who do in home repairs the need to run out and get one stupid little part that you don't have on your truck may be eliminated.


If you can have a 3D printer on the truck and create the part you need in a short period of time it will change things.


I work for a landscape company and part of what we do is install and maintain irrigation systems (automatic sprinklers). We have a special truck set up with a wide selection of stupid little parts that might be needed any time we go to a job. There are so many different manufacturers and so many different sizes and styles of parts that all do pretty much the same thing, it is really a pain in the ass. If we could cut our inventory of parts on hand by 3/4 and have a printer available for the dumb little 15 year old part that finally needs replacing, it would change the way we run that division. Right now we are trying to work out a way to use a smaller, more fuel efficient truck to help cut fuel costs. It isn't easy because of all the stock you need to keep on hand and making 2 trips because you don't have the part is just going to run up fuel costs, and labor costs, and vehicle maintenance and paperwork... etc. (besides the customer not being happy that you needed to show up twice to make the repair).

I'm not sure that everyone will have them in their home because the need for odds and ends simply do not arise that often. But for the guy who you want to fix your 30 year old furnace, or your 12 year old dishwasher... it could be a game changer.


1-Old-Man

(2,667 posts)
15. No more or less than the revolution in robotics to introduction of computer control
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 03:17 PM
Mar 2013

3d printing will be very useful, but many things can be created less expensively and faster by conventional means. So it will find its place. By the way, as an example of the above, say you are making a car door. Its got a lot of parts. The lock and maybe some fancy bracketry might well be made best by 3d printing (rather than conventional machine or casting work) but how about the door skin, which will most likely continue to be either stamped from metal (very fast and inexpensive) or created inside injection molds. A place for everything, everything in its place.

 

aristocles

(594 posts)
20. 3D printing is a presage
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 03:32 PM
Mar 2013

In 50 years, there will be no significant manufacturing that will be done by human hands.

Machinists? Robots. Craftsmen? Robots. Pottery? Robots. Art? Robots.

Technology follows its own imperative. You have no idea how smart these circuits are.

Response to DainBramaged (Original post)

GreenStormCloud

(12,072 posts)
23. Yes.
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 05:04 PM
Mar 2013

As the technology matures it will get better and cheaper. When the TSR-80 came out people could have asked if personal computers would change the world. Some did ask that.

The Straight Story

(48,121 posts)
27. Nope, it will be banned because people can make gun mags and such
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 05:16 PM
Mar 2013

Can't have such technology in the hands of potential citizen terrorists.

There will be a few who misuse it for bad means, we will get scared, and insist on only those who are wealthy, a business, or a person who works in a government job can be trusted.

Hell, we cannot even accompany loved ones to the terminal anymore and watch them board planes because we are so damned scared of one another (and, correct me if I am wrong, but didn't the hijackers have tickets to board the planes?).

DainBramaged

(39,191 posts)
29. to the naysayers
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 05:17 PM
Mar 2013

ONE it's in it's commercial infancy


TWO the same was said when the Kindle came out........and the IPad...............that books were far better


Progress marches on.........................

antigone382

(3,682 posts)
34. My primary concern: will this tech increase or reduce ghg emissions and global resource extraction?
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 06:06 PM
Mar 2013

I do not know enough about the specific manufacturing processes that will be affected, so I cannot really draw any solid conclusions. My inclination, however, is that any time human labor is replaced by a machine, energy use increases. I do not believe we can maintain our current energy consumption levels, much less increase them, without devastating climate effects.

I see no viable form of renewable energy that is fully capable of replacing fossil fuels. Biofuels displace food crops and have very poor EROI when agricultural emissions and processing are taken into account. Solar and wind are not consistent. Nuclear has great risk, and still generates considerable emissions when the full life cycle of extraction, processing, plant construction and maintenance, and decommissioning are taken into account. Hydropower has terrible effects on ecology, and the anaerobic decomposition that occurs in accumulating sediments at the dam generate methane emissions.

In short, it seems to me that we are facing the necessity of radical change in terms of the resources we consume and the waste that we generate, particularly our energy use. If 3d printing contributes to reduction in consumption and waste, then perhaps it is viable. If it results in an increase, then adopting 3D printing is just one more factor in our global suicide.

liberal N proud

(60,338 posts)
30. The new fervor over 3D printing amuses me
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 05:51 PM
Mar 2013

We have been using 3D printing for many years already and they are acting like it is a totally new technology.

What is new, is it is finally becoming affordable.

Duer 157099

(17,742 posts)
43. Well, if space travel becomes affordable to everyone
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 08:12 PM
Mar 2013

do you imagine that will also create some sort of excitement?

Because access is the issue. It's nice to know we can sequence the human genome. It will be exciting when we can sequence MY genome at an affordable price.

XRubicon

(2,212 posts)
44. 3d printing is easy. Material science is the limiter
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 08:33 PM
Mar 2013

When they are able to print in steel or in aluminum with the same properties as other methods then it will be something.

Warpy

(111,282 posts)
53. It's in its infancy right now
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 10:17 PM
Mar 2013

so it's difficult to say how far it will go.

It could be the technology of the future or it could be too expensive and cumbersome to bother with. My best guess is that it will be somewhere in the middle.

Lint Head

(15,064 posts)
55. I am certain. You could actually print an entire human body.
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 10:42 PM
Mar 2013

Not that it would function mentally but that is a possibility.

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