3d Printing at UPS
economist.com
economist.com
Same concerns can be said about Kinko's. This is another new generational problem that's probably not addressed in courts. Maybe a fair-use clause like at libraries and universities would be an interesting spin.
I mean they mention car parts in the article - that would require more than an evolution in part endurance, it would have to be a revolutionary increase?
I guess you can use them to make molds for stronger parts but you cannot make the strong part itself.
Would you trust a 3D printed bolt or fastener in this current generation of material?
Maybe one day there will be a material you "bake" afterwards to make the atoms bond at a molecular level and make it as strong as if it was cut from a solid block of metal.
Today I used a polymer extrusion printer to create a prototype in the lab. I used PLA, one of the two most common polymers for this type of 3d printing, and it is a very strong model. It's as strong as any injection molded instance of the same object would be.
>"I mean they mention car parts in the article - that would require more than an evolution in part endurance, it would have to be a revolutionary increase?"
It won't take a revolution in part endurance, in many instances the endurance is already there. People often conflate the 3d printers they see available to the consumer now with the absolute limit case of the technology.
This is an instance of an author describing the larval stages of a new phenomenon. The author describes something specific and currently possible: "...designers, entrepreneurs, start-ups and architects seeking models..." And then goes on to explain to a general audience the zeitgeist of this technology: On demand additive manufacturing.
A lot of the confusion associated with "3d printing can't do that" is that of the 3 main types of 3d printing, only one has seen somewhat widespread consumer adoption (so far): polymer extrusion printing. That's essentially most of what you see as commercially available today.
There are two other types: stereolithographic printing and laser sintering printing. Stereo will bring us higher resolution polymer based prints. Such as extremely intricate plastic tools capable of advanced capillary action for a laboratory. I recommend checking out Formlabs.
Laser sintering uses powdered bases to create metal and ceramic parts. Objects made this way can absolutely be very strong. This may bring the car parts to a repair shop near you.
Five to seven years ago, the state of polymer extrusion printing today would have been unthinkable. I'd put my money on laser sintering and stereolithography to follow a similar trend.
>"I guess you can use them to make molds for stronger parts but you cannot make the strong part itself."
I made a strong part today! :)
Well, right now with today's technology you can 3D print multishot guns and rifles.
http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/6/4304164/video-of-defense-di...
http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/20/4348360/lulz-liberator-gun...
http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/4/4588162/worlds-first-3d-pri...
I would think car parts have to last considerable longer under stress.
I think we will see more of these trials soon.
3D printing has an arguable use-case (IMO) for 1-off plastic-y parts, but it's far from making anything overly complex or durable. When you think about any object that might have a market need for 1000 or more of the same thing (not a very large number) injection molding turns out better parts at an arguably lower price.
I like the idea of 3D printers, and I've played around in the past with vinyl plotters I've modified to cut wood veneers, and small CNC machines and the like, but I just can't figure out how to justify a current 3D printer beyond a novelty aspect.
It's showmanship and a selling point.
many 3d printers smell aweful too. Doesn't mean they're not still a spectacle.
It's certainly no worse than the an unfamiliar smell you may encounter in an automotive garage. To say it's awful is a tad much.
If you are talking about the most common types of 3d printers on the market today, polymer extrusion printers, the smell is entirely dependent on the polymer you are using. The two most commonly used are ABS and PLA.
ABS has a more potent and unpleasant odor, but it's really not that bad. PLA, derived from sugars, ranges from almost no smell to a neutral "cooking oil" smell.
I haven't had the pleasure of working with stereolithography or laser sintering printers (yet). But I'm willing to bet that stereolithography printers have no odor or at least less odor than polymer extrusion printers (they use UV light to heat up a resin, somewhat similar base material as extrusion printers but probably produces less of the "hot polymer smell").
On the other hand, I'd also be willing to bet that laser sintering printers produce a great deal of odor sometimes, as they heat up powdered base materials to produce metal and ceramic parts.
Of the three main types of 3d printing: polymer extrusion (aka full deposition), stereolithography, and laser sintering; only polymer extrusion has somewhat widespread consumer adoption (as of today), and it just doesn't smell that much.
From a OSHA perspective, I believe abs printers at least should be externally vented.
I would expect that if it gets big enough, UPS would set up a central location, say at their HQ airport in Louisville and do much of their printing, next day, or same day, from there.
I can imagine doing my first prints until I get it right at a local store, and then future prints and/or drop shipments from the regional/national UPS 3D print shop.
In that particular Stephenson's universe post offices were places with large direct-manufacturing chambers which produced items from provided blueprints. The book wasn't otherwise that good - however, the idea of not receiving physical items but their manufacturing descriptions certainly left an impression.