Hmmm. Willard Foxton in the Daily Telegraph says, “Stop talking rubbish about 3D printing“.
Willard’s article is a useful reality check on the hype surrounding 3D, otherwise known as additive manufacturing. While his useful dose of realism is valuable, I remain convinced that 3D printing is a hugely valuable breakthrough. It’s one about which we should educate our young people, so that we produce a new crop of talented engineers who can take this technology forward, and make effective use of it.
Just because there are wholly valid cautionary tales about 3D printing, we shouldn’t neglect to be part of its development.
Tim,
I too can’t understand all this nonsense about 3D Printing. It’s been around for ages and ages and really isn’t a big deal – there is no breakthrough other than the fact that it seems to have excited lots of gullible journalists. Low cost machines are very, very slow and only limited materials can be used. It’s really the hardware equivalent of vapour-ware.
It’s good for modelling and prototypes but it’s a fair way off being able to change ‘make and distribute’ into distribute (the 3d file) and make.
It’s a slow change that may in 20 years be good for low volume production – but that’s about it.
By: Robin on November 23, 2012
at 3:52 pm