yes and no. I think the idea here long term is similar to the printer dots on normal printers. where they track/record those from factory to the point of sale. if the nozzles leave identifying marks (something I’d totally believe) then even destroying said printer might not help you if you used a credit card to purchase it.
Comment on 3D Printing Patterns Might Make Ghost Guns More Traceable Than We Thought | 404 Media
Saleh@feddit.org 2 days agoYeah, this is absurd. Also if someone makes a “ghost gun” they can easily destroy the printer before using that thing.
jatone@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 days ago
Vodulas@beehaw.org 2 days ago
Unless there is something inserted into the gcode, nozzles are a wear item. You would not be able to put a consistently identifiable mark on the nozzle
SteevyT@beehaw.org 2 days ago
I can change what an individual print line looks like to the naked eye just by something as simple as tweaking temperature or print speed. Good luck getting anything remotely consistent intentionally by clever nozzle machining.
Also, nozzles are dead simple to make, it’s literally just a large drill bit (1.75mm diameter or so) with a smaller (.05mm to 1mm) drill poking the last bit through. Tip is slightly flattened off and away it goes.
Also, as someone else said, nozzles are a wear item, it’s like trying to track a car down by the brake pads, or a pencil down by the shape of the lead at the tip, using it changes the characteristics of it.
moody@lemmings.world 2 days ago
If someone makes a 3d-printed ghost gun, they can destroy the gun beyond any chance at recognition by tossing it into a fire.
Sandbar_Trekker@lemmy.today 1 day ago
Depends on whether their 3D printer could print out metal objects or not.