The 3D printer: Technological revolution or real danger?

Photo credit: inhabitat.com

Paris, October 18^th 2013 by Laura Kaplan

The 3D technique is more and more employed today. This revolutionary technique is essentially used in the cinema sector but is making a controversial entry in the printing industry. This technique has 2 aspects: it is definitely revolutionary but can be dangerous.

The 3D technique is a revolution in the technology sector. 3D printers can print objects in 3 dimensions by using an additive process (successive pieces are put together to obtain the final object). According to Le Point, you can now have this printer in your home for less than 1.000 euros. You can buy it on websites such as Amazon or in computer stores, but also build it by yourself. Today, it is financially possible to build objects with a 3D printer and this method is cheaper than the manufacturing method. If you break an object, instead of replacing it by buying another one, you can print this object at your home and have a new one.

Thanks to the 3D printer, you can turn virtual drawings to physical objects. It can print some complex objects with materials such as ceramic, paper, resin, carbon or even pizza ingredients; but also, complex shapes and structures that would be very difficult to reproduce with traditional methods. Finally, this printer reduces the waste as only the needed materials to build the object are used.

Then comes the dangerous side of the 3D printer. The printer can be used to create firearms. After being printed, these arms look more like a toy than a real arm but it is a weapon. The printed arms are real weapons and can be used to kill.

Photo credit: dailytech.com

 Photo credit: technobuffalo.com

According to the Huffington Post, firearms made with a 3D printer can be made since May 2013. The creator was a 23 year-old student at the Texas University of law, Cody Wilson. It is now easy to build a firearm at home with a 3D printer and a construction blueprint and nowadays, everyone can make one. This discovery will allow to persons to get around the USA government’s goal, which is to prevent firearms falling into the wrong hands (Source).

With all the issues United States are facing today due to the abusive use of firearms, this emergence of the 3D printer is a new issue of this debate.

Today, it is unclear if the selling of 3D printers should be authorized to everybody or if the selling for non-professional use should be banned to prevent the abusive use of this printer to, for example, create firearms.