That "Homework question" reminds me a bit of the "Why do you need a personal computer?" question so popular in the late 70s through mid-80s. If we can only think of 3D printing as printing plastic/plastic composite materials at a relatively slow speed (and there are other types of 3D printing beyond the slower FDM type), then I think it's something of a failure of imagination. We couldn't really envision where personal computing was going to end up just a few decades after truly personal computers started to appear, and I don't think we can really envision where personal manufacturing is going to end up just a few decades from now. While I don't think we'll quite be at the Star Trek replicator stage by then, we already have the beginnings of fairly usable multi-material printing, including with food. I just think we can't limit ourselves to what's out there now. Anyway, this concept of personal manufacturing may indeed fizzle out much like the concept of personal robotics did by the late-80's, but I tend to think there's something more there. ======================================================== Bill Loguidice, Managing Director; Armchair Arcade, Inc. <http://www.armchairarcade.com> ======================================================== Authored Books <http://www.amazon.com/Bill-Loguidice/e/B001U7W3YS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_1> and Film <http://www.armchairarcade.com/film>; About me and other ways to get in touch <http://about.me/billloguidice> ======================================================== On Mon, Mar 5, 2018 at 11:28 AM, Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Homework question: describe the world where ordinary people just "print" physical items for use instead of ordering/buying them. If you evoke "instant 3D printing", explain the physics of spraying PLA plastic at speed.
Herb Johnson cursed to be an engineer