THE NEXT GENERATION MANUFACTURING
3D Printing: Why the Hype Bit the Dust and the Future
3D Printing is supposed to be the revolution in next-generation manufacturing but does it live up to the hype.
Did you always dream of printing your own amazing 3D models with a 3D printer at your home? But now, you wonder what happened to 3D printing being the next big thing. It seems that it is not easy to just put a printer in everybody’s home. Instead, there needs to be a whole paradigm shift. Perhaps you are even wondering what the heck is 3D printing. Let’s start from the beginning. Shall we?
You may have joked that I will buy a 3D printer, print a 3D printer and then keep printing them to sell to everyone. Great plan right or is it?
3D Printing is an emerging technology. It is getting transformed into a novel way in which we can build. For eg., We used to only write, draw and paint. Now art, text, and paintings can be also printed on A4. Now, this gave birth to the next-level idea of printing objects themselves instead of traditional manufacturing and assembly.
On paper, it sounds cool and that 3D printing can breakdown the existing paradigms and bring a new revolution. Is it really true or just a hype?
The value chain
The value chain of 3D printing might seem pretty straightforward. One buys the 3D printer and starts printing stuff. Super easy. Wrong. Yes, the 3D printers have been hyped and marketed as something that can be used at a push of a button. Just 3 to 5 years ago, it was being predicted that every household will have a 3D printer like microwave ovens or computers. The experts forgot that even computers took 50 years to become mainstream.
But this is the 21st century. Surely, a 3D printer might not take that much time. So, what’s the correct value chain at the moment.
One can deduce the chain by exploring the areas where 3D printers are being used and can be used.
- Industry: Manufacturers have to cater to different types of businesses. A 3D printer might be as small as a table appliance or as big as a machine that can print whole houses. There will be regular maintenance services involved and also updates in the technology as this will be ever-changing technology. There will be software to make the designs and designers to make that software.
- Homes: It might take some time to have people accept a 3D printer as a regular printer. Most people would use it for hobbies. Though there are immense applications in domestic use.
The current state of 3D printing and why it is not mainstream yet?
3D printing has left a lot of people in doubt when compared to the hype that was made around it. A lot of hype is dying out since people are realizing that it is not as easy as putting one’s clothes on. Why? Because, unlike the 2D printers where printing occurs with a press of a button, in 3D printing, one needs to design a model on the computer. They also need to know the basic knowledge of how 3D printers work. 3D design programs can have steep learning curves. After a point of time, it may make sense to just use templates from a website unless you are really dedicated and prefer personalization.
Most people get frustrated with 3D printing when it does not behave well and the objects come out deformed. It is due to high expectations of perfectly shaped artifacts on the click of a button. 3D printers are also expensive at the moment. One will mostly find them in Universities or industries.
How 3D printing could shape the way we build?
We can see that 3D printing is being widely adopted by large companies. For eg. General Motors is saving on loads of revenue because they can make multiple nozzled engines as a single item and much lighter thereby saving fuels. Earlier, it was a great challenge to manufacture separate parts and assemble them. Their sales went up for aeroplane engines. Most of these large companies use 3D printing for prototyping. It might not seem much but failing ideas early on is way better than failing ideas later. A small model printed in-house can be a source of instant feedback and save a lot of hours.
Whole houses can be built in an extraordinary lesser amount of time than the traditional way of building. Though we don’t expect another Burj Khalifa with 3D printing yet.
Another company, MADE IN SPACE has developed gravity independent 3D printers. Astronauts had to earlier carry all the necessary spare parts for emergencies. Now, they can carry 1 machine and print anything whenever required. It reduces payload and cost. We can imagine how revolutionary this can be for ambitious missions such as Mars Mission. One would bring the machine rather than all the material.
New roles in the tech industry and why would they adopt them?
3D printing doesn’t just seem to be another addition to our closet. Just like how computers changed the whole tech industry from its players, the type of jobs and methodology, 3D printing wants to do the same.
- 3D printer manufacturers: These companies are the new kids on the block. They will manufacture the machine that will be bought by either businesses or homes. There can be a range of 3D printers. It is not surprising to imagine that there will be even a sector of different kinds of manufacturers.
- Cartridge Manufacturers: But, why can’t the manufacturers just make their own cartridges? 3D printers can use both soft materials and hard materials. Also, metal is used in industries. But with the expanding scope, we might soon need specialized cartridges for bricks, silicon, cloth fabric, wood, glass to even food ingredients. One company can’t manufacture these.
- Service Providers: Just like any machine, 3D printers will require maintenance regularly. The manufacturers may provide it but just like any electronics or electrical equipment, a range of third party service providers will crop up to meet the increased demands from their users.
- 3D Printing Bootcamps: 3D printing is not a child’s play. Most universities are beginning to include at least a basic course in their curriculum to give students hands-on experience. But, everyone does not go to university. Will we see a rise of 3D printer alternative schools or boot camps like the coding boot camps? This is something only time can tell.
- Parts Manufacturers: Currently, we have many companies that provide smaller parts for a bigger system. They would undergo a total revamp and change their systems to 3D printing technology.
- 3D printing consultancies/agencies: How about outsourcing? We talk about 3D printing in-house and for a hobby. But it could be that even this work might be outsourced to 3D printing agencies.
- 3D printing freelancers and professionals: It might not be long that the businesses start hiring 3D print designers who can either work full time or even as freelancers similar to developers or UX Designers.
Privacy, Safety and, IP Issues
As with any technology in this ever-connected world, what happens to our 3D printed model.
- Privacy and IP: Since everything is getting connected to the network, there will be a need to protect people’s privacy on what they print. Industries would like to keep their trade secrets. We will need to formulate laws to protect people and businesses' interests just like with other digital property.
- Safety: Safety is a big concern when we consider industries like Aviation, Aerospace, hospitals, etc. The parts used in these industries are checked for safety parameters by various regulators. But in the case of 3D printing, many small parts are not needed but a big consolidated part or even the whole product can be printed. It can be a challenge both in terms of time and money to make new regulations and convince the regulators. Printing of certain items like guns would likely be banned.
The Future
It is not hard to see the booming future of 3D printing. The problem has been in the way 3D printing has been marketed. It is also possible that we are still looking narrowingly on this technology. In the past, people have used different technologies in the most unusual ways possible.
Hyping up the expectations and then not delivering is what that has happened to 3D printing revolution. We need to give time to this evolving technology and hope to see what the future holds.
Initially, Instant Messaging apps never thought that it could be used for group organizations and even conducting businesses. Of course, it is a printer but we already have players like MADE IN SPACE thinking of building colonies on Mars by just taking 3D printers there. We should aim high just like them.
Or we will keep printing like this.
Some more articles to quench your thirst for this amazing technology.
