The Dangers of 3D Printing

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I find it hard to argue that 3D printer is currently or in the foreseeable future easier to use than a mill or lathe. Same codes, same offsets, same feeds and speeds, same CAD/CAM considerations but now you have to add all kinds of plastic or metal adherence, thickness, and compression factors. If you can 3D print, you can make a barrel on a lathe or a firing mechanism on a mill. To prove it, education level of an average Chrysler Corp. worker turning out engines, 7th grade. Once that STL or cad file is available, it's all over. You import that into Bobcad or your favorite CAD/CAM program (and just like kisslicer or Cura) and it spits out an optimized CNC program. You download it to your machine, move tool to the indicated tool start, and hit the go button. Machine some air. When you are sure the machine isn't about to eat itself or your clamps, you clamp down a piece of steel or aluminum as indicated in your BobCad or CAD/CAM program, and you hit the go button again, it machines the steel, machines the part. It's as easy or easier than Cura or Slicr3D, fewer variables, fewer headaches, and after a little sand paper and edge breaker time, you've smoothed up the part and you're done. This lesson brought to you by a PhD in science and an automated manufacturing teacher with almost 40 years experience! Enjoy.

[DBFIU]

I find it hard to argue that 3D printer is currently or in the foreseeable future easier to use than a mill or lathe. Same codes, same offsets, same feeds and speeds, same CAD/CAM considerations but now you have to add all kinds of plastic or metal adherence, thickness, and compression factors. If you can 3D print, you can make a barrel on a lathe or a firing mechanism on a mill. To prove it, education level of an average Chrysler Corp. worker turning out engines, 7th grade. Once that STL or cad file is available, it's all over. You import that into Bobcad or your favorite CAD/CAM program (and just like kisslicer or Cura) and it spits out an optimized CNC program. You download it to your machine, move tool to the indicated tool start, and hit the go button. Machine some air. When you are sure the machine isn't about to eat itself or your clamps, you clamp down a piece of steel or aluminum as indicated in your BobCad or CAD/CAM program, and you hit the go button again, it machines the steel, machines the part. It's as easy or easier than Cura or Slicr3D, fewer variables, fewer headaches, and after a little sand paper and edge breaker time, you've smoothed up the part and you're done. This lesson brought to you by a PhD in science and an automated manufacturing teacher with almost 40 years experience! Enjoy.

See thats the problem. Someone with 40 years of experience and a PhD can easily tout about how easy it is to mill gun parts out of metal. Your average criminal doesnt see it that way, he has no idea how to work a lathe or mill, or what CAD/CAM is or what side of the end mill goes in the chuck. You guys make it seem like its easy as cake, for the average joe, it is not.

3D printing is not easy, but it is easier then having to through the industrial process you are describing. Why? Most people do not have the knowledge of a 40 year veteran or engineer. Be realistic. It's not that easy.