Status: Occurring
Prediction: Where 3D Printing opportunities will be
What Happened
Still got it…
Disruptive Manufacturing, The Effects of 3D Printing, 2015
Deloitte’s Report on global 3D printing disruption copied Steve Faktor’s opportunity chart (without asking! boooo!!). Still on point 3 years after Steve’s Forbes piece!
Q&A: Why the Factory of the Future is Online 2015
What kind of things can we expect to see being manufactured in a distributed way?
In the longer term, it is possible to imagine complex products such as buildings and vehicles being made this way. More immediately, an important use is printing parts and components when it would be costly or time-consuming to get a replacement through the usual supply chain. For instance, the US Navy already uses 3D printing to make surgical tools in inaccessible places.
Customized medical devices are also likely to be an increasingly important market. An example that points the way is called Invisalign: a dentist scans your teeth, models where they should be growing and sends instructions to 3D-print a mould for a device that acts like braces. Beyond medical devices, there are all kinds of products that people could want to customize, from toys to jewellery to electronic devices – and which could profoundly change product design.