Getting Real About 3D Printing By Heidi Tolliver-Walker From a manufacturing perspective, 3D printing is here to stay. From manufacturing auto parts to medical devices, from quick-turn prototypes to components for the space shuttle, 3D printing has fundamentally changed the cost, speed, and logistics structure of manufacturing. It also has opened a box of creativity and opportunity for niche businesses. Sites are popping allowing consumers to dimensionalize everything from their children’s artwork to images of their own heads. The change brought by 3D printing is radically reshaping the world of manufacturing, and that is only accelerating. However, when it comes to how and where commercial printers can capitalize on 3D printing, there are still more questions than answers. Let’s look at what we know. 1. This is a mature market. In the manufacturing space, 3D printing has been around for years. For the highest volume users, there is an established, highly experienced, and well-equipped source of supply. 3D printing service bureaus are set up to handle a high volumes and a wide range of substrate needs, from plastic to metal to paper. 2. For commercial printing, the early adoption phase is largely over. Starting about two years ago, the prices began to fall and the technology became more plug and play. This enabled 3D printing to be offered to the wider consumer and “prosumer” markets, and commercial printers started testing the waters. From individual printers to franchises such as FASTSIGNS, early adopters were investing in printers in the $5,000 to $35,000 range to see what the technology could do. 3. Most early adopters are no longer proactively selling 3D output. Even if they continue to operate their machines, many of the early adopters are no longer focused on 3D as a venue for sales growth. The service may still be listed on their websites and they may do the occasional customer job, but the business model has not developed. Printers explain that tapping the existing opportunities for selling 3D printing requires significant time and dedication. Without the ability to generate enough revenue, they cannot get enough sales to justify the time spent marketing and selling it. 4. Adoption is growing among larger chains. Where we still see expansion in 3D printing as a service is among the larger chains. The UPS Store made headlines when, in 2014, it launched a pilot program for 3D printing in six stores in key markets. Today, that program has 100 stores. Staples offers 3D printing at more than 50 locations as well. Most retail stores are not designed as maker spaces, however. They have entry-level machines offering limited substrates, small build spaces, and limited resolution. Most do not offer 3D design services. Where Are We Now? Everywhere we look, we see interesting case studies of shops doing fascinating things with 3D printers. Why is this such a tough market for printers to gain traction? First, the buyers of 3D printing services are not the same as for traditional printing services. 3D output is additive manufacturing, not ink on paper. It is designed for producing products, not marketing communications. Consequently, most 3D printing is purchased by engineers and parts designers, not by marketers. This is an entirely new market, with entirely new buyers, and it requires a dedicated sales and marketing effort that takes away from a printer’s core business. (Unlike email, mobile, and social media, 10 Printing News | October 2015 PrintingNews.com
Printing News October 2015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above