Until recently, 3D printing was only used by designers and hobbyists who worked primarily with plastic and was not available to the mass market. With the recent decline in prices of 3D printers and the availability of 3D printing materials, the popularity of 3D printing has increased dramatically over the past couple of years. It has been estimated that 3D printing could generate an economic impact of between $230 and $550 billion per year by 2025 (McKinsey Global Institute, 2012). Just like an inkjet printer, a 3D printer “prints” a series of plans on a computer using “additive manufacturing.” The additive manufacturing process builds objects layer by layer rather than through molding or subtractive techniques (such as machining) (McKinsey Global Institute, 2012). Additive manufacturing is attractive for producing hard-to-find items or when only a few similar items are needed because the manufacturing cost remains the same whether someone prints one or more, or whether the item is old or new. To determine whether 3D printing can be the next big disruptive technology, we must consider the benefits of 3D printing, the current and future capabilities of 3D printing, and which industries would most likely be revolutionized by 3D printing. Once we have a satisfactory answer to these questions, we can further ask ourselves: • What are the risks of 3D printing? How could this product fail? • What can be done to ensure 3D printing success? The main advantage of 3D printing is that a low number of goods can be produced at a relatively cheap cost, compared to traditional manufacturing, which typically requires higher volumes to reduce costs (Grynol, 2013). 3D printing can skip many traditional manufacturing steps and go straight from an idea to a fin... half the paper... in virtually every industry it needs to be fast, flexible and able to understand the implications 3D will have on their activities (Grynol, 2013). This is why it is imperative that manufacturers start developing their 3D printing capabilities now and help drive innovation to move the business forward. In conclusion, 3D printers have the ability to be a force in disruptive technology, just as the Internet did in the 1990s. The combination of the lower cost of 3D printers and advances in 3D printing technology is fueling its popularity in nearly every industry, from medical to construction. 3D printers could change the way we purchase products in the future. Many of the products we purchase today will eventually be downloaded and printed on a personal 3D printer. It is estimated that 3D technology could have an economic impact of up to $550 billion this year 2025.
tags