3D printing allows for cheaper production of items, potential medical breakthroughs from printed organs, and more opportunities for individuals to design inventions. However, there are ethical concerns about enhancing human abilities beyond normal and questions around safety of medical uses. 3D printers also emit harmful fumes without ventilation and can produce weapons, posing genuine dangers. The document provides information about 3D printing opportunities and risks.

1. 3 D P R I N T I N G

2. W H AT I S 3 D
P R I N T I N G ?
3D printing has the potential to change our lives for the better, presenting many
opportunities such as:
– Using 3D printers it is cheaper to produce items
– 3D printing could lead to many medical breakthroughs. Abi Haines has created designs
for organs that could counteract heart attacks, strokes, and cystic fibrosis. It has the
potential to save many lives.
– 3D printing provides opportunities for more people to create designs and new inventions.
– If a part breaks from an item you can print a new one instead of having to buy a
replacement item.
– People can create their own products in their own homes without having to go through
the process of finding a manufacturer.
But there are also ethical concerns:
– While 3D printing has the potential to enhance the lives of those requiring artificial body
parts, this should mean it is also possible for people to develop abilities beyond what is
normal for human beings. They could replace bones with those that are stronger and more
flexible. It could be used to improve muscle tissue or even replace organs. It could be
used in soldiers – making them more dangerous weapons. It could be used in athletes –
causing the playing field to be unfair.
– Many are questioning whether or not 3D printers use in medical treatment is safe as it
has not yet been thoroughly tested.
– 3D printers can be used to produce weapons and people are easily evading the law. It
makes weapons more easily accessible and it is harder to keep track of the owners of said
weapons.
And genuine dangers:
– Air emissions from the machine can be harmful if the room if not properly ventilated.
– 3D Printers are capable of producing weapons.
– The extruder nozzle heats up to 260˚C. The rest of the machine will be hot too. You have
to be very cautious and use gloves when removing your creation and scraping the mat.
A Photograph of a 3D Printer

3. D E F I N E
First we must take lessons on TinkerCAD to learn how to use it and then we will
design our own backpack name tag on the website. Once we have done so we
will download the design as an .stl file and print it on one of the 3d printers
available to us. After that we may colour it with paint and/or markers if we wish to
do so.

4. D I S C O V E R
T H E T I N K E R C A D L E S S O N S TA U G H T M E T O U S E T H E W E B S I T E
T O I T ’ S F U L L C A PA C I T Y S O T H A T I W O U L D B E A B L E T O G E T
T H E B E S T R E S U LT W H E N C R E A T I N G M Y O W N D E S I G N .

5. D R E A M
I went through several other ideas
before settling on my final design,
which was based off the Journals
from the TV show Gravity falls. I
replaced the number with my name
as the task was to create a nametag.

6. D E S I G N

7. D E L I V E R
O N C E M Y B A C K PA C K TA G WA S P R I N T E D A N D PA I N T E D
I T WA S C O M P L E T E .