3D printing has been around for quite a few years but the cost has put it well out of the range of the consumer. Now with printer prices falling, will 3D printing open up to consumers? If it does, what domains might reflect this technology and its uses?
Ever had a really cool idea for something you wanted to build, but you had no way to actually build it? Ever designed a toy or a piece of art that you thought would be a neat thing to have, but your skills at molding plastic or at sculpture just weren’t up to the task? Then 3D printing is for you.
How 3D printing works
For quite a few years, 3D models and prototypes have been produced by expensive large 3D printers that build layer by layer. One variation of 3D printing consists of an ink jet printing system. Layers of a fine powder (plaster, corn starch, or resins) are selectively bonded by “printing” an adhesive from the ink jet print head in the shape of each cross-section as determined by a CAD file. This technology is the only one that allows for the printing of full color prototypes. It is also recognized as the fastest method.
There are various other methods of 3D printing that improve on previous means of producing a prototype which typically took many man-hours, many tools, and skilled labor.
Affordable 3D printing
Now 3D printers are approaching $5000 and will probably get cheaper. Remember how ink jet and laser printers were so expensive until companies realised they could sell the printers cheaply and make money from the supplies such as paper and ink.
3D printers could potentially follow the same path with the supply of materials being the main profit channel. But there is a hitch. No one has come up with a killer application nor is there that start-up company catching the imagination of investors and the public at large.
Applications of 3D printing
The traditional application is for producing prototypes but this kind of printing has been used to produce pieces of art. You can see one artist’s creations using 3D printing using metal. Other companies are selling 3D models of mountains and other topographic 3D maps for prices below $100, catering to hikers, resorts, and real estate firms. Another company lets kids use 3D printing technology to create their own customized action-figures.
Still we seem to be missing the everyday application equivalent to photo printing for 2D printing. Could 3D printing be a way to distribute products to customers without having to keep an inventory? What if you could buy 3D designs of art or memorabilia? Could there be a 3D file sharing network similar to that seen with mp3 and video files?
Try 3D printing for yourself now using Shapeways 3D design and printing online service and see if you think this technology is going to become popular.
remember predictive domaining is risky – only invest what you can afford to lose
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