What 3D printing means for you

It makes Star Trek science a stunning reality – but could this new technology also revolutionize your supply chain?

A clean, modern laboratory in an otherwise ordinary science park in the South East of England. A small crowd is gathered watching the seemingly impossible made real. Piece by piece, a child’s toy is emerging, as if from thin air. This is 3D printing in action – and its long-term implications could be every bit as stunning. 

While it may seem rather bold to compare 3D printing - or additive manufacturing, as it is also known - with the invention of electricity or the internet as some have done, there is little doubt that it is potentially a transformational technology. It turns the traditional approach to design and manufacturing on its head. 

Put simply, 3D printing is a way of creating three-dimensional products by printing them out in layers from a digital data file. To an observer, it can almost appear like science fiction: it earns its other name, additive manufacturing, because it creates objects by adding material rather than subtracting it. It allows you to personalize products, and is more environmentally friendly due to the lack of waste produced. 

The potential is fascinating. The traditional supply chain is all about warehousing and shifting products outwards from the point of manufacture; 3D printing, however, means they can be printed locally. It can shave weeks off manufacturing times and also reduces the carbon footprint associated with production and distribution. While it may never be viable for mass production, there are a raft of lower volume products for which 3D printing is ideal. The healthcare sector is already using it to print out artificial joints and items such as dental crowns. “If these products are printed locally, there isn’t the requirement to ship them halfway around the world,” says Mark Patterson, vice president – innovation and product incubation, EMEA, DHL Supply Chain. 

He adds that it isn’t just the physical supply chain that needs to be examined but also the digital one, since the intellectual property resides in the file from which the object is printed rather than the product itself: “We need to look at how this data chain is managed and securely transported as well, this will be critical in the future.” 

The first 3D printing machines date back to the 1980s but they were expensive and had limited capability. Three decades of development have seen the idea mature as a method for rapid prototyping and manufacturing, and interest is gaining traction. DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation is carrying out an extensive research project as well as undertaking proof of concept work together with some of the leading technology providers in the field. 3D printing is already exhibited at the Innovation Center to showcase the enormous business potential to customers and test facilities for prototyping first use cases are being set up. Patterson explains that the company is visiting customers to look at their product make-up and identify what might be suitable for 3D printing. “In many cases they haven’t even heard of 3D printing,” he says. “We want to lead customers and help them understand what it could mean for their business.”

The most clear-cut applications for 3D printing are for spare parts across a range of different sectors, as well as the whole area of personalized consumer goods. A custom-made iPhone case, for example, can be printed out in around an hour. It will also continue to be used for rapid prototyping – which in future will mean designers don’t have to ship to different countries but can simply send information in seconds. Other uses are emerging and Dr Markus Kückelhaus, Director Solutions & Innovation at DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation, says having the ability to add and alter functionality is key: “For instance, if a spare part has broken there may be a reason for that, such as a design fault. With 3D printing, the design can be changed and improved.”

While it is without doubt a disruptive technology, 3D printing still currently has limitations. The raw material it uses to print is restricted to plastic resin, metal such as aluminum and titanium, carbon fiber and glass, and most printers can only produce objects made from a single material or a simple combination of materials. The majority of products will also require a finish to be applied once printed. Manufacturing lots are restricted to fewer than 10,000 units and speed can also be an issue. A more complex object, for instance, could take six to eight hours to print - so it won’t always be cost-effective but as Patterson notes: “This could still be worthwhile if the product is normally manufactured in China and takes six weeks to ship.”

Dr Kückelhaus is confident many limitations will be overcome and printer manufacturers are already working on more sophisticated material mixes. However, 3D printing also has a perception problem which could potentially hold its progress back. “There is scepticism from the engineering side of manufacturing,” he says. “3D printing is not well known by the universities or many engineers, so getting a commitment and understanding from these people is one of the biggest hurdles.” 

Despite that, 3D printing is here, and those that harness its potential and realize its impact will benefit. Already the aerospace, automotive and mobile telecoms sector have adopted it to produce strong but light components. 

The Service Parts Logistics sector is most likely to be the first affected. With 3D printers at their disposal, service parts engineers could download designs for spare parts and print them from the back of a vehicle within a very short timeframe. Similarly, the supply of the raw materials that are used to print items would become a major new sector of the logistics industry. 

3D printing is a disruptive technology that could make traditional supply chains obsolete. Goods could be ‘near-sourced’ - produced far closer to customers - reducing shipping and air cargo costs and volumes. Inventory levels could fall due to mass customization, as goods are made to order. The implications for the logistics industry are potentially huge, and are still being realized as this technology matures. The 3D printing revolution starts now. 

3D printing: the facts 

• 3D printing or additive manufacturing is the method used to print out solid objects from a digital file, layer by layer.
• Printers range from high-end industrial models to domestic devices, capable of printing out personalized consumer goods.
• Although all devices build products in layers, there are different approaches used. At the simplest end, liquid resin is fed into the device and fired out to produce the product. More sophisticated approaches create products from layers of powder that are then fused by a laser for a more precise approach.
• Most products are made from a single material or a simple combination. They can be printed in a range of colors and varnished for a professional finish.