Abstract :
While they may be predicted to disrupt current manufacturing models, 3D printing technologies are slowly beginning to infiltrate the consumer market. However, the term 3D printing conjures up images that the technology will be as simple to use as a normal inkjet or laser printer. This is far from the truth. Firstly, you will be dealing with the kind of issues that anyone has to deal with when creating solid objects. This will, among other things, require a significant amount of knowledge of computer-aided design (CAD) principles, which will require the user to invest time in developing their ideas into 3D objects that they intend to commercialise or use for personal consumption. Nevertheless, 3D printing has captured the imagination of many would-be designers. Inventors can now see an easy avenue into bringing their designs and inventions to life in order to demonstrate them to the world, or to simply create one-off products for themselves which would never have mass market appeal. 3D printing may seem surprisingly straightforward, but there are moral, business and technical issues that must be addressed before it becomes a part of everyday life.
