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The use of Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) machine tools has spread
rapidly during the last decade. Almost 80% of machine tools in modern
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manufacturing industry are computer controlled. Products can now be
made better, faster and cheaper and no manufacturer can afford to do
otherwise, else such a manufacturer will produce goods that are not
globally competitive.
What is 3D printing?
3D printers are machines which can make different objects from digital
files. They are able to create objects from all sorts of different materials
e.g. plastic and pharmaceutical substances. The object that you wish to
‘print’ is designed using software on your computer. The 3D printing
process then ‘slices’ the object into hundreds of layers which it ‘prints’ on
top of each other to create the object.
So, it uses the same concept as printing ink on paper hence the name.
The machinery itself is expensive but the idea is that as it develops it will
become a cheaper form of manufacture that is highly customisation and
refined in a manner that current forms of manufacture are not. There has
even been a development of a 3D printer that can print another 3D
printer.
One of the key issues in this area is copyright and design rights. In order
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to print a 3D object, you need an electronic plan (or design) of the object
and a 3D printer, which means anyone with these tools can produce exact
copies of an object. This might create a flourishing black market of
essentially counterfeited items which would jeopardise many people’s
intellectual property rights. Additionally, the use of 3D printers could also
severely erode the monopoly of patent holders.
Product liability
Investment impact
Small businesses and startups that are looking for investment in a product
can use 3D printers to produce replicas of their product. These replicas
can be extremely accurate and enable investors to see what they are
going to invest in. This ability means that the risk of investment is
decreased- fail fast, fail cheap.