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wickerwoman

(5,662 posts)

10. It depends on how much energy it needs and what materials it works with.

Fri Dec 7, 2012, 01:45 AM

Dec 2012

If it only prints with specialised rare plastic particles that depend on petroleum and uses a massive amount of energy for each copy then things might not be that different until we have renewable energy systems to complement the 3D printers and find a sustainable cheap source of the materials it uses.

On edit: But when we do get it together... Star Trek here we come. The matter replicator was the key invention in Rodenberry's vision of the future.

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What will the 3d printer do to the global economy... [View all] Flabbergasted Dec 2012 OP

I wondered about some of those questions. Also the enemy can print weapons. Auntie Bush Dec 2012 #1

No secrets, no weapons advantages, low profits from arms sales unc70 Dec 2012 #3

Bigger changes than that unc70 Dec 2012 #2

I just printed sneakers for all my kids using my 3D printer. Nye Bevan Dec 2012 #4

ur full of teh win!! Systematic Chaos Dec 2012 #5

My buddy says that the the 3d printer is capable of printing many of it's own components.... Flabbergasted Dec 2012 #7

For all your snark over this Occulus Dec 2012 #8

My ham sandwich was half-printed when the darn thing jammed up! bhikkhu Dec 2012 #6

Yuck. A ham and jam sandwich sounds nasty! nt tblue37 Dec 2012 #9

It depends on how much energy it needs and what materials it works with. wickerwoman Dec 2012 #10

Get trained up mick063 Dec 2012 #11