3D Printing – Guns and Braces? We Asked the Experts | The Mighty 790 KFGO

Ben Dalton, John Schneider and Ben Bernard join IT2 on an important day in 3D printer history. The first 3D printed firearm plans have been made available…for now. Our experts discuss the intellectual property rights, business opportunities and educational impact surrounding 3D printer technology.

Ben Dalton is a student at NDSU in the Architecture program. He has been fascinated by the rapid prototyping that has been changing the face of architecture. We live in a world where you can email the file of a building across the globe and a miniature version of the final product can be printed and presented without having to cut a single piece of card stock. This is a game changer, well it WAS a game changer. Those who has used 3D printing for decades are just now seeing their counterparts catch up with the times.

August 1st, 2018 a widely debated set of plans were to find their way onto the internet for public consumption. A design set that would allow anyone with the right equipment to download and print a firearm. This set of plans have been pushed back time and time again, but today was the day when they finally hit the web until a U.S. District Judge put up another roadblock. All three of our 3D printing experts agree that this is not news. Plans have floated around for years, if you knew where to find them and the likely hood of this having a long term impact are minimal. The world is watching to see what the United States will ultimately do when it comes to the blueprints for these guns.

KFGO NEWS STORY –

US JUDGE HALTS 3-D PRINTED BLUEPRINT HOURS BEFORE RELEASE

(John Schneider, Ben Dalton and Ben Bernard in the KFGO studios)

John Schneider is one of the owners of Fargo 3D Printing and he comments on the fact that his business has the right to refuse the printing of anything that they feel might violate a copyright law – which begs the question, “What about intellectual property?” Are we abusing this technology by printing items that companies would rather have us purchase OR are companies not seeing the goldmine in front of them by not embracing the idea that a 3D printer may, one day, be as common as the microwave?

Ben Bernard works at NDSU and is a 3D printer ambassador to those who have an interest in the technology. Ben walked into the studio with arm fulls of products from a replica of Notre Dame to a working set of cogs and wheels to a red rabbit with large ears. All items that were 3D printed at NDSU. Ben also notes that he sees companies like Fargo 3D Printing as an example of a market that is prime to take off. He buys his filament from them, he sends private citizens their way if they inquire about printing and sees that there is plenty of room…if you just use a little imagination.

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3D Printing – Guns and Braces? We Asked the Experts

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