The 3D Printing Revolution Has Begun

Just a few years ago, three-dimensional printing was far from mainstream. While some businesses and consumers attempted to take advantage of the technology, most outside of the manufacturing space found 3D printers to be far too expensive to even consider trying out.

However, as many attendees of last weekend’s New York Maker Faire can tell you, times have changed. The recent advances in 3-D printing have made the technology more accessible to a broader demographic. As the New York Times notes, the 3-D Printer Village was one of the hottest tickets at this year’s event.

The booth showcased the true diversity of the industry. On display were high-end industrial printers starting at about $20,000 as well as personal models that were priced around $650.

While most products in the space are currently being manufactured by smaller startup companies like Shapeways and Makerbot, a few of today’s technology giants are beginning to see the light. In fact, Hewlett Packard announced earlier this year that it has partnered with Minneapolis, Minn.-based Stratasy to design and market an HP-branded 3D printer. The product is scheduled to be introduced later this year.

“There are millions of 3D designers using 2D printers who are ready to bring their designs to life in 3D,” Santiago Morera, vice president and general manager of HP’s large format printing group, said at the time of the announcement.

For consumers and businesses that do not want to make the investment in a 3D printer but have the need for multi-dimensional designs or models, companies like Shapeways have begun providing tailored services to clients.

Peter Weijmarshausen, the chief executive of Shapeways, told the New York Times that people hire the company to print anything from 3D puzzles, to jewelry to design templates for car parts.

“We have just seen the start of this,” he said. “I think people will begin to look at different aspects of product development where they put something out in the market and then get feedback instantly and incorporate that right away into a new design. Products can become much more sophisticated much faster.”

Beecher Tuttle is a Web Editor for TMCnet. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Tammy Wolf