Fabricated: The New World of 3D Printing serves to provide a great introduction into the world of possibilities that stem from the world of 3D printing technology.  It touches on aspects ranging from its applications and the possibilities it presents in various fields, such as “bioprinting” (tissue engineering and other related aspects), to issues embodied in the legal sphere.  Whilst the book does a touch on a myriad of topics, it does raise some questions concerning the actual current day uses and feasibility of the technology.  The following will address some questions and topics of interest that the book has produced for me.

One of the most exciting topics brought about by Fabricated, and one that would serve as the inspiration for the name of this blog, is the movement away from economies of scale.  Here, traditionally in order for production to actually be feasible from an economic standpoint, a large volume of product needed to be produced.  As a matter of fact, the book provided a rather shocking fact in regards to this; “…to earn back the investment in producing a simple toothbrush… the minimum order is a whopping 28,000 toothbrushes” (25).  This significantly limits the amount of innovation that is possible as it takes a sizable investment to even prototype a unit that may not even function/behave as intended in its physically manifested form.  Thus, movement away from the status quo in regards to technological implementation and creativity is not much of a practical aspect as it currently stands due to manufacturing and design limitations imposed by traditional means.  3D printing, according to the book, will step away from this particular limitation as the technology will allow constant refinement of prototypes at a low cost as well as the production of sole units without the need to produce countless thousands of others to make sense economically.  Here, the most interesting possibility, as it relates to this development, is perhaps for the modern day growing number of entrepreneurs.  With 3D printing, many more individuals can refine their ideas and actually bring them into the physical realm so that they may be tangible products.  This opens the door for many new revolutionary products and developments to arise out of the simple elimination of prior economic constraints (now the only limiting factor is imagination!).

One of the main questions I have after reading the book stem from how feasible the technology is today.  While the book provides ample thought and insight into what possibilities may lie in the future, the current applications and limitations of the technology are not particularly well addressed.  As a result, I have a hard time understanding if the technology is actually being used as an alternative to traditional manufacturing processes outside of perhaps the initial prototyping phase.  Pursuing this further, if the technology is not utilized to a great capacity, how long may it take until we see 3D printing being implemented in day-to-day operations for various industries?

Furthermore, if I were to actually experience some facet of 3D printing, I would like to see the modeling side of the process and the software utilized.  This particular wish stems from the desire to see just how complicated CAD software for 3D printers actually is because even though the technology provides for a variety of possibilities, if it is complicated to use, it will have a difficult time in regards to adoption for a wide variety of consumers.  It is a firm belief here that the easier and simpler the software becomes, the more highly adopted the technology will become (the recent emergence and popularity of APPS on Android and IOS comes to mind; computers were not all that popular back in the DOS days, I don’t think anyone likes an ugly and primitive UI that is hard to understand).

Chapter 1;

A food printer?  This concept is rather intriguing as I had really not imagined the possibility of 3D printing actually expanding into such territory.  Whilst the chapter describes a variety of applications that the 3D printing process can actually be used for (spare parts in rescue efforts, constructing homes, organs, etc…) food peaked my interest because I was rather hungry at the time.  The idea that someone would simply be able to download a food item from a library of available schematics and have it available for consumption at the slightest whim is a both a dream come true and a nightmare.  Here, late night cravings and a diverse palate can be satiated with the technology, but this spells trouble for both waistlines and the industry in general.  Needless to say the impact of such a technology is nearly unfathomable as it can collapse the food industry in the most general sense.  This concept holds true to what my perception is of the potential impact of 3D printing overall too on a variety of industries.  The world would undoubtedly have to change drastically to accommodate such a powerful technology as it would change the landscape of how we live, produce, and consume in a drastic fashion.  However, food on demand is still quite an attractive concept!

Chapter 2;

“In a 3D printed future world, people will make what they need, when and where they need it.” (pg. 11)

The concept embodied in this quote is both extremely pleasing and disturbing.  Just as the chapter highlights, it is up to the individual and thus their intentions for what the technology would be able to produce.  Much like Alfred Nobel who created dynamite for use in mining operations, others sought to use his creation for destructive  purposes evolving it and warping it into an instrument of death.  3D printing would open up such a realm on a massive scale.  The ability to create weaponry from a catalog acquired through perhaps an internet database that many could have access to or hack if they sought fit would spell disaster on a grand scale.  On the other hand, the potential benefits are too great.  The chapter highlights the fact that 3D printing would allow for the control of an objects material composition and open up a whole new world to what is possible to blend and then construct.  Here, self-healing machine parts among many ideas are mentioned and this can have great benefit in business, medicine, exploration, etc….

Chapter 3;

“On a 3D printer it costs the same amount of money to 3D print 1,000 unique products or 1,000 identical products.” (pg. 27)

The ability to bring an idea to life and then allow for experimentation via modifications to make it truly feasible is a very promising concept to many.  In the world today it costs a substantial amount to bring an idea to life as a design concept can be fatally flawed once it is born into our physical realm; a thought doesn’t always translate well into reality.  Here, the technology promises to allow for a user to easily modify and thus keep trying to make that idea into a truly practical product, and this in a general sense, would breed creativity and ultimately allow risky ideas to potentially come into fruition.  Time and money are both very important aspects that govern day-to-day life in the world and may perhaps be considered the “end-all-be-all” in business and thus the fact that 3D printing can modify a whole variety of processes in bringing a product to market by streamlining the process and making it more efficient and effective holds great promise into what the future holds if the technology is properly embraced.

Chapter 4;

Microfinancing

Much of the chapter covers previously touched on material, but the emergence of a microfinance economy is something that I had not previously put much thought into.  Indeed, traditional lenders tend to extend credit to only those with an established track record and this model tends to shutdown the dreams of many entrepreneurs who cannot secure financing to bring their ideas beyond that point.  The chapter points out a statistic that is very interesting; reported payment rate of 95-98% in regards to microloans numbering an estimated 74 million people with funds totaling $38 billion.  Crowd funding websites like KICKSTARTER already exist and have become extremely popular so it is interesting to see where the finance future is headed especially in regards to 3D printing maturing and giving rise to many more entrepreneurs all looking to make make their creations a reality.