3D printing

[milkmiku]

3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file. 3D printing is achieved using additive processes, where an object is created by laying down successive layers of material. Some Videos.

National Geographic Known Universe S03E06 Print Tools
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQHnMj6dxj4

Reprap an open source 3d printer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUB1WgiAFHg

If 3D printing got the attention and finance it deserved, We as a species would be on the way to Post scarcity. Sadly the odds of this happening within anyone’s lifetime remain low. Large corporations would lose a lot of money if people could create anything they would need from the comfort of their office, lobbying groups and people with misguided morals would prevent any progress towards making these machines available for the public. Lobbying groups would of course be protecting the finical interest of their corporate overloads. The individuals with misguided morals, the same people who view file sharing as theft, would vehemently oppose 3D printing with the same arguments they attack file sharing with, the notion that once an Idea exits your head it still remains yours.

The idea that 3D printers would be too expensive for the general public is false. In the beginning as with all technology , it would indeed be very expensive but as a piece technology matures the price of production and distribution falls, as seen with nearly every piece of technology since the transistor, this concept applies more so to 3D printer because a 3D printer could, it theory, print a better version of itself.

Then of course the argument of public safety would be brought up, after all if one could make a working wrench, then what is to stop them from producing a firearm. I ask though, is that threat worth halting the progress of mankind? Because that is what fully realized 3D printing would do, it would expiate our progress past scarcity. I still hope for the day when I can look throughout my Home and in place of the ever present “Made in china” label on everything I would see “Printed in living room”

May we discuss 3D printing and its implications of Humanity?

[Regicollis]

3d printers are not magic. They still need to be fed material and they still consume energy. They might one day become feasible for printing simple products but they would become very complex if they were to print in several materials.

[milkmiku]

3d printers are not magic. They still need to be fed material and they still consume energy. They might one day become feasible for printing simple products but they would become very complex if they were to print in several materials.


Here is a 3D printer that can print in several materials.
http://www.objet.com/3D-Printer/Objet_connex500/
Not much more complex than the other.

They can already create simple products, and even complex working products.

The problem I see is that these machines will inevitably be heavily regulated to the extent that only the wealthy can afford them. Ending any chance of having an effect on the worlds market.

[The Cheshire Cat]

I heard people are 'pirating' designs and put them online on sites like the Piratebay so everyone could just 'pirate' their shoes and stuff. Although I don't think it's really pirating, since you already bought a printer and the material.

I don't think it will get popular soon though. Wouldn't want to wear shoes made of plastic.

[#FF0000]

I heard people are 'pirating' designs and put them online on sites like the Piratebay so everyone could just 'pirate' their shoes and stuff. Although I don't think it's really pirating, since you already bought a printer and the material.

Nah it's still pirating. Just because I bought the mp3 player and pay for the electricity doesn't change the fact that downloading noise is still piracy.

[Os Cangaceiros]

I've seen videos about this sort of technology in which they say that some are trying to develop tech that would allow for 3d printers to break down whatever's fed into the printer into the most basic elements, then reconstitute those elements into something else. THAT would be revolutionary, if it could happen.

[Delenda Carthago]

Whatever the outcome of this, these sorts of issues need to bother us a lot. Means of production change the paradigm, so it (needs to)changes our whole analysis.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Much as I would like to, I don't think this sort of thing will have any significant kind of impact any time soon. It just seems like too obvious a suicidally stupid move to make, if they were to actively push for the research and development of manufacturing along these lines.

[Kyu Six]

This is just a bunch of utopian fantasy by Jacque Fresco. It is simply not possible other than creating the most basic parts from plastic. The Zeitgeist movement seems to understand what the problems with capitalism are, but they skip Marxian analysis and dive right into utopian futurism. I used to think they were at least sensible until they started promoting Fresco. I think they've since parted ways.

[milkmiku]

This is just a bunch of utopian fantasy by Jacque Fresco. It is simply not possible other than creating the most basic parts from plastic. The Zeitgeist movement seems to understand what the problems with capitalism are, but they skip Marxian analysis and dive right into utopian futurism. I used to think they were at least sensible until they started promoting Fresco. I think they've since parted ways.


Here is a 3d printer printing with metal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9VOwqtOglg

Look at history, so much technology was "simply not possible" and yet we have it. The concept is sound, proven, and indeed possible. All that is left is simplification, mass distribution, and a primarily convincing people like you that it is very possible.

[ForgedConscience]

Well, although on a larger scale this would revolutionize the means of production in terms of industry which uses raw resources to create other objects, there is still the fact that we have to acquire those raw materials. After all, matter and energy cannot be created out of nothing. Ergo, the workers would not be work-less.

In fact I do not see this as any threat to our analysis as Marxists, I see it as a very positive thing. Imagine in a future communist society, instead of toiling away in factories you could spend your time on millions of other productive pursuits, though by no means should this mean laziness as you would still have to be recognizably contributing to society in order to receive what you want and need from it.

In the end we aren't primitivists, technological advancement should be embraced and if it conflicts with our theory, then the theory must change.

[Thug Lessons]

Those are really awesome tools for hobbyists but not actually that useful for even light industrial production, and probably won't be for decades at least.

[#FF0000]

Those are really awesome tools for hobbyists but not actually that useful for even light industrial production, and probably won't be for decades at least.

iirc they've already used printed parts for some of the smaller parts of cars and other machines and products.

[Thug Lessons]

iirc they've already used printed parts for some of the smaller parts of cars and other machines and products.

I don't doubt it but those are exactly the sort of jobs they ship off to Mexico where children make those parts by hand for $0.02 an hour. They do that specifically to avoid wasting money on advanced machinery, like, for example, 3D printers.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

This is just a bunch of utopian fantasy by Jacque Fresco. It is simply not possible other than creating the most basic parts from plastic. The Zeitgeist movement seems to understand what the problems with capitalism are, but they skip Marxian analysis and dive right into utopian futurism. I used to think they were at least sensible until they started promoting Fresco. I think they've since parted ways.

All the better for Jacque Fresco. It's my understanding that he has no truck with the conspiracy theories (http://blog.thezeitgeistmovement.com/blog/noah-bonn/conspiracy-theories) that are apparently prevalent in the Zeitgeist Movement.

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

A coworker I know has a relatively inexpensive one, several hundred dollars I believe. It's great for making plastic molds or pieces for scratchbuilding models, which we both do as a hobby. No doubt many other applications he's going to use it for, the only limitation is a small size.

Some of the ones that are being built are pretty amazing, albeit very expensive. There are some that will re-mold plastic that can be made from shredding milk cartons and other plastic bottles, which is really cool.