[techhelpbb]

I agree with the above 3 posters. Know and understand the technology to apply it correctly. Set the expectations appropriately. Understand the costs.

I own several printers and have been working with 3D printing for over 10 years (some of the printers I have access to are very expensive): I understand the value of the hype to the industry but the risk of the hype is confusion, dissatisfaction and fear (in the case of 3D printed weapons) that gets created by the hype.

No one should expect that you'll dump a quarter in a 3D printer at the supermarket and get a working firearm or robot printed on the spot. It does not work like that. It's slow. It requires finesse. It requires commitment. Like all newer technology it is quickly evolving. The cost of the printers is not always proportional to the value of the printer for a specific purpose.

I think it is fantastic when FIRST teams use this technology. However I can certainly understand when a FIRST team decides this technology is not necessary for them at this time. Those decisions are as unique as the teams themselves.

I speak only for myself when I say that I actually hope that at no point in the future does this technology merely come down to 'press this button', 'don't ask questions about what is going on in there' or branding. This runs contrary, in my view, to the spirit of the intentions of the people that developed this technology. There is a place for that but once that ball rolls too far it's difficult to pull back from merely consuming because the vital skills and information are lost to a lack of necessity.

"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." Thomas A. Edison