3D printing

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This image requires alt text, but the alt text is currently blank. Either add alt text or mark the image as decorative.Week 11
3D Printing

According to Barnett, “3D Printing is about to transform our lives. 3D printers build up solid objects in a great many very thin layers” (2013). It is a machine that is able to print physical object on a three dimensional form. According to Dehue (2017), “a 3D object is created by laying down successive layers of material until the object fully is created”. Although, it is not a new invention, but rather the more advanced and developed innovation that started over 30 years ago by Charles Chuck Hull (Birtchnell and Urry, 2016: 1), 3D printing is set to be part of the next industrial revolution.
This technology is able to produce objects ranging from medicines, car and plane parts, building and body part such a limb, hands and even guns. However, Liang and Paddison (2017) also believe that the 3D printing can help alleviate poverty in some areas. Last week, a video from a Congolese blogger circulated on the internet and it showed how thousands of plastic bottles were found on the shore of the Congolese River. This pollution is caused by the fact that there is not an adequate measure taken for recycling used products in many developing countries such as DRC, India etc. This is partly due to the highest level of poverty in those countries. Morfield argue that in the upcoming years, the 3D printing will reduce the manufacturing cost of many products which will allow small businesses to thrive and contribute to the economy of their countries.

Suchismita and Jayant Pai who founded the Photoprints business with another partner company are working toward recycling the plastic bottles collected from the waste to produce low cost plastic filament which can be used as an ink for 3D printer. This market is growing rapidly and is expected to reach a value of more than a billion dollars in the next five years 9 (Liang and Paddison, 2017)
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Bibliography

Barnatt, C. (2013). 3D printing. 1st ed. [Nottingham, England?]: ExplainingTheFuture.com.

Birtchnell, T. And Urry, J. 2016. A New Industrial Future? 3D Printing and the Reconfiguration of Production, Distribution and Consumption. London: Routledge. Pp. 1-13. 

Dehue, R. (2017). What is 3D printing? How does 3D printing work? Learn How to 3D Print. [online] 3D Printing. Available at: https://3dprinting.com/what-is-3d-printing/ [Accessed 7 May 2017].

France24 (2017). Une “banquise” de bouteilles en plastique recouvre le fleuve Congo à Kinshasa. [online] Les Observateurs de France 24. Available at: http://observers.france24.com/fr/20170509-une-banquise-bouteilles-plastique-recouvre-fleuve-congo-kinshasa?ref=fb [Accessed 9 May 2017].

Liang, L. and Paddison, L. (2017). Could 3D printing help tackle poverty and plastic waste?. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/nov/06/3d-printing-plastic-waste-poverty-development-protoprint-reflow-techfortrade [Accessed 7 May 2017].

Morefield, A. (2016). Five Ways 3D Printing can help Alleviate Poverty. [online] BORGEN. Available at: http://www.borgenmagazine.com/3d-printing-alleviate-poverty/ [Accessed 7 May 2017].

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One thought on “3D printing

  1. According to Liang and Paddison, in developing countries plastic waste is being recycled into filament for 3D printers. (Liang and Paddison, 2017). This means something analogue and physical is being recycled into 3D printers that use data to turn the digital into something physical and analogue. This echoes what Birtchnell and state, “global manufacturing could be augmented or replaced by a circular economy where objects would be printed, used and then locally recycled into further printable feedstock.” (Birtchnell and Urry, 2016: 6).
    In the wider digital cities view, this means things could be customised for specific communities and cities, rather than just being generically manufactured things.

    Bibliography:
    Birtchnell, T. And Urry, J. 2016. A New Industrial Future? 3D Printing and the Reconfiguration of Production, Distribution and Consumption. London: Routledge. Pp. 6.

    Liang, L. and Paddison, L. 2017. Could 3D printing help tackle poverty and plastic waste? The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/nov/06/3d-printing-plastic-waste-poverty-development-protoprint-reflow-techfortrade (Accessed 12/05/17).

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