Question:
The traditional production model is all about scale, through which marginal costs are reduced, so will 3D printing have an advantage in terms of cost in the future?
Answer:
Firstly, the so-called marginal cost of scale, where we judge that small batch sizes will become a norm in manufacturing, meaning that when we don't need to produce in large quantities, it doesn't make sense to reduce the marginal cost. Secondly, 3D printing is reducing its overall production costs as the industry scales up, and the number of manufacturing tasks, as well as the markets involved, become wider and wider, a trend that has been evident over the past decade.
In fact, the construction of 3D printing standard system is more than many people predicted, the earliest is the United States ASTM in 2009 began to set up a standards committee specialising in 3D printing - F42; in 2011, ISO also began to set up another body under its system - TC261. -TC261, these two branches are positioned in the standardisation system of additive manufacturing. 2015, the two institutions jointly released the first version of the standard, so far its refinement to forty or fifty items of content, covering industry terminology, definitions, the process of the material, test methods, safety, environment and other aspects. China's top-level follow-up speed is faster, in about 2017 will open to consider the construction of the entire standard system.
With the development of web 3.0 and decentralisation, consumer habits have also changed. We can pay attention to many mould factories began to face the "input a set of moulds, customers require the use of moulds for the production of fewer and fewer products" this kind of problem; from the consumer point of view is also like this, after the explosion, it is difficult to continue for a long time will be replaced by the next burst of the next, everyone's aesthetics and value orientation has changed dramatically and present People's aesthetics and value orientation change rapidly and show a trend of dispersion, fragmentation and diversification, and this kind of change without convergence makes it more and more difficult for the existence of standard products.
Question:
At present, do you think that the whole chain of China's 3D printing industry chain is complete? Mr Ren Zhengfei once said that in the chip industry, just throwing money at it is not enough, so is it the same in the 3D printing industry?4
Answer:
At present, the chain of China's 3D printing industry chain in the upstream, midstream and downstream aspects and different process routes, compared with other fields is relatively complete.
For any industry is the same, people are always the first element, money it is a necessary condition. Money as a development booster, it may be a halo that will attract more resources in. Therefore, it is not enough to invest money, but it is not possible without money. Including the more important industrial ecology, some ecology can not come out by smashing money. Like the chip industry, starting from the design side, the whole chain of upstream, midstream and downstream should all help up, just rely on money to a certain point is not enough. Ecological cultivation is very difficult to pull up seedlings, we have to slowly cultivate it, the time cost is not bypassed.
Question:
Is it possible for 3D printing to move from industrial applications to home use in the future?
Answer:
The domestication of 3D printing technology is now being realised in the C-suite market, with a number of friendly companies specifically targeting C-suite users and selling huge amounts. Especially overseas, it is more common for individuals to use desktop-level 3D printers to manufacture products. However, I personally believe that in a wider context, it is, after all, a manufacturing technology, relying on individuals to print a certain part is possible, but want to make a product, it also involves assembly, industrial packaging and other work, so it is not the same as what people think. Like some communities next to the print shop is bi-commercial, he will focus on some fragmented needs, through professional means and management to achieve, this form is closer to the future of the imagination.
Question:
Previously, China's supply chain was dominated by the demographic dividend and small and medium-sized factories, so could 3D printing be another new type of advantage for China's supply chain in the future?
Answer:
I think there is a great possibility that in the future, trying to rely on the labour force to generate cost advantages, this opportunity is becoming less and less. Our country to develop the so-called advanced manufacturing, high-end manufacturing is very correct, we are in this area to maintain their own degree of leadership or with the United States, the distance is getting longer and longer. 3D printing such decentralised manufacturing model to replace a variety of small workshops, this process can maintain the competitiveness of our country later.
Question:
What will be the development of the 3D printing industry in China or globally in the next decade?
Answer:
Over the next three to five years, I think there's going to be a major change in all of this industry. On the manufacturing side, 3D printing is going to penetrate more than a lot of people think.
