中国南部重庆的当局宣布，他们将要求该市的所有3D印刷公司在当地警察局注册。中国国家通讯社新华社报告说，该措施的目的是向公众保留危险和非法产品，同时还控制着重要专家组件的数字蓝图和数据文件的生产和销售。
Emerging technology vs Public safety
重庆is an important hub of the rapidly advancing Chinese 3D printing industry. Last year, a 3D printingmedical centre of excellencewas opened in the city, while the city’s university has been instrumental in the development oftitanium printing powder。修理重庆的子弹列车的备件是现在打印3D。
在整个建筑，航空和医疗行业中使用3D打印，提高质量和降低成本既具有技术优势，又具有潜在的安全风险。
Speaking to第六位新闻，3D打印专家Lichao Zhang教授解释说，能够生产最复杂设计的机器基于大学，因此已经注册，但成本下降可能意味着此类机器很快就会在市售上可用。然而，Naomi Wu一位总部位于深圳的技术拥护者回答说，这种担忧是放错了位置的，因为“如果需要，几乎任何技术都可以武器化”。
The Chinese Ministry of Public Security already requires foreign companies and certain specialist industries to register with authorities, to reduce非法活动。3D printing companies will now join hotels, scrap metal plants, and restaurants as a specialist industry, with requirements to divulge basic information on security measures, equipment and specially trained employees.
Tamper-proof designs
Other industries are privately taking the initiative to protect their machines. “Deliberate mistakes” within .stl files have been proposed by researchers as a security measure, while the US marines have incorporatedblockchain security systemsto prevent the threat ofdrone printing systems being hacked。
Other systems includeInfratrac的方法将化学指纹添加到3D印刷品。This can be used to differentiate between genuine and fake 3D printed products with a hand-held detector.
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Featured Image: 3D printed Space station components being tested at the The Research Centre for Additive Manufacturing in Chongqing. Image via: CCTV News.
