View Full Version : Army to print guns, grenades, and more with new 3D system
Voodoochild
02-12-13, 10:25
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/02/11/army-to-print-guns-grenades-and-more-with-new-3d-system/
Doc Safari
02-12-13, 12:48
The genie is out of the bottle and Pandora's box is open.
I've been reading up on this 3D printing thing. On one hand it's scary. On the other hand it's a way to ensure freedom because a gun ban is useless in a world where you can simply print out another hi-cap magazine or a lower receiver when you need one.
I understand other applications range from chemicals to growing tissues from stem cells and whatnot.
Truly we are not going to recognize this world in five years.
The genie is out of the bottle and Pandora's box is open.
I've been reading up on this 3D printing thing. On one hand it's scary. On the other hand it's a way to ensure freedom because a gun ban is useless in a world where you can simply print out another hi-cap magazine or a lower receiver when you need one.
I understand other applications range from chemicals to growing tissues from stem cells and whatnot.
Truly we are not going to recognize this world in five years.
Check out Ray Kurzweil's books about the technological singularity. I was really skeptical at first, but I'm slowly becoming more and more convinced (though I'm not quite there yet). Here's a wiki entry that gives you the gist of it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Singularity_Is_Near
Color me wierd, but where in that intriguing article by a ballet dancer turned defense specialist does it say anything about 3D printing. I saw the words 3D and prints in the article, but didn't see squat about printing weapons or components.
Seems that people think that 3D CAD models used to run CNC machines is the same as 3D printing. They are not by any stretch of the imagination and as far as I know true 3D printing of duty grade weapons is at least 5 years out. Throw always to drop behind enemy lines for LeResistance to use; sure. Duty weapons systems I'd want to hump into a war zone. Hell no.
With that aside; I agree that the technology we seem to be putting out will change the world as we know it. Hopefully it will be for the better.
FromMyColdDeadHand
02-12-13, 15:00
3D printing, additive manufacturing, whatever you want to call it is really interesting. I've been researching it the last few months and almost pulled the trigger on an Ultimaker.
Here's what I see. People are trying the make 'horseless carriages' with it- in that I mean they are trying to replicate current objects with addative manufacturing in with similar structure and materials.
Additive manufacturing will only take off when designers fre themselves from current production constraints and engineer new solutions to problems. The strength of addative manufacturing is that you can put material where you want- and not where you don't want it. In addition the material that you put there can be different than the materials that we use. And even beyond that, the additive manufacturing methods are highly compatible with composite materials methods.
So you could have an object that is integrally made with plastics and metals for where the object needs specific properties. I'll even go out on a limb and say that the additive manufacturing will bring ceramics back into the forefront of materials development. Lots of Si and Al out there to replace C-C based materials.
On the downside-
How many things today don't have electronics in them? I think we are getting close to printing curcuit boards but a looong way from printing processors.
While the additive manufacturing is good at composite materials, it can't lay down a mat of carbon fiber or a 3-d matrix of carbon tubes since it works layer by layer.
I don't think either is a killer in the long run. Look at the Rasberry Pi computer and think where that concept may go in the future. Maybe mini Pi's could be stuck into the object as it is made to provide general computing power. The ability to build layers of material at less 10 microns may make evenbetter composite materials than current composites.
Just some thoughts that have been rattling around my head on the subject.
Failure2Stop
02-12-13, 15:30
Color me wierd, but where in that intriguing article by a ballet dancer turned defense specialist does it say anything about 3D printing. I saw the words 3D and prints in the article, but didn't see squat about printing weapons or components.
Seems that people think that 3D CAD models used to run CNC machines is the same as 3D printing. They are not by any stretch of the imagination and as far as I know true 3D printing of duty grade weapons is at least 5 years out. Throw always to drop behind enemy lines for LeResistance to use; sure. Duty weapons systems I'd want to hump into a war zone. Hell no.
With that aside; I agree that the technology we seem to be putting out will change the world as we know it. Hopefully it will be for the better.
BINGO
Apparently we are the only ones to actually read the article instead of jumping to conclusions.
"Ballet dancer turned defense specialist Allison Barrie has traveled around the world covering the military, terrorism, weapons advancements and life on the front line."
Awesome.
Oh and the article is meh. Good for the Army, they're using CAD.
FromMyColdDeadHand
02-12-13, 15:49
BINGO
Apparently we are the only ones to actually read the article instead of jumping to conclusions.
We were all responding to the article that she should have written, and ironically, the article she thought she wrote. I think she thought she wrote an article about 3d printing, but doesn't understand the difference between 3d modelling and printing.
Ballet dancer? I think she was hired for her..... flexability as 'company resource'.
Failure2Stop
02-12-13, 15:57
"Ballet dancer turned defense specialist Allison Barrie has traveled around the world covering the military, terrorism, weapons advancements and life on the front line."
Awesome.
Oh and the article is meh. Good for the Army, they're using CAD.
My thoughts as well.
Failure2Stop
02-12-13, 15:58
We were all responding to the article that she should have written, and ironically, the article she thought she wrote. I think she thought she wrote an article about 3d printing, but doesn't understand the difference between 3d modelling and printing.
Ballet dancer? I think she was hired for her..... flexability as 'company resource'.
I'm still mad at you, and no doubt that the internet will rise up and smite thee.
;)
I think you're safe.
Color me wierd, but where in that intriguing article by a ballet dancer turned defense specialist does it say anything about 3D printing. I saw the words 3D and prints in the article, but didn't see squat about printing weapons or components.
Seems that people think that 3D CAD models used to run CNC machines is the same as 3D printing. They are not by any stretch of the imagination and as far as I know true 3D printing of duty grade weapons is at least 5 years out. Throw always to drop behind enemy lines for LeResistance to use; sure. Duty weapons systems I'd want to hump into a war zone. Hell no.
With that aside; I agree that the technology we seem to be putting out will change the world as we know it. Hopefully it will be for the better.
Yeah, it's more of a recognition of what is on the horizon than a "we are actually doing this now" kind of thing.
Voodoochild
02-12-13, 19:18
I am sure DARPA is all over the 3D printing stuff as well as printing out circuits. For an example the new OLED TV's the circuitry is all printed out using special equipment. No more soldering here and there.
Moose-Knuckle
02-12-13, 19:21
Meh, let me know when the 3D female companion with vocal option printer is up and running.
Meh, let me know when the 3D female companion with vocal option printer is up and running.
https://www.realdoll.com/
Meh, let me know when the 3D female companion with vocal option printer is up and running.
http://www.retroland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/weird_science_650x300_a01_1.jpg
Moose-Knuckle
02-12-13, 21:29
Sorry Steyr, I'm going with Dave's suggestion! :p
Crow Hunter
02-13-13, 07:41
We are actually getting one at work at the end of the month.
When I get back off leave one of my first priorities is going to be to see what I can do with it. :D
As far as I know our unit will only print plastics. We are going to be using it for rapid prototyping instead of sending our Inventor files up to our home office and waiting for them to use the rapid prototype machine to send us back parts and fighting with the rest of the corporation for machine time.
This technology (or a type of it) has been available for at least a decade or more with rapid prototyping machines. But they are big and expensive.
I think this unit we bought cost $350. Which is nothing in the big scheme of things.
One day Star Trek replicators will be real!
:D
We were all responding to the article that she should have written, and ironically, the article she thought she wrote. I think she thought she wrote an article about 3d printing, but doesn't understand the difference between 3d modelling and printing.
Ballet dancer? I think she was hired for her..... flexability as 'company resource'.
I just sent her an email over my .mil, we'll see if she responds.
Noticed this on the intrawebs this afternoon, and seems relevant to the discussion at hand more or less.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/02/13/next-front-in-gun-control-debate-how-to-handle-3d-printed-guns/
The author totally glosses over the fact that certain components cannot be made of metal (e.g. barrels, etc) and touts the potential that some home manufactured guns will be undetectable because their all polymer, but more disconcerting is the aspect that he tries to advocate for government restrictions on powder, components, and ammunition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DconsfGsXyA
i don't understand why there is a such a hype surrounding 3d printing.
it's not so different from a cnc milling machine. table top mills have existed for a long time, but they're not in every household. i would say the same for 3d printers, yes they'll be accessible but who would even want one? it's just another niche hobby.
most of the arguments in this video are arguments that have already existed. you can already make gun parts out of superior materials right from your home or your anarchist secret squirrel batcave if you prefer). the cnc files exist and people use them regularly whether for 80% aluminum lowers or a full cut lower.
high quality durable weapons are still going to have to be made through the conventional high volume processes that we currently use.
i don't get the hype.
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