Rapid Personalization: The Next Big Thing in 3D Printing
Taking full advantage of 3D printing requires understanding the benefits of printing technologies. The usual advantages to additive manufacturing are the obvious ones: “failing quickly,” rapid design verification, design visualization, and a host of other requirements for rapid prototyping. These rapid prototyping techniques also enable one unexpected aspect of 3D printing: rapid personalization.
Personalization is an often overlooked benefit to additive manufacturing. Traditional manufacturing techniques such as machining, casting or molding require extensive tooling in order to make a part; with few exceptions, personalization of a part or product requires modification of this tooling used in manufacturing. This fact has opened up a market for post-manufacturing personalization (ever seen a “Things Remembered” stall at a small town mall?). With personalization incorporated into the manufacturing process, entire markets are created.
Jewelry is one particular example of a market ripe for rapid personalization. Jewelry is inherently a personal possession; people want to wear items that suit their personalities and interests, especially given the cost of these items. Rapid personalization of trinkets with 3D printing enables customers to choose what they want to buy rather than having to concede a purchase from a selection of options. If a high resolution printer is used, the customer takes home a visually satisfying piece of jewelry that is just what they’re looking for, whereas previously they may have second guessed a purchase due to its lack of personalization, or simply because it wasn’t “just right.”
There is one more benefit to additive manufacturing of personalized items that should not be overlooked: a market is created for technically capable customers to create their own designs for printing. Designs provided by customers once again allow for an item that wouldn’t have otherwise existed to be ordered. These designs are typically modified slightly and prepped for processing by the manufacturer with little extra work.
Pictured below are two examples of a customer-driven design and product. The customer in question developed two designs, one based on the outline of New Hampshire and, using 3D modeling tools, turned the state outline into an earring. The earrings are then oriented in 3D printer utilities with support structures in the correct locations, printed, and post-processed. The other design is a voronoi tessellated klein bottle, intended to be used as a pendant. The end result is a personalized pair of earrings with little time investment by the manufacturer, an item that can be sold with strong profit margins due to its marketing capability and personalization.
