As Mina Khan’s heart surgery success story shows, 3D printers are revolutionizing healthcare, aviation, manufacturing, and more. With their ability to customize and rapidly create, they are at the center of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and we need to prepare for the future by considering both the positive and negative impacts of technological advancements.
In 2015, Mina Khan was just two years old and facing open-heart surgery. She had a congenital heart disease with multiple holes between the ventricles of her heart, which prevented blood from circulating properly and leaking out whenever her heart moved. The clock was ticking. The only way to save Mina’s life was to identify and close all of the holes in the short window of time available to the heart inside her body. The operation was so difficult that Mina’s life was not guaranteed. Her parents were in despair, and the doctors who performed the surgery were deeply troubled, as their only goal was to find a way to save this young life. After much deliberation, the team at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, where Mina’s surgery was performed, decided to use a 3D printer.
In general, a printer is an output device that prints information processed on a computer in a form that the human eye can see. Whereas traditional printers can only print information in a two-dimensional form, 3D printers can print three-dimensional shapes. All you need is a modeled 3D drawing. The development of 3D printers is like humanity gaining the ability to be a ‘creator’. Complex structures could be created with ease, which showed great promise, especially in the medical field. Just like God, who can create anything he needs at any time, we can use 3D printers to create and use things at the right time.
The 3D printer gave Mina an artificial heart. St. Thomas Hospital was able to practice a simulated surgery with her artificial heart. The surgery was a success. According to the doctors, Mina is now in almost the same condition as other children her age. The success of the surgery was more than just saving a life, it was an important example of how 3D printers could revolutionize the future of healthcare. Jeremy Rifkin, a world-renowned American economist, had this to say about 3D printers
“The hallmark of the Third Industrial Revolution is that everyone can become an entrepreneur and turn innovative ideas into products. 3D printers are the protagonists of the third industrial revolution.”
With the interest in 3D printers, countries around the world have been quick to act. In Germany, smart factories have been built in the country using 3D printers. The automation of the production system solved the problem of labor costs, so there was no need to go to India or China. In the United States, innovation centers like the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) have been established across the country. NAMII is an organization of 40 private companies, nine research institutes, and five community colleges, and it researches manufacturing technologies using 3D printers. South Korea is also hastening to utilize 3D printers for smart innovation through its Manufacturing Innovation 3.0 program. These moves are part of a desperate effort to lead the industrial revolution that 3D printers will bring.
From global economists to governments, everyone is focusing on 3D printers. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is being powered by 3D printers all over the world. We can’t afford to stand still. We need to stay on top of the curve and lead the way when it comes to 3D printer technology. The reason why 3D printers are so popular is that they can be customized without wasting materials. And because it’s customized, consumers are more satisfied. For example, Adidas unveiled Future Craft 3D, a project to develop customized sneakers of the future. The plan is to scan each person’s foot and use a 3D printer to create a customized pair of sneakers. This will increase satisfaction because the shoe will take into account the different size, shape, and width of each individual’s foot.
3D printers are also superior in terms of speed. In traditional production, each part is made separately and then assembled. But with a 3D printer, the assembly happens naturally while the product is being made. With a 3D printer, any product can be created from a blueprint, using a variety of materials, within an hour to a day. This speed makes it an important tool that opens up new possibilities for businesses and consumers alike.
One area where 3D printers’ customizable nature can be most effectively utilized is in the human body. Eric Moger, a British man, lost most of the left side of his face due to a tumor that developed under the skin of his face. Surgery saved his life, but he had to live a miserable four years without half his face. He couldn’t speak properly and had to be fed through a tube. It was a bio 3D printer that reached out to him. The 3D printer created his left face. He has a new life. As you can see, 3D printers are more than just a technological advancement, they are also playing an important role as a tool to restore lost human dignity. In the field of the human body, the customized nature of production is an absolute necessity, which is why 3D printers are gaining traction. There are many other ways in which 3D printers are being used in the human field, such as the production of artificial livers, artificial ears, artificial skin, and even three-dimensional representations of fetuses in the womb for the blind.
3D printers are not only used in the human field, but also in many other fields. Aerospace is one of them. In space, materials are hard to come by. Nevertheless, you need to get the things you need. Food is one of them. Astronauts on long-term missions in space can now use 3D printers to make space pizza or space cookies. All you need is dehydrated food powder and a 3D printer. In addition, the University of Southampton in the UK created the unmanned aerial vehicle SULSA, and MONAD STUDIO presented a 3D printed cello and violin. Dubai unveiled a 3D printed office. The office, which is 70 square meters, was completed in just 17 days and cost $140,000 to build. The applications of 3D printers in various industries are endless, and they are pushing the boundaries of traditional manufacturing.
These versatile 3D printers do have their weaknesses. The incredibly fast production speeds can be a double-edged sword. In May 2013, gunsmithing technology developer Defense Distributed Group released the plans for its 3D printed gun, the Liberator, online. Shortly after its release, the plans were quickly downloaded over 100,000 times. If 3D printers had become more commonplace, over 100,000 “Liberators” could have threatened the peace of the United States. This is because there was no regulation. This incident highlights how dangerous 3D printers can be. It’s a reminder that technological advances don’t always have positive consequences.
In terms of being able to create anything, 3D printers have an absolute place in manufacturing. Thanks to their advantages of customization and speed of product creation, 3D printers are considered to be the protagonists of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and their influence will only grow. They will lead the industrial revolution and move the world forward. Of course, as the Liberator case shows, it’s not all positive. This is because 3D printers are a new and emerging technology, and there is a lack of regulation and promotion. Therefore, it is necessary for governments to create appropriate policies to help the 3D printer industry develop, and for individuals to make efforts to keep up with the development of 3D printer technology. Ultimately, it will be up to all of us to recognize both the possibilities and risks of 3D printers, and to create a better future through them.
