New and amazing
technologies are always developing, leaving consumers more awe-inspired than
ever before. 3D printing in the medical field has been on the rise for the past
few years. Researchers are now making significant progress and can advance from
printing linear nerves to y-shaped ones like the sciatic nerve. After testing
it in rats and seeing marked improvements in their walking abilities,
researchers are optimistic that these groundbreaking advancements will
eventually be implemented into humans and similar results will transpire
(Sparrow). While this technology is widely valuable in the medical field, it
also has many implications for business as well, especially with its continued
growth and expansion.
According to
Business Insider, 3D printing could grow up to 30% and “has the potential to reshape how America makes
stuff, creating new high tech jobs in the U.S. and bringing old ones back from
abroad” (Wile). Since this printing is become so much more popular and is
constantly looking to improve, more skilled engineers and researchers will be
employed to help aid the expansion of 3D printing. However, it is not just the
skilled jobs that will see an increase in numbers; technicians and other
minimal education required jobs will grow as well. Wile claims that “[the
industry will] see elite job shops grow, and…also see blue-collar employees
learn the technology and adapt and start wearing white shirts.” Therefore, not
only does this help the skilled inventors but also those involved in the
technician process. Finally, with new materials becoming available, the
eventual costs of the printers decreasing, and speeds of the printers
increasing, it is expected that 3D printing “will [be adopted] not only by
larger companies, but also by the smaller companies” (Wile). Consequently, this
will cause widespread job increases across the medical field and economic
growth.
While the addition of 3D
printing appears to be beneficial to employers and employees, this article
fails to address what affects it will have on consumers. Because these
innovations require advanced and costly technology, as well as the increase and
jobs and therefore wages expense, I find it hard to believe that prices for
consumers to have 3D printed nerves implemented would be anything other than
astronomical. Also, the article expresses how countries that have both skilled
and unskilled workers, like the US, support the technology of 3D printing and
its practices. However, it does not address the impact that it would have on
countries that do not have the level of educated workers that the US has.
Overall, I think that 3D printing is a great invention that could benefit
multiple industries and I look forward to seeing how it continues to impact our
nation.
Sparrow, Norbert. "Plastics Today." Plastics
Today. UBM Canon, 29 Sept. 2015. Web.
01 Oct.
2015.
Wile, Rob. "This Technology Could Have The Biggest
Impact On American Jobs Since
Offshoring."
Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 04 Sept. 2014. Web. 01 Oct.
2015.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.