3D Printing And Economics: What You Need to Know
A woman removing items printed in a 3D printer. Image source: Thomasnet
3D printing is arguably the next big frontier in fabrication. There is substantial money-making potential for 3D printing, and the technology is already being adapted to provide niche areas with the affordability they need; Thomson Reuters highlights the deployment of 3D printed houses in Washington as proof of this concept. That specific industry is set to reach $1.5 billion in sales by 2024. The problem is widespread consumer use. There is enormous potential for 3D printing to provide a way for everyday people to produce household items with ease and reduced costs. To reach that, there need to be widespread process changes in the 3D printing industry and how it is operated.
Rapid Deployment
GM 3D printing center. Image source:forconstructionpros.com
3D printing is relatively simple, yet it still holds a place among the types of hobbies that are technically based in nature. Historically this was computers; as computers have become commonplace, technical pursuits like 3D printing have become the new quest. The potential of 3D printing has been identified as far back as 2014; CNBC highlighted the potentially transformative effect of the technology. Yet, this hasn’t happened. Part of the reason behind this is the relative level of technical knowledge to operate the 3D printing system. To counter this, 3D print operators and those providing the schematics for printers need to embrace rapid prototyping. Using CAD will enable the rapid provision of new schematics and designs for printing at home or in businesses. This framework will make 3D printing more attractive to the broader market.
Common cause
Making this technology available to a wider spread of people is vital in making 3D printing relevant. The key is identifying where technology can help out in day-to-day life and then showing that to be the tangible benefit for consumers. TechRadar has highlighted a recent surge in interest in 3D printing, and behind that is a driven desire to produce customized, personalized parts for a range of household applications. The real question is over the cost-effectiveness of the technology.
Money in the pocket
The most significant frontier when it comes to making real money out of technological devices is the consumer market. The scalability of high-quality structures will bring 3D printers to the edge of the public consciousness; taking it to the next level requires dealing with one key factor - money. The average family will always look for adaptations to make their daily lives more convenient and open up their budget for other areas of life.
The necessary advances to make this possible in the arena of 3D printing are getting closer. TechCrunch cited studies back in 2013 that found 3D printing could provide an ROI of between 40 and 200 percent, saving families between $300 and $2000 per year. These were conservative assumptions based on the ability of 3D printing to replace household items. These estimates have not changed in the years since. With advancements in the materials that can be fabricated with consumer 3D printers, the potential for replacement parts has only expanded.
3D printing shoe in a 3D printer. Image source: onlytrainings.com
This can include simple items such as replacement parts for household items such as plugs, or smart device covers, through to technical pieces for the rapid repair of electronics and other problem devices - of course, with the proper technical help on hand. Indeed, as the cost of living in the USA continues to rise, 3D printing is becoming more of an attractive prospect. However, what’s less clear is the scalability of 3D printing and whether it can make a dent in a broader set of manufacturing applications.
Cooperative work
There are questions over the large-scale scalability of 3D printing. While many different materials can now be deployed to create 3D structures, there isn’t a way to mass-produce 3D printing for its full range of applications. New technology, however, is creating the potential for quick upscaling of 3D printing, and in a way that may be stronger than in previously witnessed models. A paper published by Science Advances highlights the use of an alternative style of lithography in 3D printing that will, with proper execution, allow far more complex microarchitectures.
Lithophanes 3D printed.Image source: 3dthis.com
This creates the prospect of easily produced and high-quality structures that can be scaled up, both for industrial use and in the home.
That scaling is crucial to the profitability and overall worth of 3D printing as a mass-produced technology. If manufacturers can create the tools that allow their consumer base to replace parts for their devices with greater ease, it will benefit the company in terms of reputation and the assurance of their products. However, there are signs that a lot more needs to be done on the interface between manufacturers and consumers. Will manufacturers trust consumers to hold the cards when it comes to printing, or will the licensed maintenance seen in most modern companies be transplanted to future agreements between those companies and their customers?
Commercial-consumer interface
In an ideal world, a manufacturer would produce a large appliance - say, a washing machine - and ship it out to the consumer. They would then be able to run the machine and then, if something minor broke - for instance, a pump filter or control dial - replace it via 3D printing, with the obvious caveat that a mechanic can tend to larger issues. The business landscape of the USA would likely demand that the manufacturer have proprietary control over the schematics for those prints.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of work to be done when it comes to 3D printing and the intellectual property sphere. IndustryWeek has highlighted two key areas of intellectual property conflict in the current state of affairs. The first concerns intercompany rivalries. With 3D printing and rapid prototyping, it’s entirely possible that a company will create parts that could infringe on patents and other IPs. Companies are already engaging in litigation where they believe they have seen parts that would infringe on a patent.
The second main area comes within the household. Can households be allowed to 3D print their own devices? If they design their own schematics and turn that to print, will they infringe on the IP of the source company for their appliance? Many companies are turning to exclusive licensing already, but that can be a controversial field to play - as seen in the many computer DRM debates of the mid-’00s and the failure of specific licensed-everything home IoT devices.
However, there is generally cause for hope. IP laws are an area concerned with big money, but an area that can be ironed out over time. In the meanwhile, innovators have the role of promoting the technological benefits of 3D printing and the potential cost savings. This will help promote the quality of 3D printing to a greater audience and cement it as a real high-quality alternative to normal manufacturing. 3D printing is essentially an ultimate form of repair and manufacturing; it’s instant and high-quality and provides a way for industrial and commercial sectors to quickly access tools without the need for lengthy and expensive procurement processes. With new, micro-scale innovation, the potential is clear.
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