Two Dead After 3D Printer Jams While Printing Gun

[GeorgeGist]

AUSTIN — A Texas manufacturing company’s technological innovation turned tragic on Tuesday when a 3D printer jammed while printing a metal pistol, killing two technicians and injuring an intern.

Solid Concepts, which yesterday boasted it had successfully fired over 50 rounds from the first ever firearm made of 3D-printed metal, issued a statement on the company’s blog announcing that it would temporarily halt operations in order to carry out a “thorough investigation into the deadly malfunction.”

According to the statement, product engineers Brett Lackey and Jacob Harlan—both employed at the company since 2011—died of multiple gunshot wounds after they “mishandled the machinery” while troubleshooting a malfunction. A third man, identified only as an intern, was treated and released at a local hospital after sustaining a bullet wound to the thigh.

“All Solid Concepts employees are thoroughly trained and follow established protocol when dealing with potentially dangerous machinery,” read the statement.

- See more at: http://www.newslo.com/two-dead-after-3d-printer-jams-while-printing-gun/#sthash.SfNQK4v8.dpuf

[undeterred]

1. Sounds like the concept is not that well understood.

[LiberalAndProud]

2. Product engineers should demand hazard pay.

Is this one of those "no one could have predicted" things?

[Heather MC]

50. This is worse than the ACA website glitch, it should be repealed

[loli phabay]

3. uh, wtf, and every other im confused stuff

They were making a gun, how the heck was it loaded, how did it fire, something seems off in this report. Or they are printing alraedy loaded guns but how.

[madaboutharry]

12. I thought this also

I don't get that it was loaded.

[Tx4obama]

16. The artice is SATIRE

[Liberal_in_LA]

61. thank u. it's not clear that it's satire from the portion posted

[devils chaplain]

18. This is a parody article, which is hard to detect at first because it isn't funny. n/t

[loli phabay]

20. thanks, yeah it was just more confusing than anything else.

[Cleita]

33. Heh. There was the smell of onion all over the place, but rotten ones. n/t

[Decaffeinated]

38. There it is...

If it had been humorous, it might have made some sense.

[GReedDiamond]

24. There are 3D printers that print objects which...

...consist of several separate movable parts.

The finished piece is completely assembled and functional, immediately upon completion of the printing process.

Which means, I suppose, they could 3D print a gun, preloaded with 3D printed bullets, in one printing operation.

On edit: I see where the article is satire, but the concept may very well be valid.

[loli phabay]

28. yeah but how the hell could you 3d print chemicals needed for the powder etc.

[GReedDiamond]

31. Good question...I'm not a gun person...

...so I don't think much about the physics behind how guns "work," so that consideration was not accounted for.

But I'm sure somebody could figure out a way to introduce the needed gunpowder etc, after the printing, if they really wanted to.

Obviously, it would be way easier to print the gun, then load the bullets into it.

[loli phabay]

35. yeah the last part would be the easiest way.

[Warpy]

29. That's my question, too

Is somebody at Yahoo celebrating April Fool's Day early? Or do the machines lay down layers of cordite, too?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

4. Someone should have had a gun to shoot the printer nt

[BlueJazz]

49. LOL!

[BlueStreak]

59. The only thing that can stop a bad 3d printer printing a gun is a good ...

[madaboutharry]

5. How terribly sad.

[redwitch]

6. Not The Onion?

I was pretty sure it was when I read the headline.

[Tx4obama]

21. The Borowitz Report, The Onion, The Currant, Free Wood Post, and Newslo - are SATIRE

[notadmblnd]

7. Geesh, you'd think they'd be smart enough to print the guns with out the bullets in them

[PoliticAverse]

8. "Newslo is the first hybrid News/Satire platform on the web."

http://www.newslo.com/about-us/

JUST ENOUGH NEWS…Newslo is the first hybrid News/Satire platform on the web. Readers come to us for a unique brand of entertainment and information that is enhanced by features like our fact-button, which allows readers to find what is fact and what is satire.

[grahamhgreen]

9. Apparently a satire news site.

[Chuuku Davis]

10. Satire is FREAKING

AWESOME!!

[Rex]

45. Yes

Do those printers have memory? Can we charge them yet?

[Tx4obama]

11. For those that do not know... IT IS SATIRE

:hi;

[madaboutharry]

15. That is good news then!

[pinboy3niner]

26. Another headline: Zimmerman In Custody After Mistaking Wife For Unarmed Black Teenager

[sweetloukillbot]

55. Okay, that one is pretty good n/t

[dlwickham]

36. is this satire?

[sufrommich]

13. This is a joke. nt

[NV Whino]

14. Never print a loaded gun

And let me add

[PoliticAverse]

17. "all guns are loaded". n/t

[loli phabay]

19. ah satire, confused i was young jedi

[Lizzie Poppet]

27. Understandable, given that satire is generally intended to be, you know...funny.

That article, on the other hand...

Still, I suppose it's necessary for people to see just how far they can push the "no more gun threads in GD" change.

[ileus]

22. So it prints ammo also....LOL

always keep your printer pointed in a safe direction when clearing jams...

[Vashta Nerada]

23. Really lame satire.

[NYC_SKP]

25. I don't even need to read the article to know there's a layer of bullshit, at least to the details.

Died of gunshot wounds? Can't be caused by a 3D printer.

Printer prints the parts, maybe after the parts are printed and cartridges loaded, maybe then they can be fired, but not during printing.

Indeed, after searching, I see it's BULLSHIT!

http://blog.solidconcepts.com/

[loli phabay]

37. it was more confusing than funny.

[Historic NY]

30. Its not nice to fool with Mother Nature.

what made them think they could load it before it was printed.

[petronius]

32. Oh, damn! I just sent a news article about a forest fire to my color printer.

And I think there was a fire picture included with the article!

Guess I'd better run and get the extinguisher - or is the danger confined to 3D printers? Nah, I'll foam down the office just in case...

[TheCowsCameHome]

34. ..if only printed guns had printed guns....

[valerief]

39. This is a joke, right? Gungeoneer humor? nt

[spanone]

40. satire...newslo website...

[Logical]

41. Why not label these dumb stories as "Satire:", waste of time. n-t

[Dash87]

42. And so an urban legend is born

[rhett o rick]

43. not funny

[Union Scribe]

52. +1

Satire is supposed to lampoon an absurdity in society. And while the issue of printing guns is mired in absurdity, this was just fake news reported straight with (if you click on the link) a distasteful picture of an injured person.

[rhett o rick]

57. Exactly. nm

[Rex]

44. So guns do kill people.

nt.

[Historic NY]

47. Yup especially ones bring copied on a printer...

[eqfan592]

48. And extra especially ones that are part of a satirical story. nr

[Historic NY]

60. I think the writer was loaded.....

[Nye Bevan]

46. These crappy subpar so-called "satirical" stories really make me appreciate the Onion. (nt)

[Incitatus]

51. DU should start requiring a 'satire' tag in the OP.

Sometimes, it can be hard to tell the difference.

[OnyxCollie]

53. Guns don't kill people.

3D printers printing guns kill people.

[Blue_In_AK]

54. I thought this was the Onion for a minute

Is this a sarcasm site?

ed. Satire, I mean, for the word Nazis.

[eqfan592]

64. Yes, it is. nt

[Agnosticsherbet]

56. It's happening. The machiens are rising up to destory their creators. n/t

[jtuck004]

58. Only a good engineer with a 3D printer can stop a bad engineer with a 3D printer...

Except for the sys admin. She can terminate the user account and stop all that silliness.

[Stardust]

62. LOL

[Kurska]

63. People really need to put satire in the subject line

It only seems like common courtesy to me.