Look who now has a license to manufacture firearms! The work begins!
– Cody Wilson, Defense Distributed

Controversial 3D printed guns maker Defense Distributed has attained a license to manufacture guns. An image of the Type 7 license was published on Defense Distributed’s Facebook page along with a note that said “The work begins!” This license allows the company to sell the parts they have been manufacturing, such as components for automatic weapons as well as its potential “Wiki Weapon.”

There has been much debate on the topic:

• MakerBot pulled plans for gun parts from Thingiverse following the Newton school shootings
• Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) is looking to introduce legislation to prohibit 3D printing of gun parts
• Chris Anderson weighs in saying “3D printing is a terrible technology for the working components of a gun.”

Here’s the original launch video for Defense Distributed, now with over 1 million views.

A roundup of the top 3D printing news from March 4 to March 10:

Tuesday, March 5

• 3D Printing Drugs: Medical Miracle or Illegal Substance Enabler?

Former editor-in-chief of Wired Chris Anderson weighed in on the 3D printed gun debate with a simple rebuttal:

“3D printing is a terrible technology for the working components of a gun. There is no tensile strength. It would blow up in your face. You can buy guns in Walmart — they are not a scarce product. And if you want a good barrel you can go and get a bit of plumbing from the store.”

This comes after a wave of concern and paranoia about people 3D printing their own guns at home in the wake of school shootings that rocked the news. One such example was the “Wiki Weapon” from Defense Distributed, pictured below.

Hopefully this type of common sense will prevent regulation from hindering the potential of 3D printing to revolutionize our world.

Chris Anderson photo by Tom Foremski.

Via Wired.

NPR correspondent Zoe Chace filed a special report on All Things Considered about 3D printing. She interviews Shapeways CEO Peter Weijmarshausen, industry analyst Terry Wohlers, and author Chris Anderson.

This is the latest report from NPR. Back in June, they also discussed 3D printing.

Zoe Chace takes through what 3D printing can do, and calls it “miraculous”. In a matter of hours, you can print “stuff”, from shoes to bracelets to iPhone cases. She continues to say that it’s easy to see how 3D printing could have a radical impact on the economy.

Peter Weijmarshausen helps us understand what Shapeways’ role is in the 3D printing industry. Terry Wohlers talks about what 3D printing might replace, and what it won’t. Chris Anderson discusses how 3D printing will lead to the democratization of manufacturing.

You can listen to the full radio program or read the transcript below.

The first key to thinking about 3-D printers is this: Do not think printer. Think magic box that creates any object you can imagine.

In the box, razor-thin layers of powdered material (acrylic, nylon, silver, whatever) pile one on top of the other, and then, voila — you’ve got a shoe, or a cup, or a ring, or an iPhone case.

It’s miraculous to see. Press a button, make anything you want. But just how important is 3-D printing? Unlike earlier big-deal technologies (like, say, the tractor) 3-D printing won’t really replace what came before.

“If you’re producing trash cans or stadium seats, you’ll more than likely produce them the old way,” says analyst Terry Wohlers.

And for consumers, the economist Tyler Cowen points out, it’s still way easier to order something from Amazon than print it yourself — and that’s how people will buy things for the foreseeable future.

Still, 3D printing is amazingly powerful for personalized applications.

Right now, there are 30,000 people walking around with 3D printed titanium hips, which are less expensive than conventionally manufactured artificial hips.

Boosters of 3D printing dream of a day when printers can make new body parts. More prosaically, they talk about a day when every shirt, every dress, every pair of pants can be custom printed to perfectly fit each person.

Another thing to keep in mind about 3D printing: It democratizes who gets to be in the manufacturing business. You don’t need a giant factory and million-dollar machines. You just need $500 and a garage.

Via NPR.

3D printing photo by DSTL UNR used under Creative Commons license.

Here are the top 10 most popular stories On 3D Printing brought you in November 2012.

10. Attend the First International Maker Meetup Dedicated to 3D Printing

9. Go Shopping! Black Friday 3D Printing Deals: Shapeways, MakerBot, i.Materialise

8. MakerBot Joins the Race For 3D Printing Your Self-Portrait

7. Startup Mixee Me Launches Beta: 3D Print Your Own Mini-Me Likeness

6. Phantom Geometry Technique Wins Gehry Prize for 3D Printing Innovation

5. Chris Anderson: 3D Printing Will Be Bigger Than the Web

4. Paper-Based 3D Printing, Now in Color and Photo Realistic

3. Incredible 3D Printing Design: Blending Real Objects with Lego

2. Must-See Infographic: How Long Until the 3D Printing Revolution?

1. 3D Printing Photo Booth Opens in Japan: 3D Print Your Self Portrait

Thanks for reading in November!