A #3DPrinted world
3D printing seems to be making the headlines more often lately as we hear about 3D printing for medicine, manufacturing, housing, foods, cars and just about everything. even though the technology has been around since the 1980’s it’s only in the last few years that it has become commercially viable with technology, need and culture combining to press the “Go” button on all things 3D printed.
In our regular look ahead David Dowsett of radio ABC Wide Bay and I looked at the past, present and future of 3D printing, industries that are set to boon because of it including art, education, manufacturing, zero gravity printing (printing in space), medicine and healthcare, building, home decor, food manufacturing and medicine and industries that might falter and fall.
Have a listen to the interview now and then share your thoughts on the future of 3D printing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What were the most significant 2014 signals about where 3D printing was heading?
The 2014 additive manufacturing signals that proved most consequential were not the dramatic consumer applications that attracted most media attention, but the industrial adoption signals: aerospace manufacturers qualifying 3D-printed metal components for production use; medical device companies demonstrating patient-specific implants at commercially viable costs; and consumer product companies beginning to explore localised, on-demand production as an alternative to centrally manufactured, globally shipped inventory. These industrial signals indicated a technology trajectory that would change production economics in specific high-value, low-volume categories.
Q: How does distributed manufacturing change supply chain strategy?
Distributed manufacturing shifts the strategic calculation for supply chains in categories where it becomes viable: inventory risk moves from finished goods to raw materials and design files; the cost structure shifts from scale economies in production to capability economies in design; geographic proximity to customers becomes an advantage where speed or customisation matters; and the intellectual property challenge moves from protecting physical product to protecting digital designs. Supply chain strategies built for the previous era — global manufacturing, centrally held inventory, standardised products — require fundamental rethinking when distributed production becomes economically viable.
Q: What are the Ripple Effects™ of additive manufacturing on adjacent industries beyond manufacturing itself?
The Ripple Effects™ of additive manufacturing reach into: logistics and freight (reduced cross-border physical shipment in categories where digital files replace physical goods); retail (the showroom model for products manufactured on-demand); education and skills (the shift in manufacturing training toward design and digital fabrication rather than traditional machinist skills); intellectual property law (jurisdiction questions about digital designs manufactured locally); and healthcare (patient-specific devices, surgical instruments, prosthetics). Each of these industries faced strategic decisions shaped by 3D printing signals well before the technology reached mainstream adoption.
Q: How can I book Morris Misel for a manufacturing futures, supply chain, or technology disruption keynote?
Contact the team at morrismisel.com/event-organisers.
3D printing seems to be making the headlines more often lately as we hear about 3D printing for medicine, manufacturing, housing, foods, cars and just about everything. even though the technology has been around since the 1980’s it’s only in the last few years that it has become .
When signals like A #3DPrinted world emerge, organisations that engage early have the advantage of choosing their response rather than reacting to events. That gap between those who prepared and those who did not is where competitive positioning is actually made or lost.
The most important question is not whether A #3DPrinted world will matter, but how quickly it will matter in your specific context. Leaders benefit most from mapping the ripple effects early — not just the direct impact but the second and third-order consequences that arrive later and hit harder. That is the practical work of foresight.
