Advantages and Disadvantages of 3D Printing - Essay Example

Advantages and Disadvantages of 3D Printing Introduction Over the recent past, there has been huge advancements in the field of technology. Today, people can produce or manufacture products at a speedy rate due to these advancements. A good example of modern technology include 3D printing. Though technology has led to increased productivity and efficiency, there are also potential disadvantages. It is therefore the obligation of technology users to ensure they use it within legal and moral frameworks. This paper defines 3D printing and subsequently explicates the advantages and disadvantages of the technology. Defining 3D printing 3D printing can best be understood by defining a 3D printer. According to Kelly, "A 3D printer is a printer that prints in three dimensions" (5). Deriving from this definition of a 3D printer, 3D printing is therefore printing objects in three dimensions. This technology has transformed printing from the conventional two dimensional methods which lacked height to three dimensions that comprise of height (Kelly 5). To further differentiate between the conventional method of 2D and modern 3D printing, Kelly asserts that whereas ink is used in 2D printing, 3D printing mainly uses plastic in order to achieve a three-dimensional object (7). Advantages of 3D Printing Through 3D printing, it is easier for individuals to modify products according to customers instructions and needs. This advantage is reiterated by Stephanidis who posits that customized products can easily be created and produced in large quantities through an uncomplicated process made possible by 3D technology (300). Additionally, merchandise can be produced more rapidly and precisely as the process is computerized. People can today purchase a 3D printer at a cheaper price for use at home. It is worth noting that people in the modern world have divergent needs and requirements and hence may require to create specific products to meet their specific needs. An individual can therefore create a product to meet his own need at home and thus making life easier. This saves resources as money that could have otherwise be spent through purchasing the particular product from a shop or other manufacturers is used for other purposes. 3D is today used to create prototypes. In fact, Battersby and Grimes assert that approximately 70 percent of 3D usage today entails prototyping (831). In laymans terms, a prototype is a model or sample that is created for experimentation. Through the use of 3D, an individual can create as many prototypes as possible at a cheaper price until the specifications of the desired product are achieved. There are many benefits of creating prototypes in business today. According to Battersby and Grimes , prototyping "Shortens the development life cycle, and enables easy experimentation and innovation" (831). Additionally prototyping allows the manufacturer to transform or adjust the blueprint of the product easily as many times as possible until the customers requirements are met. This prevents losses that could have been incurred through producing products that end up being rejected by the customers. Through prototyping therefore, the manufacturer has an assurance that the product is of high quality (Battersby and Grimes 831). The advantages of 3D printing can also be viewed in comparison with the conventional methods of manufacturing products. As mentioned earlier, 3D printing is done at a speedy rate. This means that mass production can be done only when necessary or when demand for the product is high. Manufacturers are thus able to save money as there is no need of renting or building storage facilities. Equally, public needs are constantly changing. Manufacturers are always coming up with new products that are captivating and attractive to the customers. In other words, manufacturers are always changing the shapes or designs of their products to align them with the changing trends in the society. The fact that only small volumes are produced when 3D printing or technology is used means that there will be no accumulation of out-of-date stock and thus safeguards manufacturers from incurring huge losses. Biehler and Fane mentions that new designs of 3D printers are being developed and introduced in the market almost on a daily basis (255). This shows that 3D printing technology has created job opportunities for many people particularly innovators. Unemployment rate is very high especially in the developed world today. The fact that people are able to create and print three-dimensional objects or products has created business opportunities for many individuals. Other than providing employment opportunities in terms of new innovations, the accumulation of 3D printers will necessitate the need for skilled individuals to repair them. People skilled in blueprint designs will also be more marketable with the spread of 3D printing technology. Changing conditions in the global market have made it compulsory for people to find alternative ways to provide for their families. 3D printing provides people from across the globe with that opportunity to earn a living. Battersby and Grimes additionally assert that 3D printing is currently being used almost in all sectors of the economy globally (831). Some of the examples where 3D printing has generated tremendous benefits according to Battersby and Grimes include the aerospace and automotive industries (832). Battersby and Grimes posit that 3D printing has prompted the development of new innovations and as well improved productivity through enhancement of efficiency in these sectors. Disadvantages of 3D printing One of the disadvantage of 3D printing is an increase in counterfeit products. Weinberg elucidates the fact that some of the products manufactured through 3D printing are not original or genuine (7). If such products are manufactured for commercial purposes, then customers would be cheated into buying fake products. Observed in view of the original inventor, 3D printing may deny the inventor the right to enjoy his innovation financially due to accumulation of imitations in the market. It is also worth noting that 3D printing will definitely have a negative effect on businesses all over the world (Johansen and Ron 59). There is a possibility that some big retail shops and manufacturing companies could close as people will be able to produce or manufacture all items they need using their personal 3D printers and hence there will be no need to purchase products from shops. This could be extrapolated to include effects on the global economy. Countries get their funds to run their governments from taxes. The ability of people to produce their own products at home will mean a reduction in purchases in terms of volumes and hence the amounts of taxes collected will be reduced. It is common knowledge that inhabitants in a country with insufficient funds to support its services are affected due to lack of enough funds to support health services and also other sectors of fundamental importance to their lives. Weinberg also argues that 3D printing can make it impossible for governments to protect copyrights for innovators and designers (7). This is attributed to the fact that a person can create and distribute products without necessary registering a company. Johansen and Ronn points out that "3D printing will be amazing, but what gets printed will be up to the people doing the printing" (59). Additionally, Johansen and Ronn further assert that people are increasingly sharing their blueprints on how to design and produce various products online, among them, guns (59). This assertion can be construed to mean that people will be able to design and manufacture dangerous weapons at the comfort of their homes. Guns, in essence, would increase rates of crime and thus increase insecurity within the society. Autonomy in terms of production of products made possible by 3D, as postulated by Johansen and Ronn (59), could also prompt people to start manufacturing unnecessary items. Since much of the products produced through 3D printing are made of plastic, disposing them could be a challenge and could in fact contribute to environmental pollution. For instance, plastic wastes do not decompose easily and burning them could pollute the air and as such contribute to global warming. Since current 3D printers mainly use plastics for printing (Kelly 7), this limits production capacity. There are many products that must be produced using other raw materials such as metal and therefore, people are less likely to come up with new innovations made of metal and other substances since they give much attention to items that could only be produced using plastic as a raw material. Another disadvantage is in relation to the size of products manufactured. As mentioned earlier, 3D printers are used to produce products in 3D technology (Kelly 7). In comparison with the conventional method of manufacturing which involved physically molding items, there is a limit in terms of size in items that can be produced through 3D printing. This further restricts the types of items that a manufacturer or producer can create. Though the overall production of products using 3D is cheaper as compared to conventional techniques (Stephanidis 300), people have to incur the cost of buying the printers and a computer in order to be able to use the technology. The fact that new types or designs of 3D printers are been developed everyday can be extrapolated to mean that these printers are developed in different sizes. A particular size of a printer can therefore only print a product of a size that can fit in that specific printer. In other words, an individual in need of producing products or merchandise for commercial purpose, and of different sizes, has to buy different sizes of printers. This can be very expensive. There are also legal issues that arise in reference to 3D printing. An example given by Biehler and Fane focus on liability issues, for instance when a printed item causes damage or injury to a human being or property (254). Questions arise on who ought to pay for damages in such a case. Due to counterfeiting, a manufacturing company could be wrongly held accountable and end up spending millions in litigation fees. Conclusion The use of 3D printing has potential benefits and limitations. In terms of benefits, 3D printing makes it possible for products to be produced at a speedy rate as compared to conventional techniques as the technology is computerized. Secondly, it allows prototyping or creation of an array of models for experimentation at a cheaper rate and faster. Other benefits include provision of job opportunities for 3D printer designers or innovators, eliminates the need for renting or construction of storage facilities hence saving huge sums of money, and enhances innovations as people try to design their own original and unique products. On the other hand, 3D printing could encourage production of fake products, encourage production of dangerous products or items such as guns, can contribute to environmental pollution, and can only use limited types of raw materials. There is also a limit in terms of size of products that can be produced, and could as well be expensive as an individual may be required to purchase printers of different sizes. Works cited Battersby, Gregory J, and Grimes Chares W. Licensing Update 2014. New York: Wolter Kluwer, 2014. Print. Biehler, John, and Fane Bill. 3D Printing with Autodesk: Create and Print 3D Objects with 123D, AutoCAD and Inventor. Upper Saddle River: Que Publishing, 2014. Print. Johansen, Bob, and Ronn Karl. The Reciprocity Advantage: A New Way to Partner for Innovation and Growth. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2014. Print. Kelly, James Floyd. 3D Printing: Build Your Own 3D Printer and Print Your 3D Objects. New York: Pearson Education, 2014. Print. Piller, Frank T, and Tseng Mitchell M. Research in Mass Customization and Personalization: Strategies and Concepts. Singapore: World Scientific, 2009. Print. Stephanidis, Constantine. HCI International 2014-Posters Extended Abstracts: International Conference, HCI International 2014 Heraklion, Crete, Greece, June 22-27, 2014 Proceedings, Part II. New York: Springer, 2014. Print. Weinberg, Michael. "It Will be Awesome if They Dont Screw it Up: 3D Printing, Intellectual Property, and the Fight over the Next Great Disruptive Technology." Public Knowledge. Nov 2010. Public Knowledge Web. 18 Nov 2014. Read More