3D Printing: The Future of Modern-day Printing Technology

The great industrial revolution in the late 18^th century Europe witnessed the advent of large factories that came to symbolize industrial manufacturing. However, as technology has progressed and evolved, thanks to human ingenuity, the limitations of these citadels of production have come to be recognized. Factories are no longer viewed as a wonderland where anything and everything can be created and recreated.

Product specializations, the demand for customizations and retooling and refurbishing have all combined to make businesses rethink the processes of production, supply chain management, and warehousing solutions. Enter the innovation called 3D printing or additive manufacturing and industries have been able to breathe much easier!

Rapid Prototyping and Faster Production

In recent years, the most extensive use of 3D printing services has been witnessed in the automotive, transportation and heavy equipment industries. The reason for this has been the ability of 3D printing technology to facilitate easy scalability – from the prototyping phase through to final manufacturing. Now, businesses can obtain custom 3D printed parts even when the production volumes are relatively lower.

On the flip side, when production volume is higher, no additional retooling is required where additive manufacturing processes are being employed. Therefore, manufacturers are much better equipped to produce on-demand parts, as and when required. This has the added advantage of reducing inventory and storage costs for companies. This has already been proven to be extremely beneficial in the automobile industry where costs have been slashed by over 90%!

Digitization of Manufacturing

The advent of online 3D printing has to transform the way industries conduct their businesses. Because 3D print technology does not require any tooling, the costs of a file across various production locations have been eliminated. What 3D printing in India is doing is very simple – it is converting a digital file into a physical object. This is a true realization of Digital India!

Companies are additionally benefitting from the advantage of saving on warehousing costs where obsolete parts and products may simply be rotting away into oblivion. 3D print files can be digitally accessed whenever they are needed.

Decentralized Supply Chain Management

Manufacturers are welcoming the introduction of 3D printing as they can now better manage their supply chains with a digital trail, right from the process of 3D concept to 3D printing the final products. With a digital file, the processes of manufacturing can be delegated across different locations, leading to an efficient decentralization that is also collaborative.

Flexibility in Custom Designing

Customized 3D printing services is a growing trend across a number of industries, such as automobile, medical and healthcare, jewelry, etc. The ability for low-volume production as facilitated by 3D printing makes this possible as well. Designers can now modify their designs and tweak them according to the demands of the consumer market.

A Sustainable Production Alternative

Bet you did not expect this to be on the list of benefits of 3D print solutions! The process of 3D printing is intrinsically eco-friendly, reducing production wastes by more than half, as compared to traditional manufacturing techniques. Give your business an environmental facelift by incorporating this sustainable method of manufacturing.

Not only this, but 3D printing also contributes to the conservation of energy. How is that possible? As manufacturing lead time is exponentially reduced, it has a domino effect on other post-production processes such as warehousing and transportation. This automatically translates to lesser amounts of carbon emission.

Cool Things to 3D Print

Now that we have convinced you that 3D is the way to go, and with quality service providers offering 3D printing in Pune, why not try your hand at these quirky items that can be easily 3D printed?

• 3D Printed Fancy Jewelry
• 3D printed portable glass or beer mug
• Vegetable slicer
• Wall mount
• Bottle opener
• Pen and pencil holder (of course, you thought of that already!)
• LED lights
• Phone docking station
• Wall organizer
• Micro SD and SD card containers
• Cable organizer
• 3D printed wrench
• Carabiners (yes, they are sturdy enough!)

Future Outlook

The 3D printing industry is currently valued at a whopping $9.3 billion approximately. By 2027, however, it is expected to grow further and reach a value of $55.8 approximately. Those numbers should now convince you of the need to incorporate this disruptive technology, with its many advantages, as outlined above. It is no longer a novelty, but a necessity!