When one hears 3D, an automatic response would be to think of mega-blockbuster films. But the world of 3D reaches beyond those somewhat uncomfortable 3D glasses. The world of 3D printing has and continues to defy the impossible. Whether it is design, construction or medicine, 3D printing is being used every day to break down barriers, once considered impenetrable, in all aspects of society.
3D printing is most commonly used by architects, auto companies and engineers to bring life to their design through creating a model or prototype. The Hershey company is developing a printer for 3D chocolate (Yahoo Finance) and in Japan, engineers are diligently exploring the limits of design that the convenience of 3D printers allow.
However, in the world of medicine, more radical accomplishments have been made. In Holland, doctors at University Medical Center Utrecht have successfully performed a surgery that completely replaced a patient’s skull with a 3D version contrived of plastic. This surgery was the first of the sort. Prosthetic eyes have are in the works of mass printing, thus, making them more affordable and appeasing the consumer demand for better aesthetics. Printers that utilize enzymes and collagen as the “ink” are being developed by James Yoo at the Wake Forest School of Medicine in the United States. This ink will be printed and then layered onto tissue cells and skin cells, in order to form a skin graft. (CNN). These types of skin grafts will revolutionize the way that burn victims will be treated. Last summer, a prosthetic foot, created from silicone, was made for a duck amputee. Other forms of thermoplastic have been used in places, such as South Africa to treat victims of lost limbs.From head to toe, 3D printing is changing the world of medicine and beyond. (IFL Science).
Nearly anything can be built from these printers. However, this does raise the risk of weaponry being produced through the technology. With the increase in demand and production of 3D printers, it may not be long until 3D printers become a part of every household. Prices of some 3D printers can be offered at a low price of $1,500 and will soon be offered at a less expensive rate as production outsources to places like China. Yet, this means that 3D printers will be more wildly accessible and thus, increases the risk for antagonists to get hold of the product.
Before the dangers of having the ability to produce virtually anything reaches its zenith, it should be the responsibility for global security to establish laws and restrictions on this type of machinery. The time for action must be now, where the future of 3D printing becomes ever-so imminent in our world.
