3d printing is a poor engineering method for any such solution, and the hype around it needs to be curtailed further beyond the amount it has withered on its ow

3d printing is a poor engineering method for any such solution, and the hype around it needs to be curtailed further beyond the amount it has withered on its own. The word "massive shortage" specifically precludes 3d printing as a solution, because 3d printing is expensive and slow, and makes inferior products compared to machined, forged, or molded alternatives. You cannot 'fix' profit declaring itself more important than human life via plastic welding machines run by undergrads.