3D printer making another

Shrykull · Post by **Shrykull** » 2007-09-16 06:45am

they're still working on it, haven't gotten it right yet, but

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7165

Seriously though, what's going to happen when people can not only download digital media, but start downloading the software to make physical objects? And the RIAA thought they had it bad, now companies that make lots of physical objects will also be objecting, or will they? Since, they could also make physical objects that they formerly manufactured for profit for a lot less for themselves.

I think the thing is the materials though. I'm not sure they'd be that hard to get though. A diamond is just pure carbon, and since microprocessors are mostly silicon, you can get that from sand, but you need the elements of whatever it is you want to make. Take jewelery, you'd still need gold for gold, silver for silver, platinum for platinum.

At this point, it seems all they can make is items out of hard plastic. I wonder how they would make something intricately complex, like wood for example, that's made of several different elements organized into cells, dead dried out cells though.

JointStrikeFighter · Post by **JointStrikeFighter** » 2007-09-16 06:56am

Let me be the first to say that I for one welcome our new replicator overlords.

Singular Intellect · Post by **Singular Intellect** » 2007-09-16 09:40am

That sounds fucking awesome.

However, I would love to see more substantial and verified sources backing it as a practical and useful technology.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2007-09-16 09:57am

Once they make it a mobile and AI powered device that sniffs out the correct elements to use (or even better, has a fusion reactor to transmute elements to hwat is needed), then you can start running for the hills as we have a miniature von Neumann/World Devastator machine.

Shrykull · Post by **Shrykull** » 2007-09-16 10:08am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:Once they make it a mobile and AI powered device that sniffs out the correct elements to use (or even better, has a fusion reactor to transmute elements to hwat is needed), then you can start running for the hills as we have a miniature von Neumann/World Devastator machine.

Could they make a machine which could perform nuclear fusion that's as small as a bread making machine? And what about elements heavier than iron, I've heard it can be done, just take a lot of energy to do it. I have a discussing on wikipedia talk page about it, where someone at least claiming to be a physicist says it can be, it just takes energy rather than giving a net energy gain.

I remember seeing an outer limits episode where they made this argument, though, a student discovered cold fusion and argued that there are no aliens because they get to a point where any child can build a nuclear fusion bomb.

Post by **Coyote** » 2007-09-16 11:16am

When the ordinary worker can achieve ownership of this machine, he will truly have in his control, the 'means of production' that will free him from the corporate middlemen.

Instead, a new class of providers will become the go-to-guys: the ones who write the program code for the machine to do what you want. You want a gold ring for your girlfriend? Pay $500.00 for the program to make the ring, and $500.00 for the raw gold, and it's yours. Program can be downloaded from the internet, only the delivery driver needs be involved as a third party.

salm · Post by **salm** » 2007-09-16 11:25am

Cool, i´ll be able to print my own gun. Can it print bullets as well?

Post by **Coyote** » 2007-09-16 12:18pm

Those'll be black market programs, sold on memory chips in dark alleyways by games named "Jimmy the Hammer".

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2007-09-16 12:28pm

Coyote wrote:When the ordinary worker can achieve ownership of this machine, he will truly have in his control, the 'means of production' that will free him from the corporate middlemen.

Instead, a new class of providers will become the go-to-guys: the ones who write the program code for the machine to do what you want. You want a gold ring for your girlfriend? Pay $500.00 for the program to make the ring, and $500.00 for the raw gold, and it's yours. Program can be downloaded from the internet, only the delivery driver needs be involved as a third party.

Depends. Programmers can be a pretty individualist and non-corporate bunch. I would be surprised that if in the future there were groups that maintained large databases of open source assembly programs. Besides, there is a limit to the sort of materials these things can make. I think crafted objects will still have to be manufactured, though it would be nice to be able to download a specific drill bit you need, but don't happen to have, and make one.

As for the gun, I'm sure it's possible to, though you'll have to assemble and lubricate it yourself. Further, you won't get bullets, since I very much doubt it would be a good idea to try to replicate the gunpowder for inside the bullet.

AMX · Post by **AMX** » 2007-09-16 01:08pm

Gil Hamilton wrote:As for the gun, I'm sure it's possible to, though you'll have to assemble and lubricate it yourself. Further, you won't get bullets, since I very much doubt it would be a good idea to try to replicate the gunpowder for inside the bullet.

You *are* aware that the powder goes in the case, not the bullet, right?

Anyway, there's still a long way to go before 3D printers can produce firearms.

salm · Post by **salm** » 2007-09-16 02:36pm

Somebody is going to run amok with a 3D printed gun and the media, some politicians and the average dumb fuck joe public will lay the blame for societies moral decay on 3D printers.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2007-09-16 04:33pm

AMX wrote:You *are* aware that the powder goes in the case, not the bullet, right?

Anyway, there's still a long way to go before 3D printers can produce firearms.

As a matter of fact, I do know that, but colloquially speaking "bullet" includes the case, powder, and primer, two of which wouldn't be copiable, which is what I meant.

Or are you going to nitpick some more?

Starglider · Post by **Starglider** » 2007-09-16 06:03pm

It does look like the path to general assemblers will be a lot more incremental than the more optimistic OMG THIS WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING OVERNIGHT nanotech boosters thought. Of course no one with an actual clue and real engineering expertise doubted this. Progress will continue until we have the functional equivalent of TNG replicators (but a bit slower and much more energy efficient). Mobile scavanging general assemblers are a bit more chancy (powering and controlling them all is tough problem), but the physics work and there are theoretical solutions to all the problems, so they should eventually be feasible for special applications.