3D Printing Controversy

Steve Prongay

             The reason there are two sides to every story is because there are people in this world with different thoughts, beliefs and perceptions on life.  What one person thinks is right; another may think it is wrong.  People are extraordinarily diverse, and because of that there are positives and negatives, pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages and good and bad to every single thing.  Everything said, made and sold is controversial.  Every product was once put on a drawing board where the pros and cons were listed to see if whatever that product may have been should have been produced.  Some products are more controversial to others, no matter how beneficial they may be for this world.  An example of a controversial product is  3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, which we talked about in class just a few weeks ago.

            The 3D printer has potential to transform society for the better, and when it was just an idea in its creator’s head, I bet that was their immediate intention.  However, nobody can ignore the potential negative consequences that exist when something this complex and life changing is produced.   In class, we watched a video on the 3D printer and how it can be used to make weapons, which put in the wrong hands, can be extremely dangerous.  Who is to blame if a gun is 3D printed and used to kill someone?  Who is to blame if a knife is 3D printed and it is used to stab someone?  Is the owner of the printer or the manufacturer of the printer to blame?

            Just like most things, for every positive there is to a specific product, there is a negative to match it.  The invention of the 3D printer has developed many potential problems that the world will now face, even though it will be extremely useful for society.  To begin, the 3D printer, as you can imagine, uses a lot of energy.  3D printers consume about 50 to 100 times more electrical energy than injection molding to make an item of the same weight (techrepublic).  The use of the 3D printers will also let out unhealthy air emissions.  According to researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology, the emissions from desktop 3D printers are similar to burning a cigarette or cooking on a gas or electric stove.  There are many other possible negative outcomes with the production of 3D printers.  The possibility of 3D printed drugs, the safety of items produced from the 3D printer that come in contact with food and national security risks are among the possible negatives.

            Cheap manufacturing, quick production, less waste and better quality headline the benefits of 3D printing.  3D printing is increasingly being used my large companies such as Converse to replace some of their traditional manufacturing methods with cost savings up to 70% (augmentedtomorrow).  Additive manufacturing is being adopted everyday by big name companies to replace their current prototyping methods and to even play a part in the manufacturing process.  3D printing is no doubt a double-edged sword, having its many advantages and disadvantages.  Additive manufacturing opens up a world of new possibilities for all industries, yet still is a potentially dangerous machine that needs to be studied and worked on extensively to be perfect.  Because of this, 3D printing will always be a controversial product, and knowing the disadvantages of it serves as a benefit to all of its users and the world as a whole.