There are different types of risks when using 3D printing, however these can be minimized by setting up prevention measures adapted to the use of such a tool.
Chemical risks
This type of risk depends on the materials and how they are treated when printing. This requires heating the material to high temperature, until its fusion. This process can cause the emission of fine particles or volatile organic compounds. It is therefore important to learn as much as possible about the material chosen to protect against its rejections.
PLA remains a low-risk material because it is mainly composed of corn starch or, in some cases, sugar cane. Its chemical emissions therefore have a very minimal risk to health. This is the preferred material for this type of manufacture, which does not prevent airing the room in which the prints take place.
It may also be ideal to provide the printer with a filter hood for both fine particles and volatile organic compounds to diversify the materials used.. Of course, if there is the possibility of having a room dedicated to printing or an empty room for the duration of printing, easy to ventilate, it is even better, so individuals are the least possible exposed to these chemical risks.
Anyway, the important thing is to ventilate the room to renew the air so as not to breathe the various particles that may be there because of the melting of the thermoplastic, the use of aerosols , cleaning products or solvents.
Electrical and physical hazards
The risks are the same as all the electrical objects that are in the house. Cable handling must be done with great care so as not to incur electrical accidents. It is important that these do not exceed, are not stripped or damaged and remain difficult to reach, especially for less sensitized individuals, such as children..
In addition, it must be taken into account that the nozzle heats minutely at 180 ° C to fuse the thermoplastic, so it can cause severe burns if touched when it heats. So when printing is in progress, the nozzle should be the least accessible possible, again especially for less sensitized individuals, such as children.
Conclusion
The use of 3D printing for domestic use must be considered as well as the use of household electrical appliances: there are safety rules to be respected. Just as everyone knows that you do not get your hands in the oven when it heats up, you should not touch the printer nozzle when it works. When safety and usage rules are applied, the risks are almost non-existent. However, just as there is no zero risk to using the oven or the car, there will still be a risk to using 3D printing.
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