The future of 3D printing technology is full of promise and will play an increasingly important role in the manufacturing renaissance. As the popularity of 3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing) continues to grow, the discussion about the technology has become more specific than it was two years ago. Previously, we had been discussing the possibility of leaving a large number of traditional processes to 3D printers from a financial and technical realm perspective. Now, there are more and more success stories of 3D printing and the commercial advantages that the technology has to offer are evident, proving that 3D printing can already be used as a mainstream manufacturing technology.
As a leading global product solutions company, Luen Thai has also been applying 3D printing technology to the entire process from product design to production, helping customers to shorten time-to-market and reduce production costs. In China, Luen Thai has many years of experience in using industrial 3D printers for manufacturing, which has helped Luen Thai in terms of production speed and production flexibility. In addition, Luen Thai also cooperates with many global famous brands to apply 3D printing technology to the production of products, which has substantial contribution to the development of 3D printing technology.
In just two years, the use of 3D printing technology in bridge construction has grown by 70%. During the same period, industries such as automotive, transportation and heavy equipment are also using this technology extensively.
The key reason 3D printing technology can easily extend from prototyping to full production is that it offers more effective lifecycle management, so prototypes can be used in full production without a vision and without expertise.
3D printing technology allows manufacturers to produce parts on demand, without the need to pull them from a warehouse. On-demand production will help companies significantly reduce inventory and warehousing costs. According to a report from MIT, the use of 3D printing technology can reduce spare parts inventory by 90% in the automotive industry.
The topic of our current discussion is shifting from function to yield. 3D printing technology can provide multifaceted support for new product launches, and the production method of volume-based pricing will gradually lose its advantages.
3D printing technology leads the digital transformation in the Industry 4.0 era and is one of the purest digital technologies, eliminating or reducing the cost of switching files to different locations and different printers because it does not require molds and fixtures, which is very different from the labor-intensive methods used in manufacturing over the past 200 years.
In fact, the most disruptive aspect of 3D printing technology has little to do with the actual printer - 3D printing technology is the transformation of a digital form into a physical form, meaning that just one file represents the final product. 3D printing technology is the first step toward digital transformation.
In the future, hybrid manufacturing models will be available in large factories, as well as in many smaller factories with 3D printing equipment, or even in other locations where printers are deployed (such as service and support centers, distribution centers, or even in individuals' homes.) 3D printing will eventually become so easy and common that people will be able to easily extract files and print products at home. Such a shift is already happening, and we are starting to bring the production of products closer to the consumer side and become more agile.
In many industries, the pursuit of personalization has become a common consumer trend. Consumers prefer to buy products designed specifically for them to meet their personal tastes and preferences than to buy mass-produced products.
Rather than presenting large quantities of the same product to the masses, 3D printing allows manufacturers to produce small quantities first, allowing designers and engineers to adjust product designs and innovate more cost-effectively based on bursts of inspiration or customer feedback.
