What dangers lie behind 3D printers? It may not yet have been realized, since the use of 3D printers is still relatively limited, but these machines seem to bring sweeping changes to the industry, which will, however, be accompanied by exceptional risks.
How 3D printers are changing the relationship between producer and consumer – The “personalized” production of products
The technique of 3D printing has only begun to evolve in recent years, while the first tangible results emerged within the decade we are living in. However, 3D printers have attracted, and continue to attract, so much attention from the entire developed technological community, so that the technique of 3D printing has had time to develop impressively.
One can already print whatever one wants. Houses, clothes, models and objects in general… of all kinds can be created from the thin, usually plastic, coatings of the new revolutionary devices. The new surprise that came to underline the importance of 3D printing was the use of biomaterials and the manufacture of medicines, but also human organs.
It is almost certain that in a few years 3D printers will be the main production units of products, bringing enormous changes to the industrial sector. Having a direct impact on the overall structure of global industry, this… god-sent device is expected to cause unrest, offering unique privileges accompanied by serious risks.
The relationship between designer, producer and consumer seems to be reshaped when 3D printers enter our everyday lives. The participation of the consumer in the shaping of the product will now be clearly more substantial, breaking the hitherto intact dividing line between manufacturer and consumer, in the context of modern consumerism.
Products that until now were only available through special order and at an increased cost, in a few years will be considered a given in the market, precisely because there will be the possibility of their immediate production. Moreover, 3D printers will soon be “stocking” every home, with companies already promoting the philosophy of “personalized
design”.
If someone acquires the device, all they need to create the products they want is the appropriate design. So, either in collaboration with an expert, or with enough practice and experimentation, they will be able to print anything they want with 3D printers.
A technological product… a double-edged sword – The enormous risks that have already emerged
With the "personalization" of product production, many changes are expected to occur that will affect sectors unrelated to technology. Just as the computer completely changed the data in the field of information and communication, 3D printers are expected to affect the industrial sector to a similar extent, but also the concept of consumerism more generally.
This machine could even stand in the way of the continued monopoly of certain companies. To create competitive companies that can survive without the huge capital of globalized chains. To essentially have a second, more “popular” industrial revolution. This is probably the scenario for the most… romantic fans of technology.
But probably, such a firmly founded global system of life cannot collapse from a simple device. The scenario that is being examined most intensely is the one that focuses on the "personalization of production" and the effects that the reckless use of the printer will have on society.
The first 3D weapons have already been printed and used. Some are entirely plastic, something that seemed impossible a few years ago, others with metal parts for greater power. With the appropriate designs, the owner of a 3D printer can build a series of weapons on his own, which are not even numbered. In many cases, unsuitable materials are used to create them, resulting in the weapon being dangerous even for its user.
In the U.S., many cases of people attempting to create their own personal weapons have been identified. The government, without an appropriate legal framework for such cases, has proceeded with several arbitrary actions, while it is still trying to complete an adequate amendment to the legislation.
At the same time, the use of biomaterials, which sounds impressive to most people, could turn out to be particularly bad. Drugs could be manufactured in exactly the same way that… printed drugs are expected to be created. The correct recipe is enough for the manufacturer, who will not need to interact with other people to print his drugs.
These are the two simplest ideas one can think of regarding the misuse of printers. However, it is certain that the… ingenious minds of people who want to exploit the so-called “personalization of production” will discover much more.
It is therefore more than necessary to have a mechanism that will function as a defense for this revolutionary tool. Otherwise, a device that is expected to change technological data will be overshadowed by its negative impacts.
Source: iefimerida.gr
