3D Printing on Demand from Industry and Geolocation

How will manufacturing be transformed by 3D printing on demand?

3D printing on demand has the potential to disrupt the manufacturing industry. It will not only change the supply chain but also the way products are designed and made. While it may be too early to predict the impact of 3D printing on demand on the manufacturing industry, we can certainly foresee some of the changes that are likely to happen in the near future. Some of these are given below.

Industry driving forces behind 3D printing on demand

There are several factors driving the adoption of 3D printing on demand.

3D printing on demand is not a new concept. The idea was first conceptualised in the 1980s and was considered as the future of manufacturing. However, it remained confined to a few R&D labs for many years due to several reasons.

The technology used in 3D printing on demand was also not mature at that time, so it could not be adopted by industries. In recent years, several developments in the field of additive manufacturing have led to significant improvements in the technology used for 3D printing on demand.

The biggest advantage of 3D printing on demand is that it can save costs for businesses, which is driving its adoption by industries across the globe.

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is a highly complex process, and there are many issues related to quality control and other aspects that have to be resolved before it can be adopted by industries in a big way.

There are still many challenges to be overcome before 3D printing on demand can become mainstream.

Some of these challenges are listed below:

Geolocation and localization in the age of 3D printing on demand

The ability to make products on demand will make it possible to localize products to suit the needs of customers in different geographical areas. The product design will be based on the specifics of the location where the product is produced. This is known as geolocation and is likely to become important in the age of 3D printing on demand.

 Similarly, the product design will be tailored to suit the needs of specific customers. This is known as localization. Geolocation and localization will be critical in the age of 3D printing on demand.

The age of 3D printing on demand is already here, with companies such as Shapeways and i.materialise offering 3D printing services to individuals and small businesses. The market for mass customization is growing rapidly, with companies such as Nike already offering a wide range of customized products to their customers.

 In the future, we can expect a lot more industries to adopt 3D printing on demand, leading to a surge in demand for 3D printers. As the technology develops further, it will become easier and cheaper for companies to manufacture products on demand using additive manufacturing techniques. The ability to make customized products at the push of a button will completely revolutionize the way we shop for everyday items. This is known as localization and will be a key enabler of the 3D printing on demand business model.

Key players in the 3D Printing On Demand ecosystem

There are several stakeholders in the 3D printing on demand ecosystem. They include customers, product designers, manufacturers, logistics service providers, and retail partners. Customers order customized products and choose their preferred delivery date and location. Product designers are responsible for creating the product designs.

Manufacturers are responsible for manufacturing the products. Logistics service providers deliver the products to the customers. Retail partners sell 3D printing services, 3D printers and supplies to consumers.

The 3D printing on demand market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21% during the forecast period (2016-2020). The market size was valued at USD 1,386.7 million in 2015 and is expected to reach USD 11,908.5 million by 2020, at a CAGR of 21% from 2016 to 2020.

3D printing on demand has gained traction in recent years owing to several factors such as rising product customization requirements of customers, increasing adoption of additive manufacturing techniques for mass production of customized products, technological advancements in 3D printing technology, and increasing demand for personalized health care devices. However, lack of awareness about 3D printing on demand may restrain market growth during the forecast period.

The report states that North America will lead the global 3D Printing On Demand market during the forecast period owing to increased adoption of additive manufacturing techniques by product designers and manufacturers in this region.

The region will also benefit from rising investments made by government bodies into R&D activities related to 3D printing technology as well as rising investments made by private players into R&D activities related to 3D printers and materials used for creating customized products using additive manufacturing techniques.

Moreover, better healthcare facilities offered by developed countries coupled with growing product customization requirements among consumers are expected. They can either create them from scratch or modify the existing 3D model to suit the needs of the customer.

Current status of 3D printing in manufacturing

Although many companies have adopted 3D printing, the technology is still not widely used in manufacturing. This is mainly because of the limitations of 3D printing in terms of productivity, speed, and accuracy. Many manufacturers use 3D printing for prototyping and for making simple and small products , but not for making large products. Some of the reasons for this are as follows:

The process of 3D printing is slow and labor-intensive.

This can be attributed to the fact that 3D printers use additive manufacturing techniques, which involves laying down successive layers of material until a product is created. Each layer takes time to harden, and it takes time to change the design. Even if there are new designs uploaded to a printer, it has to be restarted and the process has to start again, which leads to delays in production .

The design of a product is crucial in 3D printing. The printer can only print what is given to it.

If the product has flaws in the design, it will be visible in the final product. This is because there are no tools to sand or remove any material which may have gone wrong during printing.

The accuracy of 3D printers is not as good as desired by many manufacturers. The main problem lies with the fact that 3D printers use additive manufacturing techniques, and this makes them unable to produce products with very fine details and smooth surfaces .

Furthermore, 3D printers are not able to produce products that require high precision and accuracy . This means that they cannot produce parts for machines or other devices which require such precision for efficiency. Adidas, Tesla, and HP are some of the leading players in the 3D printing industry.

Current status of 3D printing in construction

Although there are still many limitations in terms of size, complexity, and precision when it comes to 3D printing in construction , there has been a great deal of progress over the years . This can be attributed to the fact that most companies which manufacture construction equipment have introduced their own proprietary software so as to make their equipment more user-friendly and efficient . This software makes it possible for engineers to digitally design models before they send them off to be manufactured using 3D printers .

 In addition, many companies have started using drones equipped with cameras so as to take aerial photographs of building sites so as to create detailed models of buildings before they start construction work on them .

Thus, there is a need for more innovative technologies that can improve productivity and accelerate production times.

They are now adopting 3D printing on demand to make customized products in small numbers. Some of the manufacturers using 3D printing on demand include:

The additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing industry is expected to grow by more than 30% annually, reaching $16.2 billion in 2020. The market growth is mainly due to the increasing demand for personalized products and the commercialization of 3D printers in small businesses.

The industry has also benefited from the growing popularity of 3D printers in home applications . In fact, according to a report from research firm Tractica, the number of consumer desktop 3D printer shipments will reach over 15 million units by 2020 .

This development will also stimulate growth for industrial-grade 3D printers as they can print high-quality parts that match or even surpass those made with traditional manufacturing techniques .

Nevertheless, some major challenges exist that could hinder the industry's growth.

These challenges include high start-up costs and an absence of suitable materials for most users . For instance, only a few materials such as ABS and PLA plastics are compatible with most commercially available desktop 3D printers . Furthermore, these materials are not strong enough to be used in industrial applications.

3D Printing Market Segmentation

Global 3D printing market can be segmented based on technology, end-use industry, and region. Based on technology, the market is categorized into three segments:

Stereolithography (SLA), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), and Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM).

FDM is the most widely used and accounts for more than 70% of total market revenue.

SLA is expected to grow at a higher rate than other two segments during 2016-2021 due to its uses in dental and medical applications .

Geographically, North America dominated the global market in 2015 with over 45% share in terms of revenue. In addition, Asia Pacific is also expected to grow at a rapid pace during 2016-2021 .

Conclusion

The digitization brought about by the Internet, AI, and big data is redefining manufacturing processes. It has created a new manufacturing paradigm – Industry 4.0. 3D printing on demand is one of the key enablers of this new paradigm. It is not just a technology but also a business model that will make a big impact on manufacturing and supply chains.

Many manufacturers have adopted 3D printing to make simple and small products such as prototypes or final parts instead of making them manually or using traditional methods like injection molding.

 These companies are now integrating 3D printing on demand in their production process to decrease time-to-market and reduce costs at the same time.