Not long ago, a US company used 3D printing technology to successfully "manufacture" magazines and other components of AR-15 semi-automatic rifles. Recently, the company announced on the Internet that the first 3D printed pistol named "Liberator" has been successfully test-fired. Later, the company uploaded documents and instructions about the 3D printed gun to the Internet. As soon as the drawings were posted, they were downloaded more than 100,000 times. All of a sudden, the US society, which has been plagued by frequent shootings, was tense again.

What worries Americans is that 3D printers can be used by ordinary people. If someone prints out an all-plastic gun at home and passes the metal detectors at sea, land and air checkpoints without hindrance, then all security checks, background checks and gun laws will be meaningless, and there will be an "unmanageable and undetectable" situation for these murderous weapons. The manufacturing speed, scale and compatible materials of 3D printers are being updated day by day, if not effectively contained, may lead to the proliferation of weapons, 3D printing guns may be just the beginning.

What is more interesting is that in the future, low-end 3D printers will also have the function of printing metal and ceramic objects, and the printing of guns will become easier, and gun control will become extremely difficult. Currently, the most important provision regulating the production and distribution of 3D-printed guns in the United States is the decades-old UnDetectable Firearms Act. There have been calls for the Act to be amended to include new provisions that would restrict the "manufacturing" of weapons by 3D printers. California State Senator Eric Yee has proposed legislation to ban the development and dissemination of such technology that creates untraceable and anonymous production of firearms.

3D printing technology is a "double-edged sword", in addition to the negative effects mentioned above, it also has applications in the military field. The US military has studied 3D printing technology to reduce the burden on soldiers. The 3D printer has reportedly been deployed to war zones by the US military. The US military has now joined the expansion of 3D printing, deploying mobile LABS to Afghanistan to create tools and other equipment for soldiers in the field. On January 7, the Rapid Enablement Force deployed its second mobile Expeditionary Lab to the war zone. It integrates new technologies and can be transported anywhere by truck or helicopter. The lab uses 3D printers and computerized digital control equipment to produce aluminum, plastic and steel into the required parts. To help designers use computer-aided design software to quickly produce prototypes in combat zones, enhancing the sustainability of individual combat operations, theater patrols and small forward operating bases.

At present, the number of various 3D printing equipment in the United States has accounted for 40% of the world, most of which are concentrated in the military field of development and mold manufacturing. With the increasing progress of 3D printing technology, the maintenance and support of wartime equipment technology is expected to undergo revolutionary changes. Using 3D printing technology, damaged parts can be printed in time to repair damaged equipment, so that the damaged weapons and equipment can be regenerated, and the equipment support ability can be rapidly improved. Today, handguns and rifles can be printed through 3D printers. In the future, guns and ammunition may be as small as guns and ammunition, and as large as warships, aircraft and tanks can be printed by 3D printers, which can quickly supplement combat consumption during wartime. In the future, whether the 3D printer can become the "Arsenal" of "clone" weapons, let us wait and see.

Plastic Industry Video