What developments in 3D printing could truly disrupt the industry?
Every once in a while, a big event occurs in the industry that really changes the trajectory of where things are headed. In the past, we’ve seen major company mergers, bankruptcies, revolutionary technology introductions, dramatically lower-cost products appear, and much more.
I wondered what might be possible disruptions in the future and came up with a list of ten ideas. Let’s look at ten potential disruptions that might occur over the next few years.
Bambu or another Chinese vendor moving into serious industrial FFF
Companies like Bambu Lab are taking over the low end of the 3D print market by producing advanced, reliable machines at low cost. In the future, if such companies decide to move into the industrial market by adapting their tech and leveraging their resources, particularly for high-temperature materials, it could spell doom for many Western industrial 3D printer manufacturers.
Regulatory overreach around firearm detection
This one might already be underway. It is quite possible for less-informed legislators chasing votes to enact laws that effectively shut down new developments in 3D printing. While attempting to regulate weapons production, they could make it illegal to do many of the actions currently done to improve 3D print technology.
Tariffs/export controls disrupting printer and component supply chains
Many 3D printer components, especially the lower-cost options, are produced in China and other parts of Asia. If tariffs are severe, they could effectively block the use of them by Western equipment manufacturers. This could dramatically raise the price of all 3D printers, slowing progress significantly.
AI-driven quoting/slicing/workflow automation
Currently, it requires notable expertise to carry a design from idea to part through the myriad of workflows required on multiple pieces of equipment and software. If someone were to leverage AI tools to make that process mostly automatic, it could hugely expand the use of 3D printing in the future.
Lights-out print farms becoming easy and cheap
If a 3D printer manufacturer created a “print farm in a box” that included not only the printers but also the post-processing and even packaging processes, it would enable many new manufacturing services. It could also be bad news for many existing 3D print services.
Construction 3D printing gets building-code normalization
Today’s 3DCP systems are typically not included in regional building codes and have to take special action to gain approvals. Should a region incorporate 3DCP into their regulations, they would simplify use of the technology, leading to more use. That may then catch on with other jurisdictions, leading to a dramatic increase in 3DCP use.
UL / CE / fire safety requirements hit enclosed desktop machines
If there are a series of damaging fires caused by unattended home 3D printers, insurance companies might insist on specialized insurance or move 3D printer manufacturers to meet safety certifications. This could make machines more expensive but also safer.
Insurance companies restrict unattended 3D printing
If home 3D printers are hit by insurance regulations, it’s possible the same may carry over into print farms, which are largely unattended. If this happens, then print farm economics could be disrupted, perhaps severely.
A large marketplace integrates instant distributed manufacturing
If Amazon, Shopify, McMaster-Carr, or a similar platform deeply integrated distributed 3D printing into procurement, many small print operations could become invisible subcontractors inside someone else’s marketplace.
A Chinese manufacturer launches a credible low-cost metal LPBF system
Chinese manufacturers now produce very capable, low-cost desktop polymer systems, effectively replacing the professional tier of equipment. What if the same happened with metal 3D printers, some of which are produced by Western manufacturers? What if there were suddenly a robust metal 3D printer that was available at ten times less cost?
We don’t know which, if any, of these possibilities may occur. But by looking through them, it is easy to see that many of them are eminently possible.
