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As For The Uses Of 3D Printing, There Have Been Many Revolutionary

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As for the uses of 3D printing, there have been many revolutionary advancements in many different fields. The military even uses 3D printing to create parts for their vehicles. The Marine Wing Support Squadron 372 was able to print a door handle for one of their humvees in the Arizona desert (Schlel). 3D printers have made their way into research labs, universities, and medical offices around the world and allow people to create customized products that would have previously taken weeks or even months to produce. Perhaps the most amazing impact this technology has is in the medical industry. The way it works is that the printers use bio ink, which is a gel made of live cells which is housed in a specialised printing cartridge. “Another …show more content…

It also does not require many manufacturing processes that most other products would require, thereby cutting down production costs (Groopman).
Another product in the field of medicine that exemplifies the need for 3D printing is prosthetics. This is one of the most common examples of 3D printing cutting down costs. Although custom made prosthetics are available elsewhere, they can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000 which is unaffordable for some families not covered under medical insurance. 3D technology can create a customized prosthetic for a fraction of the cost. There are models for prosthetic hands online for free so those who own a 3D printer can print it themselves. 3D printing prosthetics would be very useful in countries without much access to modern medical care. The war-torn regions of Africa are a prime example of this. Another advantage of having 3D printed prosthetics is that they can be easily customized, and created to suit the owner. Artistic, rugged, and specialty designs have been made to suit specific activity use, including outdoor activities such as biking. This level of customizability would cost a fortune with current prosthetics.
Although the use of 3D printing is very useful advancing technology in medicine, and providing a glimpse into a future where medical treatment can become more of a convenience than a hassle, there are certainly a number of ethical questions that will need to be considered as these technologies develop. Susan

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