You’ve probably all seen the videos of 3D printers in action, and most of you will have been just as impressed as me. This technology has many applications, which is why experts are predicting it could totally revolutionise our manufacturing industries. Even so, I’ve not year heard anyone mention the drawbacks to this process, and this is why I’m writing an article today highlighting both the pros and cons of this recent advancement. Don’t get me wrong, I still think it’s absolutely fantastic, I just think we could do with obtaining a balanced view.
When companies like Opti Graphics began researching this new method of printing, the devices around were far more rudimentary than those we see on TV today. Still, that firm, and many others like it, saw potential in the prototypes and invested heavily, meaning we have them to thank for the more sturdy and reliable devices we see on the market today. With that in mind, spend the new couple of minutes learning about both the benefits and drawbacks on this new, most talked about technology.
The Pros Of 3D Printing Technology:
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Wider Variation – 3D printing allows manufacturers to stay flexible, and makes it possible for them to easily construct custom products that match their clients own designs.
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Faster Manufacturing – These new printers will eventually speed up the manufacturing process and thus create more profit for those involved.
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Print On Demand – In the past, manufacturing companies would have to estimate the amount of product they would need, which could sometimes cause shortages or waste. With 3D printing, this isn’t an issue, as they’re able to simply create the item in minutes when a customer makes an order. We call this print on demand.
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More Jobs – The world will need more engineers and designers to deal with the influx of interest in 3D printing. This should more than make up for the traditional hand working jobs lost through the tech.
The Cons Of 3D Printing Technology:
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Limited Choice Of Material – At the moment, 3D printers can only make items from resins, plastics and ceramics, although inventors are working on widening this list.
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Copyrighted Designs – Once every factory in the world has 3D printers and most people have them at home, it will be pretty difficult to stop the counterfeiting of certain items.
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Dangerous Products – It’s possible to create knives and even guns using 3D Printing technology, and it would be incredibly difficult to stop this.
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Small Size – At the moment, 3D printers are restricted to a certain size, but innovators are constantly creating larger machines, and one day they hope to be able to produce buildings and other large items.
Well folks, you should be able to see from the information I’ve just relayed that 3D printing really is the future. Whilst writing this article, I found it extremely difficult to come up with an even amount of pros and cons because the technology is just so good. Even so, I hope I’ve managed to succeed where so many others have failed in giving you a truly balanced view.
See you next time!
