In one of my previous posts, I talked about a disruptive technology that I have an ongoing

interest in that I also had a chance to use. That technology is drone aircraft, or as I would rather
call them, UAVs (it sounds less threatening).
In this post, I would like to discuss another up and coming technology that also intrigues me. I
have not had a chance to use it due to one of the factors I will talk about below, yet I feel it will
only be a matter of time before I do.
This technology is 3D printing. I wholeheartedly see it as becoming quite common in factories
and homes within the next 5 to 10 years, if not sooner. As with UAVs, 3D printing will need the
chance to prove itself as a beneficial application in our lives before it gets widely accepted.
Listed here are five factors that support the authors claims on the eventual adoption of 3D
printing. In some industries, that eventuality has already come as the technology is well on its
way to become a permanent part of their production processes.
1. Pre-built models for consumers
When 3D printers were first introduced, they came in kit form. These appealed to the
hobbyists that enjoyed tinkering and adjusting the various components to see the results
they could get. However, potential adopters that were not technically skilled were put off
by the idea of having to build the printers. That changed with the recent release of prebuilt 3D printers from several manufacturers. The evidence for this factor are the increase
in machines that are becoming available to consumers. Here are just a few of them:
http://cubify.com/cube/index
http://www.lpfrg.com/creatr
http://www.makerbot.com/
2. Wider adoption of commercial 3D printers
Consumers are not the only ones that have an interest in 3D printing. Several companies
have begun to include these devices into their production processes. This will only
increase as the technology evolves, allowing the use of a variety of raw materials, such as
glass and metals in printers. In manufacturing, 3D printing is called additive
manufacturing because of how the technology builds up an item by adding material.
Here are links to manufacturers that have already incorporated 3D printing:
https://www.ge.com/stories/advanced-manufacturing
http://www.amrc.co.uk/featuredstudy/optimisation-of-fdm-composite-lay-up-tooling-foradditive-manufacture/
https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2013/12/12/ford_s-3d-printedauto-parts-save-millions--boost-quality.html
This article gives a rundown on how those three companies and several more that are
experimenting with 3D printing: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/3d-printing-10companies-using-it-in-ground-breaking-ways/
This article details how a variety of raw materials will be included in 3D printing.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/materials-set-to-shape-the-future-of-3d-printing/

This will open the door to an increase in the number of products being made with the
technology.
Finally, this article explains further the adoption of additive manufacturing:
http://www.appliancedesign.com/articles/94377--d-printing-the-new-normal
One quote in that article stood out the most to me on 3D printing in manufacturing:
3-D printing will become the rule, not the exception in manufacturing, asserts Tom
Charron, vice president of product marketing, 3-D Systems. It is redefining the
manufacturing value chain by making it possible to create a new product or improve
an existing one without the need to invest hundreds of thousands, or millions, of
dollars over periods ranging from months to years. (Pickett, 2015)
3. User friendliness of the printers
Besides the increased availability of pre-built 3D printers for consumers, the next factor
that will allow wider adoption is user-friendly machines. In the past, a person had to be
technically inclined to build and operate the printers. However, as more pre-built models
become available, they are also becoming less of a challenge to operate. When the
operating principles are easier for the average consumer to understand, the printers can
managed and maintained effortlessly. These articles provides evidence that user-friendly
3D printers are becoming readily available and affordable, too:
http://bitspiration.com/news/technology/zmorph-interview/
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/15985/20140920/dremel-3d-idea-builder-finally-auser-friendly-and-budget-friendly-3d-printer-hits-the-market.htm
http://www.gizmag.com/the-micro-cheap-user-friendly-3d-printer/31579/
4. Design software becomes less complex
As the devices get to be less challenging to use, there is also the trend to offer consumers
user-friendly software for the design process. Software is the link between the mind of a
designer and the machine doing the final production. If a system is too complicated, then
the user may have a difficult time communicating his or her ideas. From experience, I can
honestly say that design software can be a chore to learn; requiring some degree of
education in order to use it efficiently. Those challenges are being eliminated for
consumers that want to design for 3D printing. These articles demonstrate how
companies such as Adobe and Disney Research are resolving this issue, which in the
future will prove to be a positive factor in the acceptance of 3D printing:
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/the-missing-link-in-3d-printing-user-friendlysoftware/
http://3dprint.com/47718/3d-printer-hardware-software/
http://3dprint.com/48443/3d-slash-printing-software/
This article in particular talks about how the software is becoming user friendly through
the interactivity of touchscreens and employing artificial intelligence:
http://www.inside3dp.com/design-software-stuck-80s-much-longer/

5. Speeding up the printing process

Time is money in most commercial endeavors. And, as a society, we have lost an aptitude
for patience. Long gone is the time when people allowed processes to move at a slower
pace. We want it and we want in now. Or, as I hear so often in the sign trade I wanted
yesterday. Therefore, 3D printing, as slow as it was when it was first introduced, would
have had a hard time being accepted in this fast-moving age of ours. However, as newer
models of printers are released, they will come with a quickness that will factor into their
ultimate approval by consumers and manufacturers. No longer will a machine operator
have to suffer through hours of waiting for a product to be 3D printed. These articles are
proof of that:
http://www.nature.com/news/chemical-trick-speeds-up-3d-printing-1.17122
http://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2014/02/28/500x-faster-new-ultra-fast-3d-printerin-works/
http://3dprint.com/5872/3d-systems-project-ara-high-speed/
As I stated in the introduction, it will take time for 3D printing to catch on. Just as it is with
anything new, first the devices will be shrugged off as an oddity, then condemned for their flaws,
and finally accepted as a worthy part of our lives. If innovators continue as they have in
improving 3D printers, then we will all someday be ordering raw materials for our own little
manufacturing facilities.
Once 3D printing has been accepted through the innovations I noted above, certain impacts will
take place. Some of which will be discussed next in this post. These impacts will make 3D
printing an ideal solution for many current problems we face in our daily lives.
1. Manufacturing processes become faster
Parts will be made faster due to 3D printing. The one step prototyping will be see a
substantial cut back in time as printers eliminate the steps it takes in producing models.
Printing will also allow some replacement part in-house for other machines. These
articles provide insight on how manufacturing will be affected:
http://raconteur.net/business/3d-printers-producing-factory-goods
http://www.computerweekly.com/feature/How-3D-printing-impacts-manufacturing
2. Less waste in manufacturing
In many established production processes, products are created by cutting away
materials, which leaves tons of leftovers. Since 3D printing is an additive process, only
the required amount of raw material will be used to produce parts. This is a plus for the
environment as we use less resources for production. Here are articles that explain this
concept:
http://3dprint.com/271/3-ways-3d-printing-will-save-the-environment/
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/nov/03/tapping-into-thepotential-of-3d-printing-to-reduce-plastic-waste
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/tech/recycled-3d-printing/
3. Fewer products on store shelves
Our landfills are growing in part from unsold goods that have gone out of style, or

because of newer technology, they become obsolete. With 3D printing, only what is
needed on demand will be produced. Since the production process will become that much
quicker as the technology advances, the wait time will be minimal. I have seen it in the
sign business where raw material are stocked and used as jobs come into the shop. Signs
are not made in advance because each job is custom. So with 3D printing, manufacturers
will have the ability to create only what is needed. Here is evidence of this impact:
http://www.retailprophet.com/blog/the-future-of-retail-the-segment-of-one/
http://blog.3dlt.com/2013/09/05/3d-printing-in-the-automotive-aftermarket/
4. Shop classes are back
Many schools have shut down their wood and metal shop programs because all the rage
is in computers and bioengineering. However, as 3D printing technology advances, we
will need workers to operate the devices in factories and other commercial facilities. This
requirement will bring shop classes back into schools. Students will again learn the fine
details of working with various metals and other materials. They will also gain skills on
the almost lost art of using hand and power tools, which will be needed to maintain
printers. These articles are evidence of that impact:
http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/28/the-high-tech-return-of-high-schoolshop-class/
http://www.gazettetimes.com/voc-ed-courses-modernizing/article_466ba15a-cdc7-11e3b12d-001a4bcf887a.html
5. Bioprinting
The ultimate in customizing anything quickly is the growing use of 3D printers in health
care. This impact on medicine could eventually effect everyone. Printed replacement
bone parts and organs are being investigated by researchers. Some experimental
machines have already been built in order to understand how the process will work in
hospitals and labs. There is even a printer being developed that can print right on the
body. What is much more promising is tissue donors will not be required as 3D printers
will use stem cells from the patient. This means body parts will never be in short supply,
and tissue rejection can be kept at a minimum. These articles backup the authors claim
on the acceptance of 3D printers:
http://www.explainingthefuture.com/bioprinting.html
http://3dprint.com/26107/ui-bioprinting-3d-print/
http://www.wakehealth.edu/Research/WFIRM/Our-Story/Inside-the-Lab/Bioprinting.htm
As 3D printing continues to make headway, there will be many more places where the positive
impact of the technology will be felt. It is coming to a factory, hospital, and school near you.
And, most likely, just like the inkjet printer that each of us has in our home, 3D printers will be
sitting there waiting for us to send the next print job.
Pickett, L. (2015, February 22). 3-D Printing: The New Normal. Retrieved from
http://www.appliancedesign.com/articles/94377--d-printing-the-new-normal