Chapter 1
“All you need these days to run a factory is a man and a dog. You need the man to feed the dog and the dog to bite the man if he tries to touch anything” (p. 3).
I found this quote to be particularly interesting as it summarizes (in a slightly exaggerated way) the debate that has probably been taking place since the times of the Industrial Revolution. Factory employees are constantly being replaced by machinery whose productivity is, in most cases, impossible to compete with. 3D printers, however, have brought this uneasy trade-off between productivity and employment to a whole new level as besides productivity, they offer a variety of products and designs that simply cannot be handmade. On the bright side, mankind will still need engineers, software architects, and designers. Plus, this new kind of revolution is happening somewhat gradually, thus, giving us time to adjust to the world where the borders between virtual and physical are disappearing. Note to self: learn new skills in order to survive in this world of “printable virtuality.”
Chapter 2
“I remember the first time I heard about 3D printing. The time was the late 1980s” (p. 8).
I was extremely surprised to find out that 3D printers have been around since the 1980s. I think the first time I heard about 3D printers was only a couple of years ago. My mind is still struggling to accept the fact that theoretically anything, absolutely anything, can be printed. All one needs is a 3D model and a plug in converting the information from the CAD file into the data readable by a 3D printer. What I find even more surprising is that people have had access to the magical powers of 3D printing for a few decades now and yet it is not as widespread as one would expect it to be. I mean something that fascinating should have taken the world by storm and forever ended the reality as we know it. However, 3D printers have been making their way into our lives in tiny cautious steps, pretty much “sneaking up” on us here and there.
Chapter 3
“You can have it done good, fast, or cheap. Pick any two. (Unless you’re here for the 3D printed custom tires.)”
I definitely enjoy the author’s sense of humor. But jokes aside, he claims that 3D printers completely eliminate the necessity to compromise between quality, speed, and price. This is simply mind-blowing! In other words, it is identical to going shopping to a local store and paying the same price for unidentified clumsy moccasins and designer haute couture shoes. Except one doesn’t even need to go anywhere as the shoes can be printed just in time for the party in the comfort of one’s home.
Chapter 4
“3D printing shrinks two prohibitive costs to zero: the cost of customization and the cost of complicated shapes.”
In this chapter the author elaborates on the idea he introduces in the previous chapter: the cost of design in 3D printing is zero. It does not matter if one prints out 10 identical-looking items or 10 items with custom design. Without a doubt, this is one of the major advantages of 3D printers, besides the fact that they can print life-saving products of course.
