Around the Web: The Dark Side of 3D Printing
Wired’s Danger Room recently reported the confiscation of a 3D printer that was earmarked to be used for printing weapons.
Apparently Cody Wilson, the director of Defense Distributed and a University of Texas law student, planned to fabricate a gun using a leased Stratasys uPrint SE. When Stratasys learned of Wilson’s intent, they terminated his lease and sent a team to repossess the unit.
Wilson’s group oversees the Wiki Weapon project, which plans to design a 100 percent printable gun and make the CAD plans available over the Internet. “Until Stratasys pulled the lease, the Wiki Weapon project intended to make a fully 3-D printed pistol for the first time, though it would likely be capable of only firing a single shot until the barrel melted,” writes Robert Beckhusen of Wired.
New Scientist also weighed in on the subject. They explained that bullet propellants can reach up to 1000 degrees Celsius, which is beyond the threshold for ABS materials. “In all likelihood the gun would be destroyed, perhaps even blowing up in the shooter's hands, after firing no more than a few rounds,” noted the publication.
