The Current Uses of 3D Printing - Essay Example

Evaluate the Current Uses of 3D Printing and Discuss the Potential Future of Based on the Current Issues Identified Table of Contents Introduction 3 Overview of 3D Printing 3 Current Uses of 3D Printing 4 Evaluation of the Uses of 3D Printing 5 The Future of 3D Printing 6 Conclusion 7 Appendix 9 References 11 Evaluate the Current Uses of 3D Printing and Discuss the Potential Future of Based on the Current Issues Identified Introduction 3D printing is the process involved in making three-dimensional objects whereby computer control is used to lay down successive layers of materials (Stephens, Orch & Ramos 2013, p. 334). Also refered to as additive manufacturing, the term is an advancement of the original sense and currently includes sintering and extrusion techniques and is applicable in fields such as architecture, fashion, construction, medical, engineering and military. The applications include prototyping, product development, specialised development and data visualisation. Current 3D technologies include building images layer by layer using powder and raw materials such as resins, plastics and super alloys rather than multi-coloured ink as in conventional printers (Berman 2012, p. 155). 3D printing presents many future possibilities, albeit some clearly not for the foreseeable future, including the manufacturing of final objects closer to consumers or even by the consumers themselves, with significant implications for both the society and economy. On the other hand, there are also issues ranging from social to practical, legal and economic aspects. This paper will evaluate the current uses of 3D printing and discuss its potential future based on the issues associated with them. Overview of 3D Printing 3D printing has evolved since the first functional 3D printer was created in 1984. The 3D printing or additive manufacturing process is a form of rapid-prototyping that fabricates three-dimensional objects using the technology of ink-jet printing. The process joins materials from three-dimensional model data to make or ‘print’ objects, usually placing layer upon layer unlike subtractive manufacturing that include cutting and moulding raw materials into objects (Stahl 2013, p. 3). Further, it mainly uses systems of 3D scanning and computer-aided design (CAD) models for production. Objects printed using the 3D technology are fabricated after successive layers of materials are solidified, fused or deposited on top of each other, whereby each layer corresponds to the objects’ cross-sectional shapes. FDM (fused deposition modeling) and SLS (selective laser sintering) are currently the most common 3D printing technologies. Technological developments have made the concept more accessible and affordable, widening the range of current and potential users beyond the previous rapid prototyping systems that fundamentally targeted engineering and industrial applications. According to Stephens, Orch & Ramos (2013, p. 334), 3D printing may better be understood by viewing what it can do for manufacturing as being synonymous to what the Internet and computers have done for data creation, processing and storage. Hence, it is possible to imagine a future in which both intangible services and tangible goods can be delivered to a consumer’s desktop via the internet and devices connected to computers. Current Uses of 3D Printing Presently, 3D printing applications are mainly in prototyping, military, construction, visualisation, architecture, fashion, medical, and engineering fields (see figures 1, 2 and 3 in the appendix). Specific items fabricated include customised football boots and mobile phones, medical implants, dental crowns, car parts, aircraft parts, jewellery, batteries, lampshades and furniture (Birtchnell & Urry 2013, p. 27). This range is growing steadily because of the wide range of materials that 3D printers can use, which are as diverse as polymers and sand. Not only is the range of objects being fabricated in 3D printing growing in diversity, there is also an increase of websites that offer catalogues of designs on online platforms featuring a wide range of possible materials. The services offered on the online platforms range from multinational enterprises to open source aggregators of designs submitted by users. Enthusiasts and hobbyists are fueling the growth of domestic or personal 3D printing, taking advantage of technological developments that have 3D printers cheaper. Further, especially in the US, libraries are also in the forefront of the revolution of digital information (Kostakis, Fountouklis & Drechsler 2013, p. 773). They are rapidly taking up 3D printing to provide patrons with opportunities to engage actively in creative learning and address issues such as community health and launching new products. Evaluation of the Uses of 3D Printing Agreeably, 3D printing has and will continue to transform the society and technology for the better. The current uses benefit consumers in a variety of ways that includes the ability to obtain finished goods much faster and quicker than conventional shopping. Further, consumers can customise and tailor-make goods exactly to their preference, which is a positive aspect of the freedom of choice. This can be perceived not only from the business view point but also functionality because, for example, a custom-made football boot as per scanned pictures of a footballer’s foot will not only be for sale but enhance the player’s performance (Stahl 2013, p. 4). However, the potential negative consequences of 3D printing as a technology must also be considered. According to (Campbell 2012, p. 47), the technology must first come up against social, practical, legal and economic barriers. More specifically, there are issues related to copyright, patents, privacy, trademark and product liability that are not clearly addressed, with possible legal consequences. For example, the legal questions arising from the use of the technology demand that libraries should go beyond simply providing information and instructions to their patrons regarding the technicalities, maintenance, scanning and modeling of printers. This further gives such institutions the burden of considering the practicality and consistency of their mission in serving the public with regards to what is within or outside the law according to courts, state legislatures and regulatory agencies. From another perspective, the increasing use of 3D printing is inevitably leading to anticipation that large scale adoption of the technique will have significant ramifications for manufacturers and their workplaces. In social terms, factory workers with minimal academic qualifications may be replaced by 3D printers if the technology is enhanced by manufacturing firms (Kostakis, Fountouklis & Drechsler 2013, p. 775). Although this may lead to increased job opportunities for well educated computer specialists and programmers to monitor the processes, it will have more negative impacts on the mass job losses that will face the manual labourers. However, from a technical point of view, 3D printing is also a slow process and can take several hours to complete complicated designs (Campbell 2012, p. 47). Such complicated designs demand extra materials and time, with the possibility that the object may be detached from the base plate resulting in damage and consequently requiring the job to start afresh. Further, 3D printers are known to have hazardous air emissions, consume a lot of energy and rely heavily on plastics. The Future of 3D Printing 3D printing may have taken a relatively short period of time inception to development and primary usage, but that does not say much about its future especially after critically analysing the technology (Walters et al 2009, p. 4). This is evidenced in the graph as shown by figure 4 in the appendix. Inasmuch as the range of goods that can be fabricated through 3D printing is already significantly high, the technology is largely stuck with prototyping. This is caused by the limitation of materials that 3D printers can squirt from the same printer head. Since this challenge is real and contributes to printed objects lacking some of the required properties as per the needs of the designer, the technology may not be embraced fully by everyone in the near future (Kostakis, Fountouklis & Drechsler 2013, p. 778). Studies have shown that even with the fears of 3D printers replacing manual labourers in factories, the future of the technology is heavily dependent on its ability to fabricate not only dummy plastics but also composite metal parts (Stephens, Orch & Ramos 2013, p. 336). Therefore, manual labourers and tool operators may not be facing any immediate threat if technologists do not overcome the challenges the technology faces in fabricating goods with different materials. The future of 3D printing may also be challenged by copyright, patent and privacy issues as pointed out by Campbell (2012, p. 47). For example, the plastic industry may suffer great losses if masses of consumers embrace domestic 3D printing. Although the ability of consumers to print anything will have its own advantages, it will also infringe on copyright laws and some states in the US are already considering this aspect. With such considerations, it means that even though the benefits of 3D printing are acknowledged especially in manufacturing where innovation can be promoted without tools or human intervention, the technology may take a while before becoming fully integrated in industries. The time factor can also be viewed from the perspective of regulatory agents having to address the issue of emissions incase 3D printing is industrialised. Conclusion 3D printing has been shown to be a category of additive manufacturing that eliminates the need of designers creating molds before fabricating final goods. It uses 3D scanning and CAD models to fabricate goods after successive layers of materials are solidified, fused or deposited on top of each other. Each layer corresponds to the objects’ cross-sectional shapes. FDM and SLS are currently the most common 3D printing technologies. Its current applications are mainly prototyping, product development, specialised development and data visualisation. Although the technology presents many future possibilities such as manufacturing objects closer to consumers or even by the consumers themselves even if not for the foreseeable future, it also presents practical, legal and economic issues. Before all the issues are adequately addressed and the technology is fully industrialised, it may take a while even though the technology has already been sanctioned by some governments such as the US. These issues contribute significantly to what the future of the technology might be. Appendix Figure 1: 3D printed ‘design artifacts’ (Walters et al 2009, p. 3). Figure 2: 3D printed ‘trumpet spheres’ (Walters et al 2009, p. 3). Figure 3: 3D printed ‘undersea machines’ (Walters et al 2009, p. 3). Figure 4: Trend of 3D printing applications (Walters et al 2009, p. 4). References Birtchnell, T & Urry, J 2013, ‘3D, SF and the future’, Futures, vol. 50, pp. 25-34. Berman, B 2012, ‘3D printing: the new industrial revolution’, Business Horizons, vol. 55, pp. 155-162. Campbell, M 2012, ‘Absolutely fabricated’, New Scientist, 15 December 2012, pp. 46-49. Kostakis, V, Fountouklis, M & Drechsler, W 2013, ‘Peer production and desktop manufacturing’, Science, Technology and Human Values, vol. 38, no. 6, pp. 773-800. Stahl, H 2013, 3D printing: risks and opportunities, Öko-Institut, Berlin. Stephens, B, Orch, E & Ramos, T 2013, ‘Ultrafine particle emissions from desktop 3D printers’, Atmospheric Environment, vol. 79, no. 2, pp. 334-336. Walters, P, Huson, D, Parraman, C & Stanic M 2009, 3D printing in colour: technical evaluation and creative applications, Impact 6 International Printmaking Conference, Bristol. Read More