Social and economic impact of novel 3D printing technology

Abstract

3D printing, which is also known as additive manufacturing, refers to a process that prints three dimensional objects by stacking layers of materials. It has been hailed as a technology that will usher in a new industrial age. The technology has many advantages over traditional manufacturing methods as products are easier to customize or modify and its streamlined production processes eliminate waste and reduce pollution. The use of this technology cuts across many industries, such as aerospace, healthcare and medicine, transportation, defense, and education, etc. Despite the prospective benefits of 3D printing technology, the broader social and economic impact has not been thoroughly explored. The purpose of this research is to investigate the social and economic impact of this novel technology and determine whether its advantages outweigh the disadvantages and makes society better off. In addition, this technology has been driven by public funding and government initiatives. Therefore, this research also explores the role that the federal, state, and local governments play in supporting the development of this technology and the regulation in place for this fast-developing technology, while highlighting any gaps that may need to be addressed in the future. This research focuses on the perceptions held by professional practitioners in the public sector sphere and their adoption of 3D printing techniques in their organizations to ascertain whether they view the overall benefits of this technology as outweighing its disadvantages.