[LINK] O/T - 3D Printing or re-inventing our manufacturing base.

[Tom Koltai]

>From an article in NewScientist Magazine: [1]

Quote/
3D printing has come on in leaps and bounds since its origins as an
expensive prototyping tool over two decades ago. It uses laser-assisted
machines to fabricate plastic or metal objects, building up the item
layer by layer, each slice just 100 micrometres thick.

To do this, the 3D printer first slices up an object's computerised
design into hundreds of easily printable layers. Each layer is then
"printed" by training a laser beam on a bed of polyamide plastic,
stainless steel or titanium powder - depending on the object being
created - tracing out the entire 2D shape required for that layer. The
laser's heat fuses the particles together at their boundaries. Once each
layer is complete, more powder is scattered over it and the process
repeated until a complete artefact is produced.
/Quote

Which if widely adopted would address the imbalance of underpaid
workforces as a competitive edge in the global economy.
Which would also repair our mining dividend currency outflow.  but if 3D
printers in the future will be doing all the blue collar work, how will
the average man in the street occupy himself?

Could this 3D printer in fact be a key component to the transition of
man from industrialist to a populace comprising predominantly,
philanthropic, philosophic and extremely enlightened Homo Universalis?
[Renaissance man].

In which case out the window go the economic theories of economic growth
through encouraging population growth. (Which of course means that Dick
Smith might be right again.[4])

[1]
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20737-3d-printing-the-worlds-first
-printed-plane.html?full=true
Additional cogitation material:
[2]
http://www.pcworld.com/article/235055/chocolate_printer_is_here_foodies_
of_the_world_celebrate.html
[3]
http://www.pcworld.com/article/214910/cornell_scientists_print_the_futur
e_of_food.html
[4]  http://dicksmithpopulation.com/