More than 30-years old but hardly used by the masses, 3D printing technology dominated the Internet as well as news media recently due to a group known as Defense Distributed publishing a blue print online to make a gun. According to the news media and the Internet, one person even fired a shot using a gun printed and assembled based on blue prints widely available online. However, the U.S. Department of State put pressure on the online publisher causing them to shut-down the blue print.
It appears that limited availability of 3D printers, cost of materials and difficulties in blending of raw materials that are needed, and comparatively slow printer technology issues are holding wider use of 3D printing technology. But in the future, manufacturing can benefit from the 3D printing technology leading price reductions of manufactured goods. It can bring talented individuals to use the technology creating an enormous expansion and advancing technological knowledge. It can also advance medical technology as well as medical devices benefiting the masses and cutting medical cost. One immediate disadvantage of the massive expansion of 3D printing could lead to short term job losses especially in the manufacturing sector.