3d PrintingCHANGED

MANUFACTURINGTraditional

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HOW

As 3-D printing becomes a more broadly accepted method of manufacturing consumer-

ready products, it could alter our basic standards of lead times and design all across

the global supply chain.

3-D printing is changing the

face of collaborative design and manufacturing process, shrinking lead times, creating previously impossible

to manufacture products, and leading to mass personalization.

PRINTING SPECIALIST PARTS Makes The Investment Worthwhile.

Not only can the company print parts, but it can print its own tools. The machines

themselves were a heck of an investment in the past – some of the big ones were six figures.

It moves to reduce the cost of printers using a wider range of materials, such as glass, metals

and rubber, will be welcomed.

“3D Printing technology is transformative.”-Paul Doe, Chief Designer,

Motorsport Technology Designers Prodrive.

INFOGRAPHIC

Conveniently iterate top-line.

30% 3D printing has grown exponentially over the last few years, and the reasons why the technology has taken off are the following:

The introduction of low-cost fused deposition modelling (FDM).

An additive manufacturing technology commonly used for modelling.

Prototyping; open-source machines, which have got into the hands of thousands

of people, and more creative industries now being involved.

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EXPONENTIAL GROWTH

EXPONENTIAL GROWTHGrand designs Robin Wilson, lead technologist at the Technology Strategy Board, has followed the development of 3D printing since working at Jaguar in the mid-1990s.

“The biggest adoption is being seen in the automotive, jewelry and medical

industries but building critical structural parts for areas such as the aerospace industry

is still about 15 years away.One of the implications, and an important

messages for us, is around design.

We see design as the key to unlocking the potential of this technology,”

3D printing enables designers to experiment with new bespoke solutions for products and really lends itself to small companies.

COPYRIGHT ISSUES

However, the rise of 3D printing is not without a new set of legal problems. There could be increasing issues around copyright as 3D

printing takes off – analogous to the problems experienced in the music industry with the onset of digital content through sites such as Napster.

Issues are going to come when people upload design files that potentially infringe patents

and design rights.

The UK has a huge history of innovative design. If people can create a sensible regime to deal

with intellectual property rights in 3D printing that would put in a strong position, clear

regulations will avoid the mess that the music industry got into around digital patents.

“It has the potential to be fundamentally disruptive as it enables more rapid product development through prototyping, and making products to order.”

In five years, we will see big uptake of 3D Printing technology. It improves the ideation process, which before was constrained by costs that could

benefit any business in product design hugely.

3D printing is driving innovation in more ways than uniquely made printed objects.

MORE INNOVATIVE THINKING

Some companies today enables you to upload a design to a website and press the ‘Print’ button. They will print it and

ship it to you. They help offer your product in a 3D

marketplace. They will take the orders, print it and send it to the

buyer. You collect the profit from the end of it.”

3D printing creates unique opportunities and threats for a broad range of industries. “Companies have the ability to update their supply chains to take advantage of the local

printing and use it as a cheaper supply chain, a more responsive supply chain. “

Of course, they have competitors doing the same thing, so they have to be aware that

they need to be more nimble in moving forward with this.

CREATES Unique OPPORTUNITIES

Advances in material science will allow 3D printers to create objects that can’t be made by traditional

manufacturing methods.

If we can control the crystalline structure of metals, just imagine some of the properties we could

imbue to a metal part that’s hard and brittle at one end but the same piece of metal is springy and soft

at the other end.

Referenceshttps://hbr.org/2013/03/3-d-printing-will-change-the-worldhttp://www.computerweekly.com/feature/How-3D-printing-impacts-manufacturinghttp://www.industryweek.com/emerging-technologies/how-3-d-printing-will-transform-manufacturinghttp://www.csc.com/townhall/insights/94525-how_3d_printing_will_turn_manufacturing_on_its_headhttp://www.npr.org/2015/04/21/401167175/3d-printers-are-changing-the-way-people-think-about-manufacturing