Mass production has been the widely used efficient method adopted by businesses to get products ready for sale. Now research has taken us onto a whole other level…

Back in the 1920s the Ford motors company, owned by Henry Ford, gave birth to the assembly line. This was a method of production far cheaper than ever before. It entails workers who are positioned on a line and are only trained to fix and fit one piece for a product. This enables the production process to never stop and work through each unit more quickly. This is how we became familiar with economies of scale and the falling cost per unit of production.

Almost a century later, we are well into the baby-steps of 3D Printing, which is being regarded as the next industrial revolution, here’s why:

• Medical Procedures such as prosthetic limbs are becoming popular, with an average cost of £100 for a print.

• In 2017 alone, the Openhandproject created over 300 prosthetic hands

• The market is expected to grow by at least 18% annually until 2020

• 2016 reported global revenues of over £90 billion for the 3D printing industry

How does 3D printing help business?

Allows for better personalization and customization of models, which better tailors clients who order products. Common examples may be furniture, shoes and art

There is little to no inventory costs, as large quantities aren’t required to create products

A design or prototype can come straight to life ready to sell, removing several steps of your traditional production process

Manufacturing is agile – firms can control their stock on their own hands, re-orders aren’t required as models can be re-printed right from the premises.

Most recently, even more obscure embarkations have been carried out, the world’s first 3D printed camper trailer has been completed, with the print taking 9-and-a-half days and only weighing 272 kilograms.

Late last year also, the world’s first 3D printed concrete bridge was created in the Netherlands. The process took robots 3 months to print 800 layers of reinforced concrete. The construction company originally stated that the project was designed to have cyclists cross, however it has been said 40 lorries could be supported.

What can we expect for the future?

3D printing isn’t quite yet in the convenient stage like we’d expect with home technology, however there are new creations being printed every week that will amaze us. It is no doubt 3D printing can revolutionize business, health and travel. One day we’ll reach a stage where 3D printing is the same as printing a newspaper, savings millions of pounds and hours.

To find out who’s involved, go check out the big-hitters in the 3D Printing industry here : https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2017/08/12/top-10-additive-manufacturing-and-3d-printing-companies/13718/

Written by Harrison Jones

References: https://techcrunch.com/2016/02/26/is-3d-printing-the-next-industrial-revolution/ https://www.sculpteo.com/blog/2017/07/19/how-3d-printing-impacts-the-medical-industry/