3D printers are used to create a variety of objects. They can be used to build things such as homes and bridges. 3D printers are used by food companies to make food in three dimensions. Lynette Kucsma, the cofounder of a food company called Natural Machines, stated that their “big vision is that [they] actually do see that the 3D food printer will become a common appliance in every kitchen” (Otfinoski, 2017, p. 31). 3D printing is even applicable to fashion. It has specifically been used to produce customized shoes based on a customer’s measurements (Otfinoski, 2017, p. 30). 3D printers can also be useful in the biological and anatomical sense. Skin can be produced through the use of 3D printers. It is done by the growth of cells which are squirted from a printing head. They are also used in the health care industry through the production of customized hearing aids, prosthetic limbs, false teeth, and skulls (Otfinoski, 2017, p. 23).
With all the varied applications of 3D printing come a lot of benefits associated with the printer. A lot of countries worldwide that have struggled to obtain resources necessary to survive no longer have to obtain resources from other countries. With 3D printing, those countries are able to produce the resources they need without the help from other countries. 3D printers also make products locally with a minimal amount of wasted materials (Otfinoski, 2017, 58). Although there are a multitude of beneficial uses of 3D printers, there are also problems associated with the 3D printers. One of the problems is not having knowledge of what the limitation is in terms of what can and cannot be printed. Illegal devices, such as weapons, can be created by anyone and is dangerous because any individual can get a hold of 3D printers to make potentially dangerous or hazardous items (Otfinoski, 2017, p. 30).