Will 3D printers affect Nuclear Industry?

[S T I G]

With the emergence of the 3D printers becoming an evermore popular industry, individuals are now able to design and create objects that flirt with limits only held back by one's imagination. I recently came across an article/video of a company who had created a fully functional/high performance assault rife made ENTIRELY from parts created by a conventional 3D printer {excluding barrel}. This means that the average Joe now has the capability to make his own tools, make his own replacement parts or...god forbid...maybe even improve upon designs. Do you think we could start seeing people outside of mechanical and nuclear engineers start taking advantage of this patent-friendly opportunity. There is no denying that there are some observations and insights that are more often noticed to those who work in the "trenches," if you will. Anyways, what do you guys think?  


P.S.   Appropriate quote: Necessity is the mother of invention  and now inventing things just got that much easier!

[Marlin]

   Non critical items maybe. I am trying to imagine the QA/QC and testing required. Now that metal printers are being perfected I suspect many industries may try to shorten their supply stream. Cost still needs to come down and material management/configuration control brought up to speed. Even IT will have to come up to speed I don't think they want a printed gun in the security perimeter or maybe just exclude the printers from secure areas for both plastic and metal printers.

[Fermi2]

Won't change a thing.

[BuddyThePug]

Won't change a thing.

19 of these fuel injectors of every new "Leap" GE90-115B. No trifle, but 3D stuff will probably be small scale components only.

[Marlin]

Can printed reactor vessels be far off?

Siemens prints part for Krško plant

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Siemens-prints-part-for-Krsko-plant-0903174.html

CONEXPO 2017 is happening right now and on display is the worlds first 3D printed excavator.

[SloGlo]

wail, concrete printing is hear, sew printed buildings ain't far a way. hi pressure systems mae take a cupla moor years.

[Marlin]

   Elon Musk's SpaceX is printing complex parts for it's rockets, Oak Ridge National Labs has printed whole cars, human organs are being printed, and plans for printing metal guns are on the internet. I wonder what happens when they manage to use newer materials on the horizon such as black diamond (Carbonado)? They grow diamonds now on diamond seed using vapor deposition all they need is a focused deposition to make the hardest components known to man.

It could happen 

[Marlin]

   Elon Musk's SpaceX is printing complex parts for it's rockets, Oak Ridge National Labs has printed whole cars, human organs are being printed, and plans for printing metal guns are on the internet. I wonder what happens when they manage to use newer materials on the horizon such as black diamond (Carbonado)? They grow diamonds now on diamond seed using vapor deposition all they need is a focused deposition to make the hardest components known to man.

It could happen 

We even printed RAMBO 


The U.S. Army 3D-Printed a Grenade Launcher and Called it R.A.M.B.O.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/advice/a25592/the-us-army-3d-printed-a-grenade-launcher-it-calls-rambo/

[SloGlo]

probly bee a bull two print a stare weight too heaven.