3D printing will revolutionise consumer journeys over the next two years. It will become a faster, cost effective method of manufacturing for commercial and even home use, and provide consumers with new options to customise products based on their own data. Forbes expects the 3D printing market to quadruple by 2020, which means 2016 is the year for brands to prepare for the changes to come.
Last year, new CLIP technology was demonstrated to print objects a revolutionary 100 times faster than conventional methods. Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Cincinnati Incorporated – a machine tool manufacturer – are developing a new system that will print larger objects 200 to 500 times faster.
But 3D printers are also becoming cheaper, with consumer devices available for as little as US$500. China is leading the consumer market, with annual growth of 173%. These printers are limited in quality and variety of printing materials, but they do bring the technology within reach of the majority of consumers.
Though home printing may not become prevalent in the immediate future, a dramatic decline in the price/quality ratio for mid to high-end printers means that SMEs will soon be able to use them for manufacturing. Consumers are more likely to gain temporary access to 3D printers than own them outright. Bram de Zwart’s 3D Hubs initiative will give more than 1 billion people across the world access to a 3D printer within 10 miles of their home. So even if consumer 3D printing does not become mainstream for some years to come, consumers will be exposed to this manufacturing technology much more frequently.
Personal data captured by mobile devices is creating new opportunities for 3D printers to manufacture individually tailored products. Healthcare is pioneering this field through 3D-printed prosthetics, and more commercial initiatives are emerging. The start-up Sols Systems has created an app that allows people to make a video of their feet, which is then used to produce a perfectly fitting sole, while Adidas has started to create custom running shoes, allowing anyone to walk into a store and have their custom fit printed for them on the spot.
Click here for a summary of ZenithOptimedia’s 2016 Trends: Empowering the Mobile Consumer, and a link to the full report.
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