THE IMPACT OF 3D PRINTING ON CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY

Gail GreatorexProduct Safety SolutionsMelbourne, Australia

Inside 3D Printing Conference

Melbourne 2015

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It’s a really exciting time in consumer products

We can all work to make it a safe time

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Consumer product safety

Focus today on:

Consumer level 3D printers – and how they can impact product safety

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Consumer product safety

How do we usually know products are safe?

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Typical consumer goods system

Designer – Supplier – Manufacturer – Distributor – Retailer

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Design

Hazard assessment – user, environment

Hazard recognition, likelihood

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Compliance with regulations

Product bans

Safety standards for design and performance

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Residual risks

Addressed through:

User instructions – assembly, installation, maintenance

Warnings

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Production specs

Raw materials

Production equipment

Environment conditions

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Mass production Consistent output

Enables quality assurance

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TestingProduction samples which are . . .

representative of production output

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Supply chain

Established roles

Clear relationships

Contractual obligations

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Somewhere in Australia

A group of friends are about to start dabbling in 3D printing

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One of the friends . . . Kyle

Kyle acquires a consumer level 3D printer

He’s excited to explore what he can make with this new device

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Kyle’s friend, Elly

Elly has always felt she had untapped creative talent

She downloads some 3D print software and starts designing some household products

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Kyle and Elly’s friend, Simon . . .

Simon knows somebody who is importing 3D printing filament

Simon supplies Kyle with these raw materials for a good price

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Elly has a friend who’s having a baby . . .

Elly has been invited to the baby shower. She wants to give a teething ring as a gift, but that seems a bit plain . . .

So she designs a teething ring with some extra little animal shapes around it

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Kyle makes a teething ring

3D printed from Elly’s design

Elly’s friend loves the

teething ring

No-one realises the rings

contain a banned plastic

softener

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Demand for the new design

Elly and Kyle start printing more to sell online

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Kyle gets excited . . .

Now Kyle thinks there might be some money in making toys

He finds toy designs online at 3Ddezigns.com

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. . . and over-excited

Kyle tries to speed up the printing process by turning up the heat in his apartment

He doesn’t read the designer’s instructions about the temperature needed to cure the finished product

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A new and thriving business

Kyle’s Kreations Inc is off and running, selling:

Kyle’s Keep KleenTM bath toys Kyle’s Krazy Kars™ toys Elly’s Ezi-teethe™ teething rings

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3D Printing and Product Safety

What does this story tell us?

What are the issues for consumer product safety?

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3D Printing and Product Safety

• Anyone can buy a 3D printer

• Anyone can access designs online

• . . . and vary them to suit their needs

• And supply them to others

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3D Printing and Product Safety

• Novice and untrained designers!

• Novice and untrained producers! (prosumers)

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3D Printing and Product Safety

• Making and supplying banned products

• Not recognising hazards and how to avoid them

• Not providing instructions or warnings

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3D Printing and Product Safety

• Raw materials - Quality? Consistency?

• Product output - Quality? Consistency?

• Opportunities for checks and balances (testing, QA audits, supply chain cross-checks)?

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3D Printing and Product Safety

And these are not the only issues consumer product safety and 3D printing

There are many more . . .

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In pairs

Discuss how you think prosumer level

3D printing can impact product safety

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In pairs

Discuss ways to address negative

product safety implications

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Consumer product safety is a big issue for 3D Printing

.

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All players have a role . . .

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Everyone . . .

. . . will need to be

alert to the issues

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Strategies for the 3DP industry

Make consumer product safety a priority for its growing

market

Support and educate customers in product safety - including prosumers and 3D print shops

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Strategies for the 3DP industry

Work with product design developers and design schools

Monitor the safety of feedstock and actively manage associated risks

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White paper

White paper: 3D Printing and Consumer Product Safety

Available free at productsafetysolutions.com.au

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Thank you for participating