Possibilities that 3d printing holds

Despite guns being printed with 3d printing technology, that’s hardly the biggest threat at hand.

Because despite the real possibility of a plastic gun, it still needs a metal bullet and firing pin.

The gun wouldn’t withstand the heat generated inside the chambers and be rendered useless after the first shot is fired.

If the first shot is ever fired.

The biggest threat 3d printing looms large over is the possibility of reducing manufacturing to zero.

With 3d printers being developed that are more and more capable of taking things closer to tangible reality, the possibility of large-scale manufacturing approaches zero.

Traditional companies that thrive on putting the paste inside a tube, sending steel columns, extracting minerals and so on and so forth will witness a decline.

A title on a popular magazine on 3d printing goes by: The technology that promises a factory in every home. The title doesn’t belie but may be a tad bit earlier than its time.

When Elizabeth from the SmithSonian mag visited the 3d System’s plant at Rock Hills she was by far unimpressed with what the printers could do.

Once machine took 26 hours to carve four inches of a bauble and the machine itself cost $170,000 not to mention the costs associated with the materials, and electricity for operating the behemoth.

Printers sold at $1299 can’t print in more than a single color at a time. And they’re mostly used to manufacture jewellery.

Our guide lists the different aspects of 3d pens.

The frailties set aside, this form of manufacturing that is on-demand manufacture proffers several benefits such as:

You can quickly manufacture anything that’s broken. I cannot recall the countless times our flush tank’s connection hose been broken down by many a drunken stupor.

It was a needless pain each time running to the store for a replacement, not to mention purchasing the required white thread and glue too.

Manufacturers can send spec sheets to devise such items and home owners can sit at their homes and print it for their needs. Repairs at home are a daily event.

Some or the other thing breaks eventually.

And fixing such things at half the traditional cost, saving time in the process and undercutting retailers by contacting manufacturers directly is a dream come true.

This may lead to the eventual decline and non-existence of retail stores. Who needs them any longer?

Thomas is a tech industry veteran journalist who writes about the latest gadgets.