The Key Risks 3D Printer Owners Can Face

The 3D printing industry continues to gain traction. According to Precedence Research, it was worth around $17 billion worldwide, and the projected value in 2032 is as much as $98 billion. Given the numbers, it seems unlikely that there is a ceiling even beyond 2032.

Technology opens all kinds of possibilities. However, 3D printers come with certain hazards that might not seem obvious at first, especially if you are an amateur who dabbles in 3D printing as a hobby rather than a means to make money. Let's take a look at what risks 3D printing introduced and how to go about dealing with these hazards.

1. Environmental Problems

Our planet has multiple problems already, and it does not help when a new issue presents itself. 3D printing is a great way to create various goods, but it is not advanced enough to be considered energy-efficient yet. Quality printing requires time, which, in return, means higher energy consumption. The printing process has three phases:

• Pre-heating
• Printing
• Cooling

Each of the three consumes energy. In a way, 3D printing is no different from other manufacturing industries that produce emissions. 3D printers require more than standard machines, which further increases the emission amount. Hopefully, 3D printers will continue to advance to print multiple components simultaneously, thus reducing the time spent to finish the process. A wider utilization of low-temperature materials ought to help with environmental challenges, too.

2. Gun Control

As far as controversies associated with 3D printing go, gun control is certainly up there. The idea of printing a gun is nothing new. In fact, plenty of people expected that the technology could be used for something like this. Weapon manufacturing is a sizable industry, but it is one thing when it comes to traditional supply chains and another when you have unregulated manufacturers invisible to the law. 3D-printed guns do not have serial numbers and other identifiers. Tracking them becomes a nightmare.

Add the fact that with enough research, pretty much anyone can find blueprints on the internet and learn how to print a gun themselves. Not to mention that there are no guarantees that a home-made printed gun will even work properly.

3. Drug Control

Drug control is similar to the section about guns in the sense that it introduces another problem that is difficult to regulate. One might think that chemical compounds (on a molecular level, no less) are not something compatible with 3D printing. However, they actually are. Establishing an entire chemistry lab in your home to produce drugs is no longer necessary because 3D printers exist. Is drug printing all negative? Not necessarily. The idea has huge potential and could revolutionize medicine and pharmaceuticals. 

Some believe that it is only a matter of time. Abdul Basit and Simon Gaisford, who are scientists, suggest that while 3D printing still lacks power, it is a viable method to create drugs. Unfortunately, with more research dedicated to printing drugs, one has to consider the consequences. Regulating prescribed drugs is already an issue, but what about something like cocaine? DIY chemists could find a way to mass-produce dangerous drugs and further infect our society, which already has drug-related challenges.

4. Copyright Infringement

Ask yourself this: if you print a BMW starter bolt and sell it without a disclaimer that the bolt is meant specifically for BMW, are you infringing the copyright? A disclaimer that the bolt is actually meant for BMWs would put a seller in trouble with the law. Instead, it makes sense to circumvent the obstacle by advertising the bolt as compatible with multiple models, including BMWs.

IP and licensing deals in the context of 3D printing present a massive headache to parties that want to protect their property. Some compare it to the digital piracy situation when the internet changed the way consumers can access media. Illegal downloads are as rampant as ever, and even the biggest corporations struggle to fight it off. 

The odds are that 3D printing will work in a similar fashion. Lack of control will let black markets establish themselves, and people will be free to find cheap knock-off versions that actually work, leaving the rightful property owners without compensation. Is it realistic for legislators to catch up and establish strong enough laws to regulate the market? If the digital piracy example is anything to go by, the odds are unlikely. But then again, moving physical goods is not as subtle as moving digital goods, so there might be some hope yet.

5. Items That Come Into Contact With Foods

Spoons, forks, mugs, and plates are easy to print. Looking at it from a practical perspective, it makes sense to create cheap utensils that are still good enough to use. The issue, however, comes from the fact that ABS plastic is still the most common filament used in 3D printing. This particular plastic is hardly ideal for printing items that come into contact with food. The demand for better filaments exists, but it is still too early to tell when alternatives will replace ABS.

One other thing to note is that 3D printers are constructed in a way that bacteria can find space to thrive. Can you count on everyone who uses a printer to clean it properly on a regular basis? Combining bacteria with potentially hazardous plastic is not great for printed kitchenware. If you plan to produce such items or use them from a manufacturer, be extra careful.

6. Property Damage

3D printing does not equal perfection. Defects or failures still happen, so manufacturers have to be cautious and test as much as they can before deeming a product good enough to use. Property damage might lead to a lawsuit. And it is not just the company that printed and made a product available that risks facing consequences.

Anyone involved in the chain, from the printer company to the end product manufacturer, may find themselves named defendants in court. For instance, property damage might occur when someone purchases a 3D-printed PC case. If the material cannot resist the internal heat and starts melting, the odds are that it will affect internal hardware, making the computer owner very upset. 

7. Body Injuries

Similar to property damage, body injuries may also happen due to defective design or manufacturing. A person might purchase a small 3D-printed car part replacement and use it. While driving, the car starts to malfunction, and an accident happens. The accident happened because the 3D-printed car part failed to do its job. 

Sure, one could argue that the person who used the printed product is at fault, but if a manufacturer advertises their products as reliable and safe to use, you cannot put blame on the consumer. In fact, even if consumers purchase 3D printed products and suffer for them because the manufacturer failed to:

• Properly instruct how to use the device
• Warn about potential dangers

The fault lies with the manufacturer again. 

8. Cybercrimes

The world continues to become more digitized, and with it, cybercrime is on the rise. The 3D printing industry is no exception. Here is one example. A hacker has no problem penetrating the security of a person who stores 3D blueprints on their computer. Once criminals access these blueprints, they can either:

• Start manufacturing the goods themselves
• Sell the blueprints

If blueprints become public and cheap copies start popping up on the market, the original blueprint creator/owner will face a lot of problems. In case thieves decide to pursue the idea of utilizing the blueprints themselves, they can study them from different angles to get as much information as they can before starting to manufacture the goods. Blueprints should not be too hard to open or read. At worst, it should be possible to convert them to another file format, such as PDF. From there, learning how to rotate a PDF or make adjustments directly in the document depending on what is necessary is the least of thieves' concerns.

9. Health Hazards

The melting plastic smell from the printer indicates that it is working. Some emissions are harmless off-smells, but a fair few were linked with health hazards. To avoid the danger, first place the printer in a ventilated area. Secondly, avoid using materials from non-reputable manufacturers. Finally, keep an eye on the air quality and try to stick to the lowest possible temperature on the printer to reduce emissions. Ignoring 3D printing safety standards puts everyone involved at risk. You do not want to worry about the well-being of yourself and your peers, right? Due to such concerns as these, it could be better to use an expert 3D printing service provider for all the 3D-printed parts you need rather than printing items yourself and potentially putting yourself and others at risk.

Conclusion

To sum it all up, the growing popularity of 3D printing should also raise concerns about the risks associated with this technology. While 3D printers enable industries to save time and reduce costs, among other benefits, a word of caution is important. Risks often evolve with technology, and both amateurs and professionals ought to be aware of how they can avoid putting themselves in jeopardy while working with 3D printing. Hopefully, this article serves as a solid reference for that.

Author bio:
Laura Alexander is a freelance digital content manager and copywriter. She specializes in tech, ecommerce, and educational content.

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