Weapons of Mass Production

3D printing may seem like a gimmick at the moment, but it could revolutionise the world as we know it. Neil Cumins examines how…
The phenomenon of 3D printing has been with us since the 1970s, yet the hype currently surrounding this nascent technology suggests it’s going to become a pivotal part of our lives in the near future. From weapons to replacement body parts, the ability to fabricate a physical object using nothing more than a printer is already here. In the coming years, it’s likely to transform first-world societies in all sorts of ways.
In essence, a 3D printer works in the same way as its paper-and-ink ancestors. It ‘prints’ a flat layer of a computer-controlled document using a spectrum of materials that can include plastics, paper or powder. However, where a conventional printer dispenses one sheet and then moves on, a 3D printer goes back over the initial layer again and again to construct an incredibly precise three-dimensional object. This process currently takes hours or even days, although the breakneck pace of technological advancement should ultimately reduce printing time to minutes or even seconds. Similarly, today’s monochrome designs will be supplanted by the multi-head technologies already seen in 2D colour printers.

Thanks to the combined efforts of open source collaborators and global manufacturers, domestic 3D printers are already available to buy online. Their technology is compatible with Windows 8, although you’ll need a CAD package like SolidWorks to design anything. Most people will probably favour downloading pre-designed templates before making minor adjustments using graphic design apps or programs, although inventors and the naturally creative will doubtlessly flock onto AutoCAD courses.
Over the next five years, a particular type of manufacturing material should become the 3D printing industry standard. Early favourites for the title include some sort of resin or plastic compound. Once this default method of production has become an established market leader, the domestic 3D printing market will really blossom. Today, there are apps for your iPhone allowing you to customise products that other people will print for you. By 2020, these apps will probably allow you to design and print products from the comfort of your own armchair.
In the meantime, companies like Amazon have recognised that personal uses for these devices are currently limited and fairly occasional. The American arm of Amazon has just introduced a 3D printing service for customised jewellery and small toys, where buyers can change the item they wish to purchase before placing an order. This service is anticipated to expand rapidly to cover a far wider variety of domestic items, from shoes to ornaments. Food printing is already an established technology, and it’s been posited that medicines could be produced using similar methods.

Quite apart from the ability to personalise presents for friends and relatives, 3D printing calls into question the whole concept of mass production. Why purchase generic crockery from a high street retailer when you can get your family crest, your initials or even an impression of your face embossed onto every dinner plate? It’s this boundless scope for personalisation that is powering the headlong rush to encourage consumer adoption of 3D printing. The democratisation of manufacturing should allow millions of people to design and/or produce their own bespoke belongings, and the concept of having to choose between the ready-made options currently on sale will probably seem as archaic to our children as the pre-internet world of Teletext.