3D Printing is already changing the world as we know it. The additive manufacturing industry is currently one of the hottest worldwide trends cashing in a great deal of money as well as attention everyday. It has even come to a point where consumers are able to create prototypes at home. 3D printers are definitely the future of manufacturing. But like every other life-changing inventions, it also brings some serious problems for the world market.
Growth of 3D Printing Black Market
One of the most obvious disadvantages that grows along with 3D printing industry is the black market. Once 3D printers are cheap enough for everyone to run, there will be a sudden surge of mechanical parts, generic versions or fake brands and entire niches. It will start a chaotic era which will be difficult to put out. It will then confuse and maybe even discourage consumers to buying anything in the mainstream market. The growth of black market will also harm product quality, pricing, authenticity which will most definitely cripple many industries in the world market especially those in the manufacturing sector.
Concurrence of Copyright Violations
The convenience of 3D printers are nothing short of spectacular when it comes to realizing of 3D models. The problem is, anyone can create copies of prototypes, patents and brands anytime, anywhere. You can now simply scan a product you desire and mass produce it using a 3D printer. Furthermore, the 3D printing industry is in its early days and there are no clear policies and supervision yet. This is a relatively clear threat to the world market. The technology can easily be used to print leaked designs at home violating copyrights which will greatly affect the market value of brand name products.
Increase In Fraud Scam Cases
Sadly, this amazing technology is already serving criminals and fraud activities. Professional criminals are taking advantage of the 3D Printing technology using it to scan and duplicate ID’s, car keys, credit cards and many other private crafts to crack security mechanisms. In fact a German Police reported that there are some people selling 3D printed keys that were duplicated to release criminals from handcuffs. In another case, a fully equipped pharmaceutical lab being used by criminals distributing drugs have also been found to have been 3D printed. A company specializing in selling 3D home printers in the U.S. also stated that they recently blocked a request by client who wanted to print a design of an ATM machine device.
