WorldWide Drilling Resource

82 MARCH 2015 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Guns from a Printer? Compiled by Amy White, Associate Editor WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Solid Concepts, a production com- pany in Austin, Texas, has fired over 600 rounds from a 3-D printed metal gun. It has been fired repeatedly, and has had no part failures to date. The gun is based on a classic 1911 pistol design, and has a unique serial number like any other gun as required by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Each piece of the gun was created by lasers inside a 3-D metal printer through a process of stacking one layer of metal powder over another. The weapon’s main body is composed of metals and materials made of mined ele- ments from the earth. These include stainless steel, an alloy called inconel, carbon fiber, and a nylon hand grip. According to the Austin Pol ice Association, any gun poses a threat. President Wayne Vincent is concerned about the possibility of 3-D printing tech- nology making guns more readily avail- able in the future. However, according to Kent Firestone, vice president of additive manufacturing at Solid Concepts, the gun is just a prototype to prove 3-D print- ed components are strong enough for real-world applications. He said it is extremely expensive and will not go into full production. So is there cause for worry about this capability falling into the wrong hands? For now, 3-D printers available to the public are far from being able to Project Engineer Eric Mutchler put the 3-D printed metal gun through a 500-round torture test. Images courtesy of Solid Concepts. create anything metal. Solid Concepts said the printers required to make the gun can cost more than a million dollars. Also, a federal firearms license was required to manufacture it. The firm has no current plans to sell guns, but is weighing future options. They said any commercially available 3-D printed gun would cost five figures. Solid Concepts plans to build sever- al more prototypes. "/, 542> +702204. 3(.(?04, 7,(*/04. 9/, 3589 5- >5:7 659,490(2 ):>,78 @ 62(*, >5:7 *2(880-0,+ (+ <09/ 2,(8, ;0809 5:7 $,) 809, (9 <<< <572+<0+,+702204.7,85:7*, *53 , 3(02 :8 (9 *2(880-0,+ <572+<0+,+702204.7,85:7*, *53 *(22 -57 357, 04-573(9054 57 -022 5:9 9/, -573 ),25< (= 57 3(02 95 5= 540-(> 2570+( 573 4897:*90548 2,(8, "% 57 " >5:7 (+ ,=(*92> (8 >5: <5:2+ 201, 09 95 (66,(7 04*2:+, (22 6:4* 9:(9054 3(718 "/, 7(9, 08 6,7 204, 4573(22> */(7(*9,78 3(1,8 54, 204, 59, 52+ 9>6, 08 *5480+,7,+ 86(*,8 :29062> 7(9, = 5- 204,8 95 -04+ >5:7 959(2 */(7., ,(+204, -57 (+8 08 9/, 89 5- ,(*/ 3549/ + ",=9 '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' !6,*0(2 4897:*90548 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' 536(4> (3, ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' 549(*9 (3, '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ++7,88 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' 09> !9(9, &06 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' /54, ''''''''''''''''''''''''''' (= ''''''''''''''''''''''''' (7+ ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' =6 (9, '''''''''' # '''''' (3, 54 (7+ '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' 0403:3 /(7., 08 57 0862(> 2(880-0,+ (9, (22 $, (**,69 ! Looking for More? Sign up for E-News Flash and read even more interesting articles about the latest developments in the drilling industry. Each month, your WWDR Team prepares an electronic newsletter just for our subscribers. Subscribe today by e-mailing: e-news@ worldwidedrillingresource.com