A Short Overview of 3D Printing and Its Impact On Businesses

3D
anD
the
p
r
i
n
t
i
n
g
future
o f
manufacturing
Te c h n o l o g y
P ro g r a m
F al l
2 0 12
3D Printing and the Future of Manufacturing
a b o u t the L e aDing eDg e

f orum
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COVEr : T he Urbee from K Or
the worlds
fi rs t
3Dprinted
E coLogic is
car.
T he
In this ongoing series of r eports about
entire
technology directions, the L E F looks at
S tratasys
the r ole of innovation in the marketplace
3D print the cars interior. T he car is
both now and in the years to come. B y
designed
s tudying tech-
including
current
r ealities
and
anticipating
its
future shape, these r eports provide organizations

with
the
at r ecognizing how
sory
services. Visit lef.csc.com.
nologys
A stute
the necessary
balance
between
decision-making and s trategic planning.
tactical
could
car body
be
is
3Dprinted
using
printers, and there are plans to

to
highly
energy efcient,
manufacturing
processes, and
in
be
low-volume
2 0 14. www.urbee.net
production
by
3D Printing and the Future of

Manufacturing
C S C L E A D ING E D G E F O R U M
conTEnTs
3D p r i n t i n g a n D t h e
future of
manufac tur i ng
2
5
Remaking Manufacturing
The Rise of 3D Printing
3D Printing at Work
14
3D Printing at Home
17
Democratization of Manufacturing
21
Impact on Commercial Manufacturing
24
Technology Advances On the Horizon
26
Platform for Innovation
29
Notes
Access this report via the L E F R S S feed (csc.com/lefpodca
32 or Appendix:
Further (csc.com/3dprinting)
Reading
st)
the L E F website
33
Acknowledgments

Manufacturing
C S C LE A DIN G E D G E F O R U M
r emaki
ng
ma n u f a c t u r
ing
W ho
would
have
modern
manufacturing as we know it. T he E conomist calls
factory?
3D printing the third Industrial R evolution, following
Since the Industrial Revolution, manufacturing has
mecha- nization in the 19th century and assembly-line
been
mass production in the 20th century.1
manufacturing could
thought
be
synonymous
done
that
without
with factories, machine tools,
production lines and economies of scale. So

startling
to
think
about
it
is
manufacturing without
cLa ssic
d i s r u PTi o n
tooling, assembly lines or supply chains. However, this

is
exactly
what
is
happening
as
3D
printing
3D
printing
is
classic
disruptive
technology
reaches individuals, small businesses and corporate
according to the disruption pattern identified by
departments.
Today you can make parts, appliances and tools in a
Harvard
wide variety of materials right from your home or
Christensen.
workplace. Using a computer, simply create, modify
more
or download a digital 3D model of an object. Click
manufacturing technology. Current 3D printing tech-
print, just as you would
nology
for
a document, and
Busi- ness
2
It
is
convenient
is
good
School
professor
simpler, cheaper,
to
use
enough
to
than
serve
Clayton
smaller
and
tradi-
tional
markets
that
watch your physical 3D object take shape. No longer
previously had no manufacturing capability at
the s tuff of science fiction, 3D printing is a new
(e.g., small businesses, hospitals, schools, DIYers).
all
However, the technology is not expected to flourish
reality.
W hile this new reality is exciting, it also poses
in traditional manufacturing markets for a number of
significant questions
years, so it is unlikely that an entire commercial
for
the
future
of
how
we
manufacture goods. F actories will not disappear, but
passenger airplane will be 3Dprinted any time soon.
the face of the manufacturing industry will change
S till, traditional manufacturers need to take notice;
as new entrants, new products and new materials
there
emerge, and mainstay processes like distribution
technologies
may no longer be needed. T odays
dominated
consumers
are
many
examples
that
eventually
their
of
good
enough
disrupted
and
industry, including transistor radios
and personal computers.
clamor for customized products and services and for
being used to economically create custom, improved
3 d pri nting c h a n g e s the

c al c ul us of
m a n u fa c t ur i n g b y
o p t i m i z i n g for b a tc h e s of
o n e.
All disruptive technologies s tart out inferior to
and sometimes even
dominant technology of the time. W hen the fi rs t
speed of delivery. Yet customization and immediacy

right here, right now are not economical with
tradi-
tional
manufacturing
processes,
which
are
optimized for large volumes of consistent output in a

factory
far away.
3D printing
changes the calculus of manufacturing
by optimizing for batches of one. 3D printers are
impossible-to-manufacture
the
products right where they will be used. A single
experimental 3D printers emerged 20 years ago,
printer
they were nowhere near the production quality of
can
produce
vast range
of
products,
sometimes already assembled. Its a factory without
traditional manufacturing processes. However, as
a factory floor and it has created a platform for
Christensen
innovation,
in
technologies find a market that is underserved by
uncommon areas and spawning a new generation of
the current technology (which is often focused on
do- it-yourself
players,
enabling manufacturing
(DIY)
with their
to flourish
manufacturers.
innovative
observed
in
his research,
the
new
T he
new
the higher end of the market). 3D printing found
processes
and
rapid prototyping, which was an extremely costly
technology, will disrupt

2

Manufacturing
and
labor-intensive
manufacturcheap,
ing
process
techniques.
using
3D
high-quality, one-off
traditional
printing
prototypes
r elationships through collaboration with customers
enabled
that
to create products (co-creation).
sped
product development.
It is easy to dismiss the impact of 3D printing if you
As 3D printing technology evolved, it s tarted to be
focus only on the capabilities of todays 3D printers
used to
compared to
goods
directly
in
manufacture
niche
or
custom
automated
low volumes. According to Christensen, a
the
capabilities
factories.
of
T oday,
modern,
and
for
highly
the
near
disruptive technology continues to evolve to the
future, 3D printing cannot produce entirely finished
point where it can serve the needs of the higher-
products on an industrial scale. However, to dismiss
end market at a lower cost, at which point it takes
3D printings impact is to ignore the impending
over the dominant players.
disruption, just like the minicomputer makers did
T his is
the path 3D printing is
printing
is
evolving
rapidly,
when personal computers appeared.
on today. 3D
with
practical
examples in numerous industries including defense,
F l e xibility to bui ld a
w i d e ra n g e of p roduc ts,
c o u pl e d with the fa c t
that 3 d pri nting c an b e
d o n e near the poi nt of
c onsumption, implies a
serious c h a n g e to
s u p p l y chai ns a n d
busi ne ss mode l s.
aerospace, automotive and healthcare. Although 3D

printing
has
been
applied
mainly
to
low-volume
production, the products can be far superior (lighter,

s tronger,
customized,
already
assembled) and
cheaper than if created with traditional manufacturing processes. T hat is because 3D printing can
control exactly how materials are deposited (built
up),
making it possible to create s tructures that
cannot be produced using conventional means.

Another disruptive element of 3D printing is the fact
that a single machine can create vastly different
products. Com- pare this to traditional manufacturing
methods, where the production
customized
and
tailored
if
line
must
the product
line
be
T hat said, like the personal computer, the fi rst
is
transistor radios and other disruptive technologies,
changed, requiring expensive investment in tooling
3D printing will take time to evolve and challenge the
and
incumbents.
long
factory
down-time.
It
is
not
hard
to
Todays
technical
barriers
such
as
imagine a future factory that can manufacture tea
materials
cups, automotive components and bespoke medical
throughput capacity will need to be overcome. As well,
products all in the same facility via rows of 3D
business and economic barriers such as retooling an
printers.
Flexibility
products,
entire industry and redesigning business strategies,
can be
processes and roles will need to be addressed. (See
to
build
wide
r ange
coupled with
the fact that
done
the point of consumption, implies a
near
3D
of
printing
cost,
Figure 1.) then,

Initially,
quality,
3D
size
printing
limita-
will
focus
tions
on
and
new
serious change to supply chains and business
rather than established markets. T here are already
models.
many examples of this, such as prosthetic limb
Many
s teps in
the sup-
ply chain can
potentially be eliminated, including distribution,
coverings and vintage replacement parts. Over time,
warehousing and r etail.

T he
economics
Manu- facturing
less
new
of
is
opportunities
manufacturing
less
labor
also
manufacturing will
change.
intensive,
that are
light
and
comple-
ment
emerge. T his
existing
may be through
leaner methods, hybrid machines, or changes to the
uses
supply chain or design process.
material, produces less waste, and can use

materials
to
s trong.
As
the
history
of
disruptive
technologies
has
Depending on the material used, products made
shown,
with
Competition will drive the market forward, and over
3D
printing
techniques
can
be
up to
65
percent lighter but just as s trong as traditionally

manufactured
products.3
Customization
time
becomes
3D printing
barriers
will
will
come
not
be
s topped.
down. History has also
shown that once a disruption starts, adoption occurs
very easy, triggering new product s trategies and
much faster than anyone imagines possible.
customer
3

Manufacturing
F i g u r e 1. 3D PRINTING AT A
GLANCE
u n i q u E a d v a n Ta g E s
a r Ea s o F F u rTh Er
d E v E L o P mE n T
Affordable customization
Printing large volumes economically
Allows manufacture
Expanding the range of printable

materials
of more efcient
designs
R educing the cost of printable materials
lighter, stronger,
Using multiple materials in the same
less assembly
printer, including those for printing
required
electronics
One machine,
Printing very large objects
unlimited product
Improving durability and quality
lines
Very small objects
(nano)
Efcient use of raw
materials (less waste)
Pay by weight
complexity is free
Batches of one,
created on demand
Source:
Print at point of
CSC
assembly/consumptio
n
Manufacturing
3D printing
is providing a platform for collaboration
accessible to all
that is accelerating innovation
lower entry barriers
the
ing
and disruption in
technologies,
cutters,
material world, just as the Internet fostered
from
3-D
printers
to
laser
is democratizing innovation in atoms. You
think the last two decades were amazing? Just wait.4
New supply chain and
collaboration,
innovation and disruption in the digital
retail opportunities
world.
T his report focuses on the opportunities and potential

r evolution, Chris
of 3D printing. T raditional markets may not yet
Anderson, author and editor in chief of W ired, writes:
recognize or require the benefits of 3D printing, but
The idea of a factory is, in a word, changing. Just as
that is expected to change
the Web democ- ratized innovation in bits, a new
sector
class of rapid prototyp-
production method.
In
Makers: T he New Industrial
feels
the
impact
as
the
manufacturing
of this radically different

Manufacturing
t he
r ise
o f 3D
pr i n t i n g
W hile experiments occurred as far back as the 1960s, it
nothing else, are required. Almost all everyday objects
was not until the mid 1980s when pioneers such as
are created in a similar (but usually even more
Charles Hull (founder of 3D S ystems) and Scott Crump
complex) manner.
(founder
of
B y contrast, a 3D printer can produce an adjustable
technologies now known as 3D printing. T heir work
wrench in a single operation, layer by layer. T he
was based on additive processes that created solid
wrench comes out of the printer fully assembled,
objects layer by layer.
including all its moving parts. (See Figure 3.) After
As the processes evolved, they became known as
some
additive manufacturing
baking, depending on the material, the wrench is ready
of
S tra-
tasys)
developed
(AM).
Because
range
many
AM
post-production
work
such
as cleaning and
methods were based on ink-jet printing technology, the
for use (though currently it is not as strong as its
term 3D printing (while sometimes misleading) has
drop-forged metal counterpart).
been broadly adopted by the industry and mass media

to refer to any AM process. F or simplicity this report
uses the term 3D printing to describe the creation of
physical objects, layer by layer, from data delivered
to a 3D printer. (See Figure 2).
T he difference between traditional manufacturing and
3D printing is how the objects are formed. T raditional
manufacturing processes generally use a subtractive
approach
that
includes a combination of grinding,
forging, bending, molding, cutting, welding, gluing and

assembling. Take the production of a seemingly
simple object such as an adjustable wrench. Production
involves forging components, grinding, milling and
F i g u r e 3.
assembling. Some of the raw material is wasted along
does not require assembly.
T his 3D-printed adjustable wrench
the way, and vast quantities of energy are expended in

heating
and reheating
the metal. Specialist
tools
Source:
CSC
and machines, optimized to produce wrenches of one

size and
F i g u r e 2.
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, builds objects layer by layer. T raditional
manufacturing typically uses a subtractive process, whereby materials are cut, ground or molded to create an
object.
Source: S tratasys
5

Manufacturing
Admittedly, 3D printing isnt going to take over the
and
creation of wrenches at least not any time soon.
traditional processes. T his is opening the door to
T he industry is in its infancy and the technology
creativity, including beautiful works of art such as
rarely supports volumes larger than 1,0 0 0
units.
Geof Manns Attracted to Light, a piece that traces a
However, as the technology evolves, volumes will
moths erratic flight around a light source.7 Such an
increase.
object is simply not possible using a traditional
In the meantime, for low volumes, 3D printing already
manufacturing technique.
provides significant value. Development cost and time
objects
that
cannot
be
built
with
c h o c o La TE, c E L L s, c o n c r ETE:
E x T r a o r d i n a r y P r o P E r T iE s F r o m
o r d i n a r y a n d n o T- s o - o r d i n a r y
ma T E r i a L s
can be cut by eliminating the need for tooling used

in
optimize
traditional manufacturing. Because 3D printing
enables precise control of the material being used,

the designer can recreate the internal structure of a
3D printing started with plastics, but today there
product for optimal effect. F or example, creating a
is
lattice or honeycomb interior instead of a solid block
materials that includes ceramics, food, glass and even
lightens the product without sacrificing strength. Being
human tissue.
able to 3D print the internal structure is a key feature.
Commercially available machines print in a range of
T here is
plastics or metals. T hese printers generally work in one
also reduced waste compared to some
an astounding and growing range of printable
traditional manufacturing processes, which can leave up
of two ways: a material (e.g., various plastics) is
to 90 percent of the raw material on the factory floor.
melted and extruded through a tiny nozzle onto the
T hogus Products, a custom plastic injection molder,
build area, where the material solidifies and builds
found that for a particular specialty part, 3D printing
the object up layer by layer; or a bed of powdered
(the Fused Deposition Modeling or FDM method) reduced
material (e.g., plastic, various metals) is laid down,
the cost of manufacturing from $10,0 0 0 to
layer by layer, and selectively fused solid. Usually some

post-production work is required, such as cleaning
$600, the build time from 4 weeks to 24 hours, and the

weight of the object by 70-90 percent. (See Figure 4.)
the excess powder, baking to achieve strength or
Furthermore, as the wrench example shows, objects
hardness, or dissolving support structures in a solution.
can be
Researchers,
printed
control.
with
T his allows
high
movable
degree
of
spatial
components
and
modified
organizations
the
underlying
and
hobbyists
methods
to
have
dramatically
intricate internal structures to be created in a single
broaden
print. However, more significantly, the added control
researchers at the University of E xeter modified a
frees
3D printer to print chocolate.8 (See Figure 5.) Cornell
designers
from the limits of
traditional
manufacturing, allowing people to create
the
range of
possibilities.
F or
example,
University, working with the F rench Culi- nary Institute

in New York, took the idea further by creating a range
of 3D-printed food items such as miniature space
HOW DOES FDM COMPA RE T O A LT ER N AT I V E
shuttles made of ground scallops and cheese.9
METHODS AT THOGUS?
pa r t /
f Dm t o o L
End of
arm robot
a Lt e r n a t i
Ve
methoD
$10,0 0
0
4
$50,0
weeks 0
0
8 weeks
$200
2
weeks
T he
principles
have
biological substances,
even
been
opening
the
applied
door
to
to
r esearch on a r ange of health applications:
$ 6 00
24
hours
Automated
$8,800
turntable
2
weeks
S teel
$20
plate
2
s
hours
F i g u r e 4 . T his table shows the benefits of
Washington S tate University has developed a bonelike material that provides support for new bone to
grow.10
Researchers from the University of Glasgow have
developed
system
that
creates
organic
compounds
and inorganic clusters, which they
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing
believe could have long- term potential for creating
compared to traditional manufacturing methods.
customized medicines.11
Organovo has created a range of human tissue using
Source:
S tratasys
human cells as material and has even printed a

human vein.12
6

Manufacturing
rial. T wo examples of this are 3Dprinted wood that

does not warp,13 and the work underway to use living
cells to 3D print organs needed for transplants. (More
on that later.)
Researchers are working on a range of techniques
that can control the exact material properties of
printed components, even down to the microscopic
crystalline
struc-
tures
of
metals,14
essentially
changing how the materials underlying atoms and

molecules are arranged. F or example, 3D printing of
metal can result in more uniform micro- structures
due
to
rapid
solidification,
in
contrast
to
the
traditional metal casting and forging that require metal

F i g u r e 5.
3D-printed chocolate from
to cool from the outer surface to the core.15 T his
researchers at the University of E xeter
allows engineers to control the objects s trength,
illustrates custom shapes.
hardness, springi- ness, flexibility and ability to
Source: David Martin
support stress. T he result of this research will be

products
exhibiting
combinations
of
physical,
Most fascinating is research that shows how 3D
electrical and mechanical properties that are only
printing
of
dreamed
about today.
T
he University
of Illinois L ewis Research Group has
products. Just like laminated wood (plywood) has
created a number of custom inks (printing materials)
long been used as a lighter, stronger and more
with extremely small feature sizes. (See Figure 6.) T he
flexible
researchers
can
revolutionize
alternative
components can
to
the
properties
solid timber,
3Dprinted
have
dem-
onstrated
many
functional
properties that exceed the
materials for improved conductiv- ity, lighter-weight
capabilities of traditionally manufactured components,
structures and even self-healing polymers. F or example,
even if they are made from the same mate-
the team has created a reactive silver ink for
F i g u r e 6.
exhibit
CU ST OM INKS DESIGNED F OR 3D PRINTING
c o L L o i d a L in K s
in K s
F u g i T i v E in K s
n a n o Pa r T i c L E
P o Ly E L E c T r o Ly T E
in K s
s o L-gE L
in K s
20
200
Printing advanced
Printing fugitive
decreasing feature
size
Printing silver
Printing polyelectro-
Printing sol-gel inks
ceramic, metallic and
inks for 3D
nanopar- ticle ink that
lyte, silk and
for sensor,
polymer materials
microvascular
conducts electricity for
hydrogel inks for
photonics, catalyst
under ambient
networks for tissue
wearable electronics,
drug delivery,
supports and novel
conditions using
engineering, light-
improved solar cells
photonics,
electrodes for dye-
commercial 3D printers
weight structures,
and transpar- ent
membranes, tissue
sensitized solar
for prototyping and
selfhealing
conductive devices
engineering and 3D
cells, batteries and
digital manufacturing
materials and soft
cell culture
capacitors
Sample
Applications
25
0
250
nm
Source: Lewis r esearch Group,

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (http://colloids.matse.illinois.edu),
robotics
and CSC
7

Manufacturing
high-performance electronics that is faster to make
and
(minutes to mix versus hours using particle-based
implications
inks) and can be printed in small amounts. T he ink can
replace
be stored longer than traditional ink and has a lower
significant.
processing temperature, allowing electronics to be
S till, the price of materials is a significant barrier to 3D
printed on low-cost materials such as flexible plastic,
printing. F or example, the cost of plastic feed
paper or fabric substrates. In another application, the
material
silver ink has been printed onto three-dimensional
$425/kilogram
surfaces
16
to
create
dilapidated
used
or
in 3D
(2.2
automated
destroyed
printing
T he
social
construction
dwellings
ranges
pounds), while
from
the
to
are
$60-
equivalent
amount of material used in traditional injection molding

is only $2.40-$3.30.2 0 Although the higher cost is not a
antenna designs. T hese antennas show potential for
problem for prototyping or small volumes, it is not
implantable
electronics.
Also
conducting
17
antennas,
research
materials is the
MIT
into
Media
antennas
using
concrete.19
that
wearable
electrical
of
formulated
perform an order-of-magnitude better than traditional

or
small
specially
sensors
and
economical for large volumes.
3D
printing
and
F or some materials, 3D printing is more than just a
Lab,
which
is
niche alternative it is actually the ideal production
experimenting with printing large molds for concrete
method. T itanium is one example; it is light, stronger
structures using a spray polyurethane foam. (See
than steel (for its density) and more corrosion resistant
Figure 7.) Printing with polyurethane offers benefits
than stainless steel. In fact, it is a near-perfect metal
in weight, cure time, control and stability compared
for many applications. Aside from its current cost, the
to concrete. It also serves as thermal insula- tion.
main drawback of titanium (and the reason its use is
Once printed, the mold can be filled with concrete or
limited to specialist applications in aerospace, medical
another castable building material. MIT has printed
implants, jewelry and performance cars) is that it is
several prototype wall molds that are 5-6 feet tall as it
difcult to work with. It has a tendency to harden
explores the benefits of large-scale 3Dprinted molds
during cutting, which results in high tool wear, and when
including design, cost, efciency and safety.
being welded it is susceptible to contamination that
Contour Crafting proposes 3D

house, targeting
(after
low-cost
natu- ral
and
disaster,
weakens the welds if the proper precautions are not
printing an entire
emergency
for
adhered
to strictly.
T
his is where
3D printing comes in. Directly printing in
housing
T he
titanium is attractive because it eliminates the problems
company claims an entire 2,500-square-foot home
example).
of machining. Further, as the printing machines get
can be built in 20 hours (doors and windows added
bigger, entire assemblies can be printed, eliminating the
later) with extremely large 3D printers
need for welding.
18
To address the current high cost

of titanium metal (it is as much
as 50 times
than
more
steel),
developing
expensive
researchers
processes
to
are
create
powdered titanium at much lower

costs.
Currently
the
are
produced
powders
reducing titanium
fine,
printing
ingots
by
into
uniform powders (in a highly
energy-intensive process).
just
as
the
Bayer
reduced
the
F i g u r e 7. MIT is experimenting with 3D printing large forms
from
$1,200/kilogram
made from polyurethane (like the one seen in this rendering). T he
$ 0.60/kilogram at the end of the
forms would be filled with concrete and used in building
19th century, todays research is
construction.
looking
Source: Mediated Matter Group, MIT Media

L ab
for
at
of
aluminum
to
industrial processes
producing
powders
at
current cost.21
8
cost
But
process
titanium
a
fraction
printing
of
the

Manufacturing
3D
pr i n t i n g
P rototyping
new
products
commercial application
for
is
3D
the
at
work
largest
printing
today,
estimated to be 70 percent of the 3D printing

market.2 2
P rototyping
gives designers (and their
customers) a way to touch and test products as

concepts or functional objects early in the design
dEFEns
E
cycle. T his avoids expensive changes later in the

process, saving significant time and money when
Components used in military equipment must be

T
oday 3D
printing
beingall,used
in many
areas can
for
strong,
durable
and, isabove
reliable,
as failure
bothlives
prototyping
directthe
digital
manufacturing.
put
at risk. and
Consider
mount
for camera
bringing new products to market.

B y rapidly printing prototypes, manufacturers can
F
ollowing are
examples
f rom defense,
gun
sights
on the
M1 Abrams
tank andaerospace,
B radley
automotive
and healthcare.
fighting
vehicles.
T hese high-precision components
significantly shorten the development lifecycle. One

example comes
manufacturer
from
of
Akaishi,
cor- rectional
Japanese
footwear
are mounted on the exter- nal body of the tanks,
and
massage devices. T he company found that by 3D
where they must survive incredibly harsh shock,
printing prototypes in-house, it could reduce lead
vibration
time of new products by 9 0 percent compared
Technology, a leading defense system design and
to its
development
T his
previously outsourced prototyping service.

allows
its
confidence in
ever
reaches
facilitates
designers
products
to
have 100
functionality
the customer.2 3
experimentation
before
and
it
company,
was
conditions.
able
3D
to
EOIR
manufacture
printer. W hats more, by switching to 3D
printing technology, the company
also
innovation.
environmental
mounts durable enough for use on the tanks using
percent
P rototyping
and
reduced
the
manufacturing costs from over
F or
example, using 3D printing, Bell Heli- copter can test
$100,0
0 per unit
to under
$ 4 0,0 0 0 for
.2 6 the military
In the 0future,
it may
be possible
new designs in days versus weeks using traditional
to print replacement parts on the battlefield instead
methods.
In
some 2 4industries, 3D printing has shifted from
of relying on limited spares or the supply chain. W hile
prototypes to direct part production, also known
this is still some time away, there are developments
as direct digital manufacturing. T he technology is
that suggest movement in the right direction. F or
being applied to short production runs and does
example, the T rainer Develop- ment Flight (TD F )
not
facility
require
tooling,
thus
allowing
flexibility,
manufacturing
costs
to
once
again
high
compete
development
company
based
in
Florida, told IndustryWeek, 3D printing is a terrific

win
for
American manufacturing.25
3De designs
specialized high-precision surgical sys tems, which are

then printed by a U.S.-based 3D
printing
service,
GPI. T here is no cost advantage in of-shoring the

production of 3D components, unlike traditional
manufactured
components
that
are
cheaper
Air
F orce
Base
in Texas is
in the future, it m ay b e
p o ssible for the
military to print
re p l a ce m e n t parts o n
the b a ttlefi eld inste a d
of re l y i ng o n limite d
s p a re s or the s u p p l y
chain.
in
manufacturing. As Scott Hay, founder of 3De, a small

rapid product
Sheppard
using 3D printing to develop training aids for the
adaptability and speed to market. T his is enabling

countries with s trong intellectual capital but
at
to
manufacture overseas.
9

Manufacturing
Air F orce and other U.S. Department of Defense
lons of fuel annually.3 2
branches.27 Given the highly specialized nature of the
aerospace giants GE and the Eu ropean Aeronautic
equipment, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs),
Defence
and the low volumes required, using original parts or
Airbus, are conducting further research to optimize
even manufacturing rep- licas is a lengthy

expensive
exercise.
and
and Space group (EADS), maker of the
parts such as wing brackets. (See Figure 8.) F erra
using 3D printing in
Engineering, an Australian aerospace contractor (that
combination with traditional manufacturing techniques
supplies Boeing and Airbus), has a contract to 3D
has enabled the government to save over $3.8 million
print large two-meter-long titanium parts for the F -35
from 2004-20 0 9, not to mention provide improved
joint strike fighter, reducing machining time and
and
materials
timely
weapons
However,
Boeing, as well as other
training
systems,
in
areas
including
medical
avionics,
readiness
and
waste.3 3
Boeing
even
envisions
printing an entire airplane wing in the future.
3D
34
telecommunications systems. More recently, student

interns working on a U.S. Army research
project
created and flew a 6.5-foot-wingspan plane (a UAV)

made entirely of 3Dprinted parts to help study the
28
feasibility
of usingmilitary
such planes.
A
quite different
application
of 3D printing is
the creation
better
of
intel-
topographical
ligence.
T he
models
U.S.
to
Army
provide
Corps
of
Engineers used this technique when responding to

Hurricane
K atrina.
T he
Corps generated
and
regenerated models of New Orleans as the situation

evolved. T he models, which could be created in about
two hours, showed changing floodwater levels, buildings and other features of the area. T his aided in
situational understanding and helped guide the relief
effort as soldiers and civil authorities worked to save
people and property.2 9 T he 3D mapping was critical for
its visualization and speed; one can imagine it being
applied in other fields that require knowing the lay of
the land, from mining to archeology.
Like many industries, aerospace is leveraging 3D
F i g u r e 8.
printing to
wing bracket is lighter and s tronger than
a E r o s Pa c E
reducing
improve
the
performance
of
assets,
maintenance requirements, consolidating
T his 3Dprinted metal Airbus
the
components and saving fuel costs with lighter parts.
conventional wing bracket in the

background that it could potentially r eplace.
Boeing, a pioneer in 3D printing, has printed 22,0 0 0
Source: EADS
components that are used in a variety of aircraft.3 0

F or example, Boeing
produce
has
used
3D
printing
to
environmental control ducting (ECD) for its
Another
benefit
is
the
use
of
distributed
new 787 aircraft. W ith traditional techniques, the
manufacturing
ECD is created from up to 20 parts due
Components mass-produced in one part of the world
complex
internal
s tructure.
However,
to
with
its
3D
to
address
supply
chain
is sues.
can take weeks to arrive at an assembly factory.
printing, Boeing produces the ECD as one piece. T he
But
new component reduces inventory, does not require
shipping time, reduces friction in the supply chain
assembly and improves inspection and maintenance
and reduces inventory levels at the factory.
times.
An extreme example of a long supply chain is space
31
As the 3Dprinted parts weigh less, the
3D
printing
components
on
site eliminates
aircrafts operating weight decreases, resulting in fuel
exploration. Imagine if it were possible to print
savings. According to American Airlines, for every
products, tools or
pound
International Space S tation
of
weight
removed from its aircraft, the
company saves more than 11,0 0 0 gal-
1
0
replacement
parts
on
the

Manufacturing
or even on Mars. T hat is exactly what groups like
Today,
Made in Space and Lunar Buildings are investigating.
(rover) includes about 70 3Dprinted parts; NAS A
Both organizations are developing tools, processes
engineers also 3D print prototypes to test parts before
and systems for directly manufacturing in space,
NAS As
next
space
exploration
vehicle
production.3 6
avoiding the costly and decade-long planning cycles
L ooking ahead, NAS A is exploring 3D printing as a
required
service (3DPaaS) for rapid pre-prototype work.
to
send
rocket into space with the
necessary replacement parts and tools. Made in Space
We
has a contract with NAS A and is currently conducting
Soderstrom, I T
chief technology ofcer at NAS A
zero gravity tests, with plans to trial 3D printing on
Jet
Laboratory. 3D printing makes it
are bullish
P ropulsion
on
3D
printing,
says
T om
the International Space S tation. T his would allow
easier to capture the imagination of the mission
astronauts to print tools and parts in space exactly
concepts. We can see what others are imag- ining.
when needed.3 5 (See Figure 9.)
Engineers could use 3DPaaS to rapidly obtain peer

reviews, additional design concepts and approval to
prototype. Initial prototyping and iterations would be
done using low-cost, fast-turnaround open source
CAD tools and 3D
source,
printers. We like the open
open design approach. It would allow us to
get outside ideas about the designs more easily and

to get s tarted much sooner, Soderstrom adds.
Once
the
design
is
deemed
ready
for
full-scale
prototyping, it would go to large-scale 3D printers to

build a version 1.0 object. T he result would be faster
build times, lower costs and more confidence in the
version 1.0 design.
F i g u r e 9 . T his Made in Space team is
Space is not the only ext reme environment for 3D
conducting 3D printing zero gravity tests for 3D
printing. Industrial designer Markus K ayser has
printing in space.
demonstrated a solar-powered 3D printer creating
Source: Made in Space
crude glass
out of sand in the Sahara desert. 37
(See Figure 10.) It isnt space, but it does show

that 3D printing can
done r esources in
withbebasic
ext remely
r emote environments.
a u To m oTi
vE
F or
years,
major
automotive
manufacturers have been using

3D
printing
However,
industry
for
the
is
prototyping.
auto-
poised
motive
to
begin
applying the process to more

Take, for example, the Urbee, billed
than just prototypes of small
as the worlds fi rst printed car.
custom parts.
T he two- passenger
Urbee,
F i g u r e 10. Glass is printed in the Sahara desert with sand ink
created
and a solar powered 3D printer.
dismisses
by
KOR EcoLogic,
preconceptions about
limits to 3D printing sizes. To be

clear, not all parts are 3Dprinted
Source: Markus Kayser
just the shell of this hybrid

prototype car
11
components are
though
interior

Manufacturing
F i g u r e 11. T he Urbee (urban electric) boasts the worlds first 3Dprinted car body, an ultra aerodynamic
design and high energy efciency. T he hybrid car uses renewable energy (wind, solar, hydro) and ethanol
(for long distances). T he car could be in low-volume production by 2014. Future plans include 3D printing
the interior (right).
Source: KOr EcoLogic
which could be in low-volume production by 2014,39
h E a LT h c a r
E
has planted the seed for mass customization of large-
T he most inspiring use of 3D printing is in the
scale car components. Watch for unique car styles,
healthcare
designs and shapes to appear in the near future.
potential to save lives or dramatically improve them.
planned to be 3D printed.38 (See Figure 11.) T he Urbee,
industry,
where
3D
printing
has
the
3D printing in healthcare still has some years to go

Indeed, the worlds first race car created largely
before mass adoption, but early developments
with 3D printing competed on the track in the F ormula
create tissue, organs, bones and prosthetic devices
S tudent 2012 challenge in July 2012.4 0 T he car was
provide a glimpse of how lives may be improved.
created
Using
using
3D printing
technique called
a patients
own
cultured
cells
or
to
s tem
mammoth stereolithography (SL) from Materialise, a
cells, the Wake F orest Institute for R egenerative
rapid prototyping company.41 Mammoth S L is designed
Medicine has developed a 3D printing technique for
for printing large objects and has a build area of over
engineering tissue and organs. T he ultimate goal
6.5 feet (two meters).
is
42
to
help
solve
the shortage of donated organs
Engineers at BMW have leveraged 3D printing to
available for transplant. Sci- entists are working on a
create ergonomic,
variety of projects including ear, muscle and a long-
lighter
versions
of
their
assembly tools to increase worker productivity. B y
term effort to print a human kidney. (See
improving
12.) T he printer is designed to print organ and
the
design, workers are carrying 2.9

improved
tissue s tructures using data from medical scans,
engineer Gnter
such as CT or MRI. T he basic idea is to print living
pounds (1.3 kilograms) less and have

handling
and
balance.
As
BMW
Figure
Schmid says, This may not seem like much, but
cells
when a worker uses the tool hundreds of times in a
and the biomaterials that hold cells together
shift, it makes a big difference.4 3
into a 3D shape. T his organ or tissue s tructure
In addition to ergonomics, another area where 3D
would
printing can make a big difference is marketing.
would continue to develop. T he kidney project is
Imagine showing a full-scale 3D model instead of a
based on earlier work
CAD drawing as part of a bid proposal. One company
biomaterials to engineer a miniature kidney that
has done that with car interi- ors, showing front and
was
able to
produce
a urine-like
substance
when
In
addition,
there
are a growing
number
of applications
implanted
in a s teer.
for
3D printing
in surgery. F or example, the Walter
back with all the attachment points as
part
of
its
then be implanted into the body, where it
presentation. Pictures may tell a thousand words,
Reed Army Medical
but touch and feel make it real.
successfully implanted
12
that
Center
used
has
cells
created
and
and

Manufacturing
over 6 0 titanium cranial plates.4 4 In June 2011 the

fi rst 3Dprinted jaw, also made of titanium, was
successfully implanted in an 83-year-old woman by
Dr. Jules Poukens of
implants
provide
perfectly
better
Hasselt
match a
fi xation,
University.4 5
patients
which
T hese
body
and
can reduce surgery
time and infection.4 6

Perfectly
matching
persons
body
is
key
for
prosthetic devices too. 3D printing is ideal for these

highly customized, small production runs (quantities
of one) that demand strong but light-weight materials.
3D printing would enable those with limb loss to get
exactly what they want for look, feel, size and weight,
all for a fraction of the cost of a traditionally-made
prosthetic. Bespoke Innovations, now owned by 3D
S ystems, uses 3D printing to make custom coverings
for artificial limbs and aims to 3D print the entire
prosthesis in the future.47 (See Figure 13.) A related
F i g u r e 12. T hese 3Dprinted structures
example is 2-year- old
kidney (top left), ear (top right) and finger
disease called arthrogrypo- sis, who wears 3Dprinted
Emma,
born
with
rare
could one day help address the organ shortage
magic arms that give her the strength to lift her real
and the need to repair if not replace damaged
arms and a whole new lease on life.4 8 T he magic
body parts.
arms can be reprinted as she grows and are light
Source: Wake F orest Institute for r egenerative

Medicine
enough for her 25-pound body. Another example are

3D-printed hearing aids that, though pricey, provide
excellent sound quality due to their custom fit.
F i g u r e 13. T he 3D-printed metal lace cover on this prosthetic leg is delicate yet
strong and reflects the wearers individuality.

Source: Bespoke Innovations
13

Manufacturing
3D
pr i n t i n g
at
home
g r o Wing sEr vicEs
ma r K E T
3D printers make it economical to create highly

3D
printers
havethat
created
a new
of DIY
unique
products
quench
the generation
rising thirst
for
manufacturers. WThether
hese individuals
are using case
3D
personalization.
it is a smartphone
printing
services
online
or
their
own
low-cost
personalized with your name (see Figure 14), 3D
an
printers
to World
createof custom
that address
avatar
from
Warcraft products
or a self-designed
robot
unmet
needs.
toy, there are a range of services like F reshfiber,
F i g u r e 14. 3D printing services make
FigurePrints,
personalized products like this smartphone
My
Robot
Nation
and
Sculpteo at
ones disposal. T he consumer market is buzzing
case affordable.
with affordable
Source: Sculpteo
custom
products,
all
available
through the Internet using as a service techniques.

Expect to see 3D printing s tores in a shopping mall
neargrowing
you soon! population
A
of
DIY
designers is using these services

to create and upload products and
ideas to websites like Shapeways, a
start-up working to democratize
creation
more
by
making
accessible,
production
personal,
and
inspiring.4 9 (See Figure 15.)
Lo W -c o s T
PrinTing in
In 2008-0 9 the 3D printing
u n Ex PEc TEd
market took a major turn with
PLa c Es
the
availability of open source
manufacturing
$1,0 0 0 ,
derivatives
kits
priced
including
of
under
various
the RepRap open
source project (discussed later) and
F i g u r e 15. T he Shapeways 3D printing marketplace removes
the Cup- Cake CNC from MakerBot
barriers to manufacturing by providing 3D printing services via
Industries. T hese devices ushered

in a new group, hobbyists,
who
previously
their
couldnt afford
own
personal
all
technologies,
continued
the
to
the web and enabling people to share their designs.

Source: Shapeways
machines. And like

prices
fall; for
have
example,
14

Manufacturing
F i g u r e 16. T HE L ONG-T ERM OPPORT U N I T Y F OR

INDIVIDUA L S
3D P R
IDEA/
DESIGN
PROTOTYPE
MANUFACTURE
A SSEMBLY
transport
IN
TING
DISTRIBUTION
transport
transport
END USER
RETAIL
WAREHOUSE
transport
transport
L ow-cost 3D printing enables anyone with a digital design to bypass the traditional supply chain and
manufacture a product themselves. W hat are the implications for companies operating in the supply chain?
Source: CSC
Printrbot LC launched in 2012 for $549.5 0
T he
W hats
more, with their roots in open source,
availability of low-cost 3D printers has spurred many
many 3D printers are evolving rapidly and can now
to manufacture at home, bypassing numerous steps.
compete with some commercial printers. (See Figure
(See Figure 16.)
17.) F or those that

need
higher
quality
products,
a
ety of
online
printing
bureaus
variallow prints in different materials
(metals, plastics and glass).
To get an idea of what these DIY
manufacturers are printing, take
a
look
website
for
at T hingiverse.com,
with
3D
self- created
printing.
files
Created by
MakerBot Industries, the website

has
large
community
of
individuals who have shared over

25,0 0 0
toys
models ranging from
and gadgets to replacement
parts.51
All
are
available
downloading
and
printing
anyone.
Recently,
one
of
for
by
our
researchers faced the prospect of a

14-hour
flight
holding an
ebook
reader, with no time to buy a

reader stand before leaving for
the flight.
After
a few
minutes
F i g u r e 17. T he MakerBot Replicator 2 comes fully assembled,
searching on T hingiverse.com, he
unlike its predecessor, and is designed for high-quality DIY
was able to download a foldable
manufacturing.
stand
design, print
it in 45 minutes,
In
addition
to homes,
low-cost
and use
themade
flight their
that night.
printersit on
have
way
Source: MakerBot Industries
(See Figure
18.)
into
other unexpected
places. F or
example, at
15

Manufacturing
Outside of ordinary replacements, there are some

parts and objects that are simply no longer in s tock.
F or example, due to the scarcity of replacement dials
for a vintage boombox, someone created a printable
alternative.5 5
T hat is the beauty of 3D printing: creating functional, if
not obscure, parts.
One of the most
high-profile
examples comes from American comedian Jay L eno. In

an article in Popular Mechanics, L eno discusses his use
of 3D printing to re-manufacture parts for his rare and
vintage vehicle collection: Any antique car part can be
reproduced with these machines
pieces of trim, elaborately etched and even scrolled
door handles. If you have an original, you can copy it. Or
you can design a replacement on the computer, and the
F i g u r e 18. T his e-reader stand was 3D
3D printer makes it for you.5 6 He goes on to explain
printed by our researcher in less than an hour.
how his 1907 W hite S teamer is back on the street due
T he design is available on T hingiverse by
to the use of 3D printing to recreate an incredibly rare
designer Billy Carr (uni stand by
slide valve
(D-valve).
Using
3D printing,
L eno can create functional parts for
codemanusa).
testing (i.e., to see if the part is the right size and
Source:
CSC
shape before using

process),
create molds
traditional
CNC
milling
to cast a part in aluminum,
Southview Middle School in E dina, Minnesota, the
and even replace metal parts with plastic. He explains:
industrial technology teacher uses a 3D printer so
My E coJet supercar needed air-condi- tioning ducts. We
students can experience their designs and concepts
used plastic parts we designed, right out of the 3D
as
local
copier. We didnt have to make these scoops out of
municipality has created a 3D printing lab in a
aluminum plastic is what they use in a real car. And
library
the finished ones look like factory production pieces.57
physical
so
models.
the
52
In
community
Australia,
can
play
with and
understand the technology.53
Fix- It to take control of their appliances. E xamples of
a l though it is hard to
p re di c t w h e re 3 d
printing a t h o m e will
lead, it is a s a fe be t that
c o nsu m e r s w ont use
these printers to
re c re ate w h at they c a n
a d yis b u
y in sto
3D alre
printing
breaking
downres.
barriers
replacement parts emerging in
manufacturing. Although it
It is important to note that libraries, schools and

homes
have
different
quality
requirements
than
factories. Con- sumers, who have never had such

manufacturing powers before, are quite forgiving of
faults in 3D-printed objects they
themselves,
required
as
long
function.
as
the
have
created
object serves
Consumers
may
not
be
its
so
forgiving of such flaws in products they purchase.
ma K i n g T h i n g s
Wo r K
W hile not for everyone, 3D printers allow the Mr. or Ms.
library
keyboard
battery
include
a wheel
support
door.
stand
Some
of
the T hingiverse
for
and
a portable
these
dishwasher,
parts
is
to
hard to predict
where 3D printing at home will lead, it is a safe bet
camera
that consumers wont use
have had
r ecreate
what
they
can
these
printers
already buy
in
to
s tores.
significant downloads. F or example, a touch screen sty-
T hey will be creating things you simply cant buy,
lus for the Nintendo DS has over 3 0 0 downloads;5 4
such as irr eplaceable parts and personalized objects
clearly, a lost stylus is a common problem with a
and gadgets.
simple solution.
16

Manufacturing
Democratizat
ion
3D
printing
at
work
or
o f
ma n u f a c t u r i n g
at
home signifies
the
B ypassing the modeling effort altogether, a r ange
democratization of manufacturing. ( T he very name
of affordable
3D printing instead of additive manufacturing is a
objects
3D
scanners
enables
physical
to be digitized, modified (within limits)
nod to a broader audience.) Until now, the creation of
and
high-quality physical products or prototypes required
Interestingly, several software products are blurring
very expensive machinery
the distinction between scanning and modeling. B y
tooling
and
investments
in
and sophisticated CAD/ CAM software. T his
reproduced directly
by
3D
printer.
automating much of the 3D modeling experience,
posed a barrier, preventing many good ideas from ever
they allow almost anyone to r apidly gener- ate
being built (even to a prototype stage), as most people
sophisticated models. Check out Continuum F ash-
lacked the skills and financial resources to design,
ion 5 8
and
F aceGen.5 9
Both
services
one for
let alone manufacture or distribute, a product.
fashion, the other for facial modeling hide the
However, in the last decade these traditional barriers
back-end 3D modeling effort from the individual,
have been stripped away.
who
simply
Autodesk
wants the
launched
output.
More
cloud service
recently,
that
allows
the heart of the DIY
people to create 3D models with a few s wipes on
production process, there have been developments
their iPad or by uploading photos of an object from
in
60
multiple angles.
Another
example
of the democratization of design
W hile 3D
all
printing
is
at
elements of the DIY manufacturing lifecycle
including free or low- cost
3D
modeling
and
comes from 3D
software house Digital F orming,
scanning tools (for design), sharing websites (for
which provides software that enables companies to
marketing and distribution), investment websites (for
share product design with
funding), and a new open design ethos (industry

collaboration).
T hese
elements
now
allow
their
customers.
T he
software lets consumers tweak dimensions of the
almost
desired product, whether it is the perfect lamp or a
anyone to become a manufacturer or contribute to
custom
the manufacturing process.
cuf
link.
Consumers
can
adjust shape,
surface design, color and material (within limits).

T his
s o P h i s T i c a T E d mo d E L i n g ma d E
s imP L E
closer
relationship
between
consumer
and
manufacturer will spur a greater expectation for
3D modeling and visualization play a crucial role
customization.
Although 3D printing
in the early phases of product development. However,
hardware and objects produced, a key part of the magic
in the past, software was often expensive and required
of 3D printing is the software. F ormlabs made
extremely powerful machines, making personal use
software
impractical. Today this has changed. Now, most home
ease-of-use
sophisticated
makes
3D
one
think
cornerstone
printer
of
of
(discussed
the
its
later).
PCs can run some of the worlds most sophisticated
Elsewhere, a team of researchers has created soft-
software such as Creo 2.0 or
ware that examines the geometry of the CAD model
more,
there
are
number
SolidWorks.
of
W hats
free or low-cost
and determines where to add joints, so elbows and
modeling tools, such as 3DT in, SketchUp and Blender,

that
contain powerful
design
knees get hinges, for example.61
capabilities but are
T he software
optimizes for full movement and no collisions with
simple enough for anyone to use. F or something even
other joints or possible movements.
simpler, there is T inkercad, which is free and lets
then allows the whole model, including its joints and
people play with the basics of 3D modeling.
moving
parts,
to
be
materialized
Sophisticated modeling made simple.
17
3D
all
printing
at
once.

Manufacturing
d j v u : T h E in T E L L E c T u a L P r o P E r T y
d E b aTE
Despite the allure of 3D printing
over
and the
manufactur-
democratization
manufacturing,
3D
of
printing
the
world.
ing
Previously,
begun
posed a barrier
because the model could
not
to
appear.
Intellectual
Ventures, run by former Microsoft
be
CTO Nathan Myhrvold, has been
poses serious questions about
created and distributed readily like
granted a patent for managing
intellectual property. To be clear,
this; if you wanted that toy, you had
object production rights
this issue is not unique to 3D
to purchase it. However, with 3D
printing;
copyright
printers it is possible to simply
exclusively); it remains to be seen
debated
patent
infringement
and
has
been
printing
print the toy yourself. W hile the
to
individual
technique
by the advent of Internet piracy, and
manufacturer
will continue to be fought for
significant
years
to come. 3D
Nonetheless,
manufacturing
and marketing.
Some are fearful
that 3D printing
T hey Dont
will
Printing,
supporting
anyone
printing
tools
to
and
allow almost
intentionally
or
the
loses
out on its
investment
cripple
in
lik-
ening it
what
extent
this
for
patented
preventing
unauthor- ized object copying will
design,
62
be his
used.
In
paper
It Will Be Awesome if
traditional
manufacturers,
3D
specifically (though not
for decades, stoked more recently
benefits,
for
Screw
it
Up:
Intel- lectual
3D
Property,
and the Fight Over the Next Great
to
Internet piracy in the music and
Disruptive
Technology,
existing product design, distribute
movie industries. W hile those in
Weinberg,
that design, and manufacture the
the
advocacy
product. Although technically this
illegal
was possible decades ago, todays
severely, others
digital designs and 3D printers,
industry
and
current
linked by
and needed to reinvent its dated
legislative issues across
multiple
significantly
Armed
with easier.
a low-cost 3D scanner
business
intellectual property dimensions.63
and 3D printer, you can buy a
piracywith
is a heated
As
music issue.
and
product of the shelf such as a toy,
digital rights
unintentionally
recre-
ate
an
the Internet, make it
scan that object or its parts, and

distribute the design all
music
industry
downloads
was
argue
have
hurt
believe
already in
model.
that
at
Public
concerns
but also compre- hensively breaks

down
trouble
way,
arguments
He highlights both the threats and
movies,
management
attorney
group
Knowledge, agrees with
it
the
Either
staff
Michael
opportunities of 3D printing. An
(DRM)
important reminder from Weinberg
discus- sions for manufacturing
is that prog- ress, and those who
designs have
are inspired, should not be stopped
s h a r E Th E dEsign, s hiP Th E
dEsign
After
producing
product
on
3D
T he
been
a leader
consumers
printer,
by those whogiant
fear.
e-commerce
Chinese
for
some
and small
time
businesses
in
connecting
to
large-scale
manufacturers,
years ago, if funding was scarce, the creator would
manufacturing. T his consumer-to- business
initially manufacture and market a low volume of
encourages
product for a specialist application. Over time, if the
ideally suited for the micro-entrepreneur of the DIY
product was successful, further investment would be
movement.6 5
made so
But Alibaba was about shipping products, whereas
small,
ing
has
creators turn to marketing and distribution. Several
larger volumes could be marketed and
break-
Alibaba
custom
down
barriers
to
model
transactions and is
distributed around the world. It was only at this point
3D printing is about shipping designs, continuing the
that the product could reach a broader customer base.
evolution of the digitization of things. Being able
Now,
to ship and print the design means that printing
thanks
to
online
marketplaces
like
T hingiverse, Shapeways and Sculpteo, the marketing
can be done on demand, whether through a service
and distribution problem
bureau, a companys own 3D printing capability or
reduced.
nearly
As
7,0 0 0
of
has
August 2012,
shops
and
been
significantly
Shapeways
even
had
options
over 160,0 0 0 members
who had printed over one million prod-
the end consumer. T hese innovative printing

will
distribution
ucts.6 4
drive
and
the
next
pose
major
manufacturers,
whose
gen-
Shapeways enables designers to get paid for their
ditional
products and also handles distribution, so products
around shipping products, not designs.
can be purchased and delivered anywhere in the world.

18
eration
upheaval
businesses
of
for
tra-
revolve

Manufacturing
c ro WdFu n din g
oPEn
dEsign
Although low-cost 3D printers and accessible CAD
Open
software lower barriers to entry for bringing new
associated with freely-available software like Linux,
products to market, some capital is still required. T his
Android and Apache. T he philosophy
is where pioneering initia- tives like Kickstarter come
source is that information should be shared freely
in. Kickstarter, a crowd-funding website for creative
by
projects, allows anyone with a good idea to advertise for
improve the product and contribute their work back to
seed funding, usually provided by large numbers of
the community for free use. T he power of this phi-
small investors. T he rewards for the investor are set by
losophy is demonstrated by Wikipedia, which, through
the entrepreneur and typically range from thank-you
the contributions of millions of people, has become the
certifi- cates for small donations to free copies of the
premier reference encyclopedia in dozens of languages
product being sponsored. Most projects raise less than
and is freely available, while its closed competitors
$10,0 0 0 though the highest funding to date for a single
(like Encyclopedia Britannica) have become obsolete.
project
wasan
$10
million.
F
ormlabs,
MIT
Media Lab spin-off, achieved its 30-
Similarly, the term open design has come to be
day funding goal of $100,0 0 0 in less than three
applied to the design of physical products, machines and
hours
and reached over $1.5 million in one week.
components through public sharing and contribution.
all the excitement about? F ormlabs provides
L ow-cost 3D printers and availability of software for
an affordable high- resolution 3D printer (still in
creating and sharing printable designs are enabling the
testing)
necessary conditions for sharing designs of physical
66
W hats
for
hobbyists.
designers,
T he
neers
and
printer
serious
best
community
of
known
as
the
term
behind open
contributors, who work to
ste-
components. T he concept of open design is starting to

take off with products like VIA OpenBook (an open
thus bringing
source laptop) and RepRap (an open source 3D printer).
and
the
professional-quality
T he democratization
of
uses
is
reolithography, the method used in high-end printers,

individuals.
F orm
engi-
source
printing
to
manufacturing
democratization of investing go hand-in-
hand.
T h E r epr ap s To r y o P E n s o u r c E
ma n u F a c T u r i n g
T he year 2 00 8
was a turning
One of the aims of the RepRap
Because
point for
manufacturing
is to enable individuals or small
available, anyone
enter- prises, especially in poorer
manufacture and
because
DIY
a new product called the
RepRap was released. T he RepRap
parts
sell
the
individuals and small companies
themselves
is
products
with
for
virtually
no
In
manufacture
this
and
way, many
sell
R epRaps
capital investment (a RepRap kit
online, either in kit form or as
manufactured and distributed.
costs about $500).
fully assembled and tested models.
In
Inspired
May
2008,
RepRap printer
W ithin
on, it
designed,
freely
download,
complex
build
is
is
can
R epRap.
is truly unique about the R epRap

it
design
of the world, to be able to
is a low-cost 3D printer, but what

how
the
the
was
second
assembled.
minutes of being turned

had started printing
the
by
means
the
(hardware,
RepRap, and so on. Today, it is
software)
estimated
any patents
over
2 0,0 0 0
source
As
R epRap
innovation of the R epRap and its
the
design is also open source. T his
components to build the third

that
open
software models,
entire
not
and
modify
and
components manufactured by other
improvements
RepRaps67
a neat example that
make
gets closer to the vision of self-
whole
replicating machines.
enthusiastic
them
faster
equivalent commercial 3D
printers. In the future, open

source
approaches
anyone
can
applied
to
available).
users
all
may
sorts
be
of
manufactured products, leading to

superior products that are more
A
of
reliable and functional because a

global
actively
innovate
19
of
and
community
to
rate
by
(provided they
improve the design.
the
protected
contribute
freely
result,
derivatives is accelerating
than
electronics
is
RepRaps exist, most of them using
participates
design
and
community
improves them.
continually

Manufacturing
As
well
as
fostering
small-scale
DIY
product
is sued
the
Experimental
Crowd-derived
Combat-
innovation by interested communities, open design
support Vehicle (XC2V) Design Challenge, conducted
can
in partner- ship
provide a frame- work for developing advanced
with
open
design
automobile
technology projects that are beyond the resources of
manufacturer L ocal Motors. 6 8 In a s tunning display of
any single company or even country.
the power and enthusi- asm of the open design
In
2 011,
the
U.S.
Defense
Advanced
community, L ocal Motors turned the winning design
R esearch
P rojects Agency (DARPA) turned to the public for
into
inspiration to design a replacement for the iconic
about
working
Humvee. DARPA
industry average.6 9 (See Figure 19.)
one-fifth
prototype
the
time
in
just
of
14 weeks
the
F i g u r e 19. T his potential Humvee replacement was created by an open design community, which built a
working prototype in just 14 weeks.

Source: Local Motors
20
automobile

Manufacturing
i mpa c t
on
c ommerciaL
ma n u f a c t u r
ing
W hile it is difcult to say with certainty how 3D
be challenged by 3D printers providing just-in-time
printing in its various forms (e.g., desktop, large-scale)
manufacturing near the point of sale or point of
will impact traditional manufacturing, emerging trends
assembly. Sup- ply chains will be re-optimized to
indicate that a fun- damental paradigm shift has already
factor in the advantages of just-in-time, particularly
started. As 3D printing evolves, the new world of
for low-volume or highly specialized components.
manufacturing looks like this:
Conversely,
T i m e- to - m a r ket
will be due, in
for
p ro d u c t s
part,
to
shrinks.
faster
design
and
will
be
able to minimize
T his
costs by using low-cost, high-volume components
and
wherever possible, connected with specialized justin-time
prototyping cycles as a result of 3D printing, but

also to the elimination of tooling
designers
components
produced
at
the
point
of
assembly.
Amidst
this new world of manufacturing, traditional
factory
setup times for new products. Being agile will
manufacturing processes must evolve or die. (See
no longer be a competitive advantage but a basic
sidebar.) In a recent report, L E F researcher Simon
necessity to stay in business.
Wardley noted that when an activity, in this case
P ro d u c ts
h av e
superior
capabilities.
manufacturing,
T he
becomes
a commodity,
traditional
lowered,
practices must evolve to embrace the new, though
bringing new competitors with new ideas. At the
highly disruptive, business processes. He states that
same time, products incor- porating
3D-printed
the 3D printing disruption will almost certainly be led
components will exhibit superior features such
by new entrants whose practices will be radically
barriers
as
for
being
manufacturing
will
smaller,
lighter,
complex
and
be
stronger,
different from those of existing players.7 0 T herefore,
less
maintain.
in pre- paring for this change, traditional manufacturers
competitive
must keep abreast of evolving 3D printing practices
advantage.
o
pen design is here to stay. Communities of
and be aware of their own internal barriers (e.g.,
mechanically
T hese
products
end users will

product
will
easier
hold
to
distinct
increasingly
be
responsible
culture, organization) that could prevent them from
for
taking advantage of the change.
designs, which will be available to anyone
a s m o re
o rg a n i z a tions a n d
indivi duals b e co m e
m a n u fac turers, the
lines
betw e en m a n u fa c turer
As amore
individuals
n d corganizations
u sto m e rand
will
bl ur.
with the necessary skills and tools who wants to

design and then manufacture. T hese open-design
products will be superior to propri- etary products.
Manufacturers
will
compete
on
how
well
they
implement the designs and their build quality, which

will be mercilessly rated by end users on the
Internet.
c
u sto m i z ation
innovative
is
the
companies
new
use
3D
normal.
As
printing
and
other rapid techniques to offer customization at

no
additional
cost,
consumers will
come
to
expect customization as the norm. T he per-unit
become
manufacturers, the lines between manufacturer and
manufacturing costs of small production runs (even
customer will blur. W hen there is
batches of one) will approach those of long runs as
between, those lines will blur too. Manufacturing will
technology barriers fall.
move into retailing. Consum- ers and new entrants
T he e conomics o f of -shore change. T he price
will
move
into
manufacturing.
a retailer in
W ill traditional
advantage associated with mass production in low-
manufacturing be dead in 10 years? No, but it will
cost regions will
look very different.

21

Manufacturing
h y Po Th ETi c a L c a s E s Tu dy :
3d P r i n T i n g b Lu r s r E T a i L a n d
ma n u F a c T u r i n g
Gordon F uller,
CSC
Retro
T he
results
of
persuade Retro
Company
is
specialty
this
that
analysis
intellectual
property protection
cannot
since
the
company
would
be
selling 3D printer files along with
be
manufac-
retailer selling reproduction home
enforced
since Retro itself takes
website
furnishings (door handles, cabinet
photographs of his- torical artifacts
choices
pulls, lanterns) in mall stores and
for its reproductions. T his makes
tured
would
items.
of
offer
material,
compatible
T he
need to
printers
identify
based
on
to
the materials, and provide other
alternate designs from competitors
options. T his new sales channel
stores.
or home enthusiasts. L egal input
would
also
from
sug- gests that Retro can alter its
services
and
those stores, U.S.-based Retro is
warranty
enhance
As
thecustomer
impact loyalty.
of customer
considering expanding
depending on the source
online.
T he
com-
pany
is
evaluating a five-year strategic plan

to
open
To
200
support
at
its
additional
the
two
demand
production
factories in North
America and increasing its sourcing
the
company
and
vulnerable
return
policies
of
the
product, but the company does
divisions within
alert its lobbyist in Wash- ington,
enforcement
D.C.
from Asia. However, the company
to
monitor
legislation
property
regarding at-home
Although
the manufacturing.
costs
of
fiercely
may be compatible with 3D print-
manufacturing,
retain
ing, a potential game-changer for
distribution
so
it
incorporates
inventory
dramatically
over the next few
the technology intothe

its planning.
After
analyzing
materials
years by using 3D printing,
needed for its products, expected
unknown
use
customers
and durability,
printing
and
future
capabilities,
determines
that
Retro
3D printing is
selves
impact
on
print
means
analysis
and
are expected to fall
is
the
sales when
designs
a
them-
cost-benefit
impossible
at
possible, not only by Retro but by
early stage. T he company
its
estimate,
this
does
additional
tunities
to
choice becomes evident to more
also realizes that its product line
its business,
require
oppor-
company,
intellectual
protection
debated
market
is
as
share.
design store
and
the
of
for
again
way
Hosting
R etro
enthusiasts
possible competitors
cannibalize
to
may
sales even
concludes
more.
that more
customers would be alienated by

restrictions than would be retained
by
rights
management
and
reafrms its s trategy to remain
dives further into analysis for the
percent of its customers will have
open
its designs
and
R
etros with
manufacturing
s trategy
website.
is
also revised. W ith the drop in
following questions:
the capability to print their own
physical goods sold as people
products after eight years.
purchase
customers.
T he
company
Since much of its
inventory
is reproductions of American
colonial and
objects,
other
historic
does Retro own the
intellectual
property
of
these
however,
that
60
b uild or
b u y?
Retro turns to finding ways

improve sales
retention
and
to
to respond to this at-
home manufacturing
protect it?
T he
company
analyzes its store
and
website
demographics to
customers
products
print
themselves,
the
can
the
determine
customer
profiles
to decrease. T he company
and
sourcing
is
additional
s till
needed
from
Asia, but decides to reduce the

length of its
from
fi xed-term
contract
eight to four years and
instead purchase options for years

five
through
seven.
However,
to
guarantee?
opportunities 3D printing would
R etro
offer
vulnerable to 3D printing as well,
the
company
safety issues
when
liable
it
not control manufacturing?
for
does
for
product
customization
that
company offer any warranty or

Is
identify
market.
designs,
volumes are projected
determines
customer
designs and can the company

If
digital
production
both customers
designers.
and
It
also
realizes
the customer
buy categories. A complete rede-
companies; if
sign
suppliers
the
website
would
be
suppliers are
and due diligence is required on
segments customers into build or

of
its
mix
too
many
22
those
of
its
other customers are
impacted by 3D print-
required
of

Manufacturing
h y Po Th ETi c a L c a s E s Tu dy :
3 d P r i n T i n g b L u r s r E T a i L a n d ma n u F a c T u r i n g
(c o n t i n u e d )
ing, then the supplier could
shareholders,
collapse, leaving R etro without
temptation is
and
the
until the preliminary analysis from
inventory.
from the existing stores before
to squeeze profit
the pilot program is ready.
the paradigm has shifted. R etro
Retro knows it is breaking new
for the planned 2 0 0 retail stores.
is also wary about sig- naling its
ground in the 3D printing arena,
F ocus
intentions to the market and losing
but
customers would still patronize a
competitors or new entrants. T he
showroom
companys board determines that
T his
ties
into
the
groups
calculations
suggest
to
that
handle
the
competitive
merchandise, especially if any item
its fiduciary
from
sharehold-
the
catalog
could
be
printed on site as a sample. New

break-even numbers are estimated
preserving
approves
advantage.
responsibility
to
ers
outweighs
the
status quo. It
confidential
plans
is
so
ahead
seeing the
of
lines
between manufacturing and retail

blur as customers take on manu-
to
sell digital designs, not physical
convert
is
of-
by
inventory into 3D printer files,
entire
contingency
plans
to
more
as well as ensure that all new
response, one strategic option
product designs are
being considered is whether a new
add
d igital
inv en to r y
3D
files
from
entire
facturing themselves and retailers
vulnerability
printers to stores if needed.
companys
retailer
do
for retail operations, and supplier

set
the
T he
wants to
created
as
the beginning.
products. As
Retro
expects
its
business model to shift in
company should be formed as a
Work begins on the website
pure
volume from retail operations to
redesign as well as a pilot store
decides not to do this for the fi rst
an online design catalog will be
program for the new retail sales
two years, preferring to evaluate its
a surprise to
concepts.
strategy
T he
dramatic
shift
in
sales
plans
S tore
expansion
move ahead, though
planned locations for

two years are reduced
23
the
the
fi rst
3D
and
enterprise.
personnel
Retro
to
determine if they are suf- ficiently

agile to make the switch.

Manufacturing
t e c h n o Lo g y
a D Va n c e s
on the
horizon
Like all technology, 3D
printing will continue to
evolve. In addition to cost reductions (particularly in

the
consumer space) and eventual miniaturization,
researchers are breaking new ground in terms of

print size, material integration and speed. T here are
even systems being developed that combine
the
benefits of the traditional subtractive processes

(e.g., CNC machining) with 3D printing (additive processes). T hese hybrid approaches perform 3D printing
and machining at the same time, eliminating postprocessing. F or example, most metallic objects created
by 3D printing require human intervention for either
finish-machining or polishing. However, a Japanese
heavy machinery manufacturing company, Matsuura
Machinery Corporation, has developed a system that
F i g u r e 2 0 . T he Vienna University of
combines 3D printing (laser sin- tering technology)
Technologys 3Dprinted race car, approximately
with high-speed milling that mills edges of the printed
285 microns long, was printed in four minutes,
71
object
five-layer increments.
T
hese indevelopments
are creating
new, unimagined
demonstrating that high- speed ultra-precise 3D
solutions to existing problems, opening the door to
printing is possible, opening doors for innovation
new market entrants and paving the way for a
in areas such as medicine.
constant stream of worlds firsts.
Source: Vienna University of

Technology
Researchers at the Vienna University of Technology

have 3D
cre-objects only microns in size using a technique
ated
called two-photon
lithography.72
T he
ing is that the materials are all printed in one job run.
researchers
Instead of being printed as separate components and
breakthrough has been to speed the technique, making
attached one at a
it more feasible for industry. W hereas printing speeds

used to be measured in millimeters per second, they
(the
human
hair
is
4 0 -120
microns
fused
together
such as a mobile phone that includes plastic cover,
in
metal, electronics and glass screen.
diameter), has 100 layers that were printed in four
Although such a S tar T rek-type replicator is still years
minutes.73 W hile the structure is already miniscule, it is
from being mainstream, another device that is similar
expected that printers will one day produce even
to the replicator for its recycling capabilities may be
smaller objects, opening new possibilities for innovation
closer to reality. T he Filabot is a desktop device that
inreakthroughs
areas such as in
medicine.
B
multi-material printing are enabling
can recycle a range of plastics, including milk jugs and
more complex products. T he current leading multimaterial
are
complete product or device could be printed as one,
Figure 20, approximately 285 microns long
average
they
combine various properties in one model. One day a
are now measured in meters per second. T he race

car in
time,
simultaneously.74 Multi- material printing lets creators
soda bottles, into spools of plastic filament for 3D
3D printer is the Objet Connex500, which
printers.75 (See Figure 21.) Funded and launched through
allows up to 14 plastic- like materials to be printed at
Kickstarter, the Filabot has moved from concept to
the same time. T his could be a rubber-like plastic or a
prototype in a matter of months and contains some
more rigid ABS plastic. W hat is amaz-
3Dprinted parts itself.76

24

Manufacturing
the fi rst printed plane (3.2-foot wingspan) that

has actually taken flight, by engineers at the
University of Southampton in the U.K.8 0
the fi rst artificial insect with 3D-printed wings that
has sustained untethered hovering flight for 85
seconds, by researchers at Cornell University 81 (see
Figure 23)
F i g u r e 21. T he Filabot lets people recycle
plastic in a desktop environment to create their

own plastic filament for a 3D printer. T he Filabot
extends the DIY of 3D printing to the raw
materials themselves.
Source: T yler McNaney
Photo credit: Whitney
Trudo
It is clear that traditional industry players will compete

with new
entrants
previously
Consider
offering
not possible,
Align
alternative
thus
disrupting
Technol- ogy,
introduced clear teeth
which
aligners
F i g u r e 22.
solutions
nylon and developed by the European Aerospace
markets.
in
and Defence group, is strong enough to replace its
1999
steel and aluminum counterpart. T he bike is a
under the Invisalign
technology demonstrator that lays the groundwork
brand that compete directly with wire dental braces.
for bike manufacturers to one day be able to 3D
Costing slightly more than braces, the aligners incre-
print a bike to fit the riders exact size.
mentally shift teeth until they are straight, without the

dis- comfort or look of wire braces. T he aligners are
made
with
customization
3D
printers,77
necessary
enabling
to
create
the
T he first 3Dprinted bike, made from
Source:
EADS
mass
cost-effective
customized dental devices. In the past, creating such

high-quality molds of individual mouths had not been
economically feasible. T his early use of 3D printing
enabled an industry first invisible orthodontics and
injected to
competition
into an
staid market.
Expect
see a number
of otherwise
other industry
fi rsts over
the next few years. T hey will join a lis t that includes:
the fi rst fully printed shoe, created by a Dutch
research institute,
and
TNO
Science
and
Industry,
concept design fi rm Sjors Bergmans Concept
Design 78
the first printed bike, made from nylon and as strong
F i g u r e 23.
R esearchers at Cornell University
as its steel and aluminum counterpart, developed by
created the fi rst artificial insect with 3D-printed
the Euro- pean Aerospace and Defence group79 (see
wings that sustained untethered hovering.
Figure 22)
Source: Charles r ichter and Hod
Lipson
25

Manufacturing
pLat f o r m
for
i n n o Va t i
on
Given the deep roots of traditional manufacturing
In the short term 3D printing will not go head-to-
and the challenges the nascent 3D printing movement
head with
poses, will
but
the
low-volume items.
3D
printing
really
disrupt
the
manufacturing industry? In short: yes. A s T he

Industrial
R evolution,
large-scale
manufacturing
will increasingly be used for prototyping, tooling
of traditionally manufactured items, and the direct

manufacture of highly custom or technically complex
E conomist reported, we may be on the verge of

third
traditional
and like all
revolutions, the impacts run wide and deep. (See
A s the limits on object si z e and printing speed
Figure
decrease and the price of printing materials falls,
24.)
T he
question
for
manufacturers
anywhere in the supply chain is how they will need
the
to change not disappear to adapt to 3D printing.
dramatically in favor of 3D
F i g u r e 24 .
IMPACTS
AUTOMOTIVE
HEALTHCARE
manufacturing
LIKELY
DEVELOPMENTS
will
change
Weight reduction on
aircraft
Printing
entire aircraft
wings
Niche, low
volume
parts
Design and
prototypin
g
Application in
space
exploration
Novelty
items
Printing
entire aircraft
Self-healing
military
vehicles
Printing on the
battlefield
After-market
customization,
vehicle
restoration
P rosthetics,
dental & bone
implants
FUTURE
SCENARIOS
Medical
instrument
s
Light-weight & specialist

components in some
vehicles
T issue & simple printed

organs used in
transplants
Customize
d products
New in-store
experiences
& innovative marketing
Innovative vehicles
enabled by 3D
printing
Crowd-sourced
vehicle design &
manufacture
Nano-scale medicine
Complex
printed organs
Pharmaceuticals production
CONSUMER
& RETAIL
of
3D PRINTING
NOW & IMMEDIATE

FUTURE
DEFENSE &
AEROSPACE
economics
Co-creation with
customers
Grandparents
buy 3D printers
for themselves
Popularity of DIY & Maker

communities
GENERAL
MANUFACTURING
SUPPLY
CHAIN
COMMERCIAL
Rapid
prototyping &
product design
L ow-volume
specialist
manufacturing
Printing
bureaus
servicing niche
markets
New innovative products

appearing with printed
components
Printed
electronics
embedded in parts
R ecycling used
for feed materials
Rising demand for powdered
titanium & other feed
materials
Intellectual
property issues
debated
Boom of start-ups
enabled by 3D printing
technology
Crowd-funding models perfected
Source:
CSC
26
R etooling &
reskilling
R ows of 3D
printers on
factory
floors
3D printing coexisting
with traditional
manufacturing
Of-shoring modes
begin to be challenged
R eorganization
of business
models
Direct supply: Ship the design, not the

product
R eallocation of capital to new
industries
Adjustment of commodity values as
a result of changing demand
patterns

Manufacturing
printing. T his is especially the case when considering
example of this is part of a broader s trategy by
the end-to-end
James Rinaldi,
cost
of
designing,
manufacturing,
CIO
of
NAS A
Jet
P ropulsion
assembling, transporting, distributing and operating
Laboratory,
a product. People
information technology to innovate together.8 2
that
contain
will
increasingly
3D printed
use
products
components
(or
to change what IT s tood for from
are
entirely 3D printed), from cars and airplanes to
Gabriel Rangel, solutions engineer in J P Ls Ofce of
consumer electronic devices and kitchen appliances.
the CIO, innovated together with the fabrication

group at
Because
of
the
superior
characteristics
of
3D
capital, communities can profitably sell 3D printers
3 d pri nting is a digital

te c h n o l o g y, not just a
m a n u fa c t ur i n g
te c h n o l o g y. W ith its
o p e n a n d d e m o c ratic
p roperties, 3 d printing
sets the st a g e for
J P Linnov
to create a
itstion.
3DPaaS model. T he key innovation is
for as little as $ 6 0 0 and build prototype military
the consumerization
vehicles in 14 weeks. T hese guys are already beating
many innovations flourish by using desktop 3D
large-scale corporations hands- down in niche areas.
printing
printed products,
desirable.
these
S tart- up
products
manufacturers
will
be
will
more
flourish
with new and innovative ideas, and they will have

the
means
to
rapidly
scale
up production with
minimal capital investment. T hese s tart- ups,
with
their agility and incredibly short time-to-market,

will be the competitors of tomorrow.
Anyone doubting the new sources of competition
need only look at the capability of the hobbyists
and open design community today. W ithout access to
large factories, teams of industrial designers or big
of
in-house for
3D
printing,
which
pre-prototyping.
Later,
lets
the
printing of fewer, more expensive, more refined 3D

F or large-scale corporations that design and build
designs can be automatically outsourced as a service.
things, 3D printing is
T he result is that by partnering with scientists,
an opportunity for I T
to
forge new rela- tionships with manufacturing and
engineers and the shop floor to re-think processes
with
aided by new design tools and 3D printers
those
who
need to visualize designs,
like
the IT group has accelerated J P Ls ability to print
scientists and engineers. One
physical designs early in the product development

cycle that can be shared, modified and re-printed,
F o r larg e - s c a l e
c o r p o ra t i o n s th a t
design and build
t h i n g s , 3 d p r i n t i n g is
a n o p p o r t u n i t y fo r i T
to fo rg e n ew
re l a t i o n s h i p s w i t h
m a n u fa c t u r i n g a n d
with those w h o need
to v i s u a l i z e d e s i g n s ,
lik e s c i e n t i st s a n d
e n g i n e e r s.
over and over, long before a prototype is built. T his,

in turn, means higher confidence in the final design
that is prototyped and, ultimately, produced.
3D
printing is a digital technology, not just a
manufacturing
technology.
W ith
its
open
and
democratic properties, 3D printing sets the s tage

for innovation. It has lowered the barrier to entry
for
manufacturing,
igniting the creativity of the
masses. 3D printing is creating new products

services,
supporting
greater
levels
of
and
col-
laboration, and fostering disruptive market entrants.

Manufacturers need to prepare for these disruptions
and can begin by asking some key questions that
challenge current assumptions. (See sidebar.)
27

Manufacturing
q u E s T i o n s F o r ma n u F a c T u r i n g
Fi r m s
To help manufacturing fi rms grasp
the future
opportunities
and
In a world of 3D printing, will
can
customers
challenges of 3D printing, here are
need
large
10 questions to consider. Some
E ven if it is more cost-effective
customer
may have already been answered
for
of
and some may be uncomfortable
manufacture
or difcult to answer, but all are
will
relevant.
more frequent
W hen
products
can
be
manufactured with the same

ease as walking down the hall to
production
your
your
company
large
of
changed?
5 Is
your
online buying
runs?
customization
to
your
product
factory
going
become
than a manu-
facturer?
model relevant?
hybrid?
effect will this
W hat
are
the
business
have
W hat
on
implications of delivering a
duction
digital design rather
direction,
physical
product
customers?
tomers
to your
W hen
do
than
your
cus-
manufacturing
instead of you, what are the
your
for
printing
to
future
9
recall)
and
intel-
lectual
protection?
3 property
How can
your company use
3D printing
your
to
include
con-
components
solidating
to
maintenance,
lighter- weight
leveraging
reduce
creating
products
new
and
and engineers? How can I T use
materials
such
creation
with
your
printing
(or
support)
for
example, operating
resource allo- cation,
model,
mix,
culture
and how will you address them?

10
as
and
3D
adoption of 3D printing
financial
to
enable
7 3D
W hereprinting
are the opportunities
manufacturing,
not overtake
it?
for
driving greater
customer
customization
of
on-shore/of-shore
manufacturing? Between I T and
intimacy,
and
research.
T he
IT
areas
model,
product designers, scientists
improve
end product? Possibilities
high
delivery close
could prevent
new
relationship between
(low cost,
W hat organizational factors
reflect
your
the
for
including
research pose a threat?
is
prepare
your exis ting product line? Do
those alterations?
6 W hat
design
length,
implications for product quality,

product safety (e.g., a product
open
you
customization,
storage, etc.? How

change
to
Is
industry
to point of use) challenge
will your inbound logistics

processes
this?
or
pro-
workstations,
stafng,
enable
are
the current benefits of 3D
rather
existing
lines
W hat types
platforms
new entrants and DIYers? Do
keep your companys business
assembler
meet
new competitors,
to
print paper copies, how will you
an
to
8 trends?
How will
mass
to
needs?
susceptible
expected
integrate
and
your company
and
the
best
technology
required
demand
changes
Has
you
to
quantities,
customers
upgrades?
lifetime
continue
How
your
W here should your company

make
capital
investments
today?
W hat
education
investments
W hat
training
and
are
co-
required?
investments
end
should your company avoid?
customer?
changes
surrounding
3D
printing
are
manufacturing
will
one
day
be
as
common
as
significant; we are only scratching the surface of
desktop printing. W hen that happens, and factories
what
without factory floors are the norm, it will be
the
ultimate impact will be. T he glimpses of
disruption seen today suggest wholesale change in
hard to imagine how companies and consumers once
the future. Customized, no-ship
lived without 3D printing.
28

Manufacturing
note
s
1
2
A third industrial revolution, T he E conomist, 21 April 20 12. http://www.economist.com/node/

21552 901
Clayton M. Christensen, T he Innovators Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Fir ms to F ail
(Boston: Harvard Business School P ress, 1997).
The future of manufacturing...on two wheels, EADS press release, 7 March

2 011. http://www.eads.com/eads/int/en/news/press.20110307_eads_airbike
.html
Chris Anderson, Makers: T he New Industrial r evolution (New York: Crown

Business, 2 012), p. 14.
3D printing breaks out of its mold, Physics Today, October 2 0 11. http://w
ww.physicstoday.org/resource/1/phtoad/v64/i10/p25_s1?bypassSSO=1
61-Year-Old Company R einvents Itself W ith FDM, S tratasys Case S tudy,

2 011.
http://www.stratasys.com/Resources/Case-Studies/Commercial-Pr
oducts-FDM-Technology-Case-Studies/Thogus-Products.aspx
S tudio*Mrmann, Attracted to Light, http://www.mrmann.co.uk/long-exposur

e-series-attracted-to-light
Printer produces personalised 3D chocolate, BBC News, 5 July 2 0 11.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-1403072 0
Printing F ood W ith 3D Printers, T echCrunch, 1 March 2 0 11.

http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/01/printing-food-with-3d-print
ers/
10 Researchers use a 3D printer to make bone-like material, UA Magazine, 3 0 November 2 0 11. http://ww
w.united-academics.org/magazine/2865/researchers-use-a-3d-printer-to-make-bone-like-material/
11 3D printers could create customised drugs on demand, BBC News, 18 April 2 0 12, http://www.bbc
.co.uk/news/technology-1776 0 0 8 5; and The chemputer that could print out any drug,
Kurzweil Accelerating Intelligence, 26 July 2 012, http://www.kurzweilai.net/the-chemputer-that-c
ould-print-out-any-drug
12 Scientists Use 3D Printer to Create Fi r s t Printed Human Vein, Inhabitat, 22 March
2 010. http://inhabitat.com/scientists-use-3d-printer-to-create-first-printed-human-v
ein/
13 Makers will love to 3D Print with Wood, 3D Printing News and T rends, Howard Smith blog, 27
September 2 0 12. http://3dprintingreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/3d-printing-wood-grain.html
14 3D printing breaks out of its mold, Physics Today, October 2 0 11. http://w
ww.physicstoday.org/resource/1/phtoad/v64/i10/p25_s1?bypassSSO=1
15 W ohlers Report 2011: Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing State of the Industry,
p. 130. http://www.wohlersassociates.com/2011contents.htm
16 Particle-free silver ink prints small, high-performance electronics, University of Illinois press release, 12
January 2 0 12. http://news.illinois.edu/news/12/0112ink_JenniferLewis.html
17 3-D printing method advances electrically small antenna design, College of
Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, press release, 16 March
2 011.
http://engineering.illinois.edu/news/2011/03/15/3d-printing-method-advanc
es-electrically-small-antenna-design
18 Contour Crafting, http://www.contourcrafting.org/
19 Giant 3D Printer Builds Homes in 2 0 Hours, Toms Hardware, 8 August 2 012, http://
www.tomshardware.co.uk/3D-Printer-Homes-housing-printing,news-393 80.html; and
A Huge 3D Printer Can Build A Custom, Enviro-Friendly House In 2 0 Hrs, T HE9 BILLIO N, 15 August
2 012, http://www.the9billion.com/2012/0 8/15/a-huge-3d-printer-can-build-a-custom-enviro-friendly
-house-in-20-hrs/
29
20 W ohlers Report 2011: Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing State of the Industry, p.

Manufacturing
note
s
23 FDM reduces tooling costs by 99% and prototyping costs by 73%, S tratasys case s tudy, 2 0 10. http://www.
stratasys.com/Resources/Case-Studies/Consumer-Product-FDM-Technology-Case-Studies/Akaishi.aspx
24 FDM Helps Bell Helicopter Build Quality P rototypes, S tratasys case study, 2 0 0 9 . http://www.stratasys.c
om/Resources/Case-Studies/Aerospace-FDM-Technology-Case-Studies/Bell-Helicopter.aspx
25 Additive Manufacturing Goes Mainstream, IndustryWeek, 10 March 2 0 12. http://www.industryweek.c
om/articles/additive_manufacturing_goes_mainstream_26805.aspx?ShowAll=1
26 Tough Enough for Armored Tanks, S tratasys case s tudy, 2 0 0 2.
http://www.stratasys.com/Resources/Case-Studies/Military-FDM-Technology-Case-Studies/Case-Study
.aspx
27 FDM Direct Digital Manufacturing Saves $ 8 0 0,0 0 0 and T hree Years Development T ime Over F our-Year
Period, S tratasys case s tudy, 2 0 0 9 .
http://www.stratasys.com/Resources/Case-Studies/Military-FDM-Technology-Case-Studies/Sheppard-Air-For
ce-base.aspx
28 Student Engineers Design, Build, Fl y Printed Airplane, UVA Today, 5 October
2 012. http://news.virginia.edu/content/student-engineers-design-build-fly-print
ed-airplane
29 U.S. Military Better Visualizes Unfamiliar Settings W ith 3D Printing, 3D S ystems.
http://www.zcorp.com/en/Solutions/Geospatial/U.S.-Military-Better-Visualizes/spage.as
px
30 3-D printing could remake U.S. manufacturing, U SA Today, 10 July 2 0 12. http://www.usatoday.com/mone
y/industries/manufacturing/story/2012-07-10/digital-manufacturing/56135298/1
31 Additive Manufacturing Technology R oadmap for Australia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial R esearch
Organisation, March 2 011, p. 22. http://www.enterpriseconnect.gov.au/media/Documents/Publications/Additive%20Manu
facturing%20Tech%20Roadmap.pdf
32 Fuel Smart Celebrates its 5th Anniversary, American Airlines, http://www.aa.com/i18n/aboutUs/environmental/
article2.jsp
33 Local fi rm leads with 3D manufacturing, T he Australian Financial R eview, 10 September
2 012. http://www.afr.com/p/national/local_firm_leads_with_manufacturing_cdMd7rMhCh9CalD
DxrRorI
34 Next 3-D F rontier: Printed Plane Parts, W S J.com, 14 July 2 0 12. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB 10 001424 05270230
393 3 4 0 45775 0 5 0 80296858896.html?KEYWORDS=boeing+3D+printing
35 Made-in-Space Parts Could Become Space T ravels New Norm, Space.com, 19 July 2 0 12, http://www.spa
ce.com/16656-space-manufacturing-3d-printing.html; and 3D printings s tellar, amazing year,
Make Parts F ast, 25 December 2 0 11, http://www.makepartsfast.com/2011/12/3 007/3d-printings-st
ellar-amazing-year/
36 NAS As human-supporting rover has FDM parts, S tratasys case study, 2 0 12. http://www.stratasys.
com/Resources/Case-Studies/Aerospace-FDM-Technology-Case-Studies/NASA.aspx
37 3D Printer Harnesses the Sun to T ransform E gyptian Sand Into Glass, Gizmodo, 26 June
2 011. http://gizmodo.com/5815588/3d-printer-harnesses-the-sun-to-transf
orm-egyptian-sand-into-glass
38 Jim Kor, URBEE: Designing with Digital Manufacturing in Mind, 2 0 12, p. 8.
39 Urbee Hybrid B reaks Cover in Manitoba, E dmunds Inside Line, 23 September 2 011,
http://www.insideline.com/car-news/urbee-hybrid-breaks-cover-in-manitoba.html; and Local electric/ethanol car
definitely a labour of love, W innipeg F ree P ress, 6 September 2 0 12,
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business /Local-electricethanol-car-definitely-a-labour-of-love-168764056.html
40 The A reion by F ormula Group T : T he Worlds Fir s t 3Dprinted Race Car, Materialise. http://www
.materialise.com/cases/the-areion-by-formula-group-t-the-world-s-fi rst-3d-printed-race-car
41 Mammoth S tereolithography, 3D Printing News and T rends, Howard Smith blog, 3 0 August
2 012.
30
http://3dprintingreviews.blogspot.com/2012_08_01_archive.html

Manufacturing
note
s
44 W ohlers Report 2011: Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing State of the Industry, p. 164 (see
graphic). http://www.wohlersassociates.com/2011contents.htm
45 Transplant jaw made by 3D printer claimed as fi rst, BBC News, 6 F ebruary
20 12. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16907104
46 High tech implants resist infection, E E T imes, 31 July 2 012. http://www.eetimes.com/
design/medical-design/4391426/High-tech-implants-resist-infection
47 3D Printed P rosthetics Company Bespoke Acquired B y 3D S ystems, Singularity Hub, 8 June 2 0 12.
http://singularityhub.com/2012/06/0 8/3d-printed-prosthetics-company-bespoke-acquired-by-3d-syst
ems/
48 3D-printed exoskeleton gives a little girl use of her arms (video), 3 August
20 12. http://venturebeat.com/2012/0 8/03/3d-printer-little-girl-magic-arms/
49 Shapeways, About Us, http://www.shapeways.com/about/
50 Printrbot L C, http://printrbot.com/shop/printrbot-lc/
51 T hingiverse, http://www.thingiverse.com/newest
Data as of November 2 012.
52 Southview Middle School Gets a Grip on Design with Dimension 3D Printing, S tratasys. http://www.dimensionprinting.c
om/successstories/successstoryview.aspx?view=57&title=Southview+Middle+School+Gets+a+Gri
p+on+Design+with+Dimension+3D+Printing
53 Forum F renzy: Public Library (in Adelaide) Offering F ree 3D Printing R esources, Core77, 13 September 2 0 12. http://ww
w.core77.com/blog/digital_fabrication/forum_frenzy_public_library_in_adelaide_offering_free_3d_printing_resources_23417.asp
54 Touch Screen S tylus, http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:49 9
55 Volume Knob, http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6008
56 Jay L eno, Jay L enos 3D Printer R eplaces Rusty Old Parts, Popular Mechanics, 8 June
2 0 0 9 . http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/jay-leno/technology/4 3 20759
57 Ibid.
58 http://www.continuumfashion.com/
59 http://www.facegen.com/
60 Autodesk bringing 3D modeling to the masses, CNET News, 3 November 2 0 11. http://news.
cnet.com/8301-13772_3-57318231-52/autodesk-bringing-3d-modeling-to-the-masses/
61 3D Printing? Its the Software S tupid!, 3D Printing News and T rends, Howard Smith blog, 3 0 August 2 012.
http://3dprintingreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/0 8/3d-printing-its-software-stupid.html E xample is from this
blog post.
62 Nathan Myhrvolds Cunning Plan to P revent 3-D Printer Piracy, Technology R eview, 11 October
20 12. http://www.technologyreview.com/view/429566/nathan-myhrvolds-cunning-plan-to-prev
ent-3-d/
63 Michael Weinberg, It Will Be Awesome if T hey Dont Screw it Up: 3D Printing, Intellectual Property, and the Fight Over the
Next Great Dis- ruptive Technology, Public Knowledge, November 2010. http://www.publicknowledge.org/it-will-be-aw
esome-if-they-dont-screw-it-up
64 Communication with Shapeways 3 0 August 2 0 12.
65 Chris Anderson, Makers: T he New Industrial r evolution (New York: Crown Business, 2 0 12), p. 210.
66 FormLabs Day 2 646 backers, $924,858, 10 times target, 28 days to go, 3D Printing News and T rends,
Howard Smith blog, 28 September 2012. http://3dprintingreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/formlabs-day-2-646-backers-92
4858-10.html See also: F ORM 1: An affordable, professional 3D printer, Kickstarter,
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/formlabs/form-1-an-affordable-professional3d-printer F ormlabs rased a total of $2.9 million on Kickstarter.
67 RepRap: T he 3D printer thats heading for your home, TechRepublic, 7 March 2 0 12. http://www.techrepublic
.com/blog/european-technology/reprap-the-3d-printer-thats-heading-for-your-home/229
31

Manufacturing
note
s
68 Experimental Crowd-derived Combat-support Vehicle (XC2V) Design Challenge, Challenge.gov. http://

challenge.gov/DoD/129-experimental-crowd-derived-combat-support-vehicle-xc2v-design-challenge
69 Local Motors Builds Crowd-Sourced XC2V Flypmode Combat Vehicle, E dmunds Inside Line, 28 June
20 11. http://www.insideline.com/car-news/local-motors-builds-crowd-sourced-xc2v-flypmode-combat-v
ehicle.html
70 Simon Wardley, Learning from Web 2.0 E xecutive Summary, L eading E dge F orum E xecutive P rogramme, January
20 12, p.4. http://lef.csc.com/assets/3535
71 K.P. K arunakaran et al., Hybrid Rapid Manufacturing of Metallic Objects, 14mes A ssises Europennes du
P rototypage & F abrication Rapide, 24-25 June 2 0 0 9 , p.6. http://code80.net/afpr/content/assises/2 0 09/actes_aepr200
9/papiers/s3_2.pdf
72 3D Printer with Nano-Precision: Ultra-high-resolution 3D Printer B reaks Speed-Records at Vienna University of
Technology, Vienna University of T echnology, 12 March 2 0 12, http://www.tuwien.ac.at/en/news/news_detail/article/74 4
4/;
and Small but perfectly formed: Scientists use worlds fastest 3D printer to create amazingly detailed F1 car (... that
measures just 0 .3MM), Mail Online, 13 March 2 0 12,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2114497/Scientists-use-worlds-fastest-3D-printer-create-amazingly
-detailed-F1-car.html
73
Ibid.
74
Objet Connex500, http://objet.com/3d-printers/connex/objet-connex500
75
Filabot Personal Filament Maker for 3D Printers, http://filabot.com/
76
Filabot: Plastic Filament Maker, http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rocknail/filabot-plastic-filament-maker
77
W ohlers Report 2011: Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing State of the Industry, p.
237. http://www.wohlersassociates.com/2011contents.htm
78 Footwear Customization 3.0: T he Fi r s t Rapid Manufactured Shoe, Mass

Customization & Open Innovation News,
24 October 2006. http://mass-customization.blogs.com/mass_customization_open_i/
2 0 06/10/footwear_custom.html
79 3D-Printed Airbike Is As S trong As Your Aluminium Bike, Gizmodo Australia, 8 March
20 11. http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2011/03/3d-printed-airbike-is-as-strong-as-y
our-aluminium-bike/
All figures used with
80 First 3D Printed Plane Takes Flight, Daily Bits, 1 August 2 0 11. http://www.dailybits.c
permission.
om/fi rst-3d-printed-plane-takes-flight/
81 3D Printed Hovering Ornithopters, Cornell Creative Machines Lab, http://creativemachines.
cornell.edu/ornithopter
a ppenDix: f u r t h e r
r e a Di n g
82 NAS As New Innovation Mission, CIO.com, 27 July 2 0 12. http://www.cio.com/article/7114

37/NASA_s_New_Innovation_Mission
F or those interested in keeping up with the latest developments in the 3D printing world, the following provide
great reading.
3D Printer: http://www.3dprinter.net/author/
mark
3D Printer Blogs: http://3dprinterblogs.c
om/
3D Printing News and Trends (Howard Smith,
F abbaloo: http://fabbaloo.com/
Its a 3D World: http://blog.objet.c
om/
Singularity Hub: http://singularityhub.c
om/
Makers: T he New Industrial r evolution, by Chris
Anderson
CSC): http://3dprintingreviews.blogspot.com
32

Manufacturing
a c k n o w LeDg m
e n ts
and
operations
across
Asia
Pacific
as
well
as
management of the local researchers and associates. A

3D printer hobbyist, he designed a cycling GPS holder
and printed the e-reader stand shown in Figure 18. v
srinivasan@csc.com
j arro d is a senior consultant specializing in the mining
and metals industry. He works with tier-one global
companies to
technology
develop
solutions
innovative
that
business
directly
and
improve
the
productivity, efciency and safety of their operations.

Jarrod recognizes the potential for 3D printing to one
v ive k
s riniva s a n
(left)
and
j arro d
day
b a ss a n
solve
the
supply
and
logistics
problems
(right) conducted the research for 3D Printing.
related to maintaining complex mining equipment in
T his work has fur- thered their understanding of
extremely remote locations. He has an interest in
the potential opportunities of this new technology
robotics and has previously competed in international
and how it can be leveraged across industries.
competitions with
a team of autonomous
soccer-
playing robots, which in part spurred his interest in 3D

v iv e k is a regional manager for CSCs L eading E dge
printing. jbassan@csc.com
Combining
their passion
F orum Executive Programme, a global research and
emerging technologies and their experience in the
advisory
mining
service
that
explores
new
thinking
and
for
the
application
of
industry, Vivek and Jarrod have co-authored
develops next practice road- maps that address the
past works such as Th e Augmented Mine Worker
major challenges at the intersection of business, IT and
Applications
management.
Vivek works with clients to use recent
day in the life of a mine worker in 2025 for the
research in resolving their most pressing business
Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Vivek
issues.
and Jarrod are based in Melbourne, Australia.
Vivek
is
also
responsible
for
business
of
Augmented r eality in Mining and A
development
T he L E F thanks the many others who contributed to 3D Printing. Special thanks go to g o r d o n F u L L E r
for his manufacturing expertise and business perspective, and to L i s a b r a u n for her writing and
editorial work.
Nigel B rockbank, r MIT University

Bob Hayward, CSC
Bruce Jackson, 3D Printing
S ystems
Dermid McKinley, Tasman

Machinery
David Moschella, CSC
S teven Keating, MIT Media L ab
Dominic Parsonson, Tasman

Machinery
Jim Kor, KOr E coLogic
Gabriel Rangel, NAS A Jet
Jennifer L ewis, University of

Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
P ropulsion L aboratory
Jon Schreiber, CSC
33
Howard Smith, CSC

Tom Soderstrom, NAS A
Jet P ropulsion
L aboratory
Simon Wardley, CSC
Terry Wohlers, Wohlers
Associates, Inc.
w o rldwi de c s c
h ea d q ua r ters
t he a m er i ca s
3170 F airview Park Drive
F alls Church, Virginia
22042 United S tates
+1.70 3.876.1000
a sia
20 Anson Road #1101 T wenty Anson
Singapore 0 79912
Republic of
Singapore
+65.6221.9095
a u stralia
L evel 6/Tower
B 26 Talavera
Road Macquarie
Park, N SW 2113
S ydney,
Australia
+61(0)2.9034.
3000
e uro p e ,
mi ddl e e a st,
a frica
Royal Pavilion
Wellesley Road
Aldershot,
Hampshire GU11 1PZ
United Kingdom
+44(0)1252.53 4 0 0
a b o ut c s c
0
T he mission of CSC is to be a global leader in providing technology-enabled
business solutions and services.
W ith the broadest range of capabilities, CSC offers clients the solutions they need
to manage complexity, focus on core businesses, collaborate with partners and
clients and improve operations.
CSC makes a special point of understanding its clients and provides experts
with r eal-world experience to work with them. CSC leads with an informed
point of view while s till offering client choice.
F or more than 5 0 years, clients in industries and governments worldwide have
trusted CSC with their business process and information s ys tems outsourcing,
s ys tems integration and consulting needs.
T he company trades on the New York S tock E xchange under the s ymbol CSC.
2012 Computer Sciences Corporation. All rights
reserved. P roduced in U SA 11/ 12

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3D

3D Printing and the Future of Manufacturing

a b o u t the L e aDing eDg e

Vice P resident and Chief Technology

T he L E F works to spot key emerging business and

A leader in CSCs technology community, Bil l

Kof provides vision and direction to CSC and its

nology trends before others, and identify

specific prac- tices for exploiting these trends for

clients on critical information technology trends,

practitioners, proven field practices, and a powerful

a key role in guiding CSC research, innovation,

technology leadership and alli- ance partner

activities, and in certifying CSCs Cen- ters of

Technology P rogram gives CTOs and

senior technologists the opportunity to explore the

E xcellence and Innovation Centers. wkof@csc.com

most press - ing technology is sues, examine s tateof-the-art

alliance program and events.

T he reports and papers produced under the L E F

technolo- gist and proven leader in emerging

organizational performance. Visit csc.com/lef.

Paul brings vision and leadership to a portfolio

T he L E F E xecutive P rogramme is a premium, fee-

of L E F programs and directs

based program that helps CIOs and senior business

executives develop into next-generation leaders by

using technol- ogy for

business, Paul applies his insights to client

ways. Members direct the research

experts, and access topical con- ferences, s tudy

development and innovation s t rategy.

In this ongoing series of r eports about

tech- nology directions, the L E F looks at

the r ole of innovation in the marketplace

3D print the cars inte- rior. T he car is

both now and in the years to come. B y

future shape, these r eports provide organizations

services. Visit lef.csc.com.

decision-making and s trategic planning.

printers, and there are plans to

3D Printing and the Future of

Impact on Commercial Manufacturing

Technology Advances On the Horizon

Platform for Innovation

3D Printing and the Future of

manufacturing as we know it. T he E conomist calls

3D printing the third Industrial R evolution, following

Since the Industrial Revolution, manufacturing has

mecha- nization in the 19th century and assembly-line

mass pro- duction in the 20th century.1

with factories, machine tools,

production lines and economies of scale. So

tooling, assembly lines or supply chains. However, this

reaches individuals, small businesses and corporate

accord- ing to the disruption pattern identified by

wide variety of materials right from your home or

workplace. Using a computer, simply create, modify

or download a digital 3D model of an object. Click

manufacturing technology. Current 3D printing tech-

print, just as you would

watch your physical 3D object take shape. No longer

previously had no manufacturing capability at