Once a distant dream, 3D printing has come a long way over the past decade. As its technology has been developed, its capabilities have expanded significantly. The costs of running these printers has also dropped dramatically, moving them much closer to being introduced into the mainstream market.
These printers have had a significant impact on businesses today. Here, we’ll look at just some of the ways 3D printing has transformed businesses.
Speeding up innovation
One of the key ways that 3D printing has transformed businesses today, is the speed of innovation. While the technology has been used for more than 20 years to create prototypes, they used to take a significant time to develop. Now, thanks to developments in the industry, printing prototypes has become a much faster process.
Some companies even offer same day printing and delivery. So, what used to take companies years to create, can now be done in a day. As 3D printing technology continues to grow, it’s only set to speed up prototype printing even further.
Cost saving benefits
Another great benefit of 3D printing is the cost savings it delivers. Although it used to be extremely expensive to invest in and use these printers, the costs have dropped significantly in recent years. You can also pick up all of the components you might need at an affordable cost from companies like RS Components.
The speed in which things can be printed also adds to the cost savings. Take the prototype example above. Businesses can now get their products to market much faster, in turn earning profits much quicker.
Giving small businesses a boost
Smaller businesses are particularly feeling the benefits of 3D printing. They don’t typically have the space or the budget to invest in large, heavy machinery. However, with 3D printers they don’t need it. These compact printers can be used to produce the exact same parts as a lot of larger machinery. So, this gives small businesses a competitive edge, helping them to keep up with much larger competitors.
These are just some of the ways 3D printing has transformed businesses. While they’re still a little way off from becoming truly mainstream, businesses are already experiencing the benefits of these innovative machines. If your business hasn’t utilised the benefits of 3D printing, now is definitely the time to invest. If you shop around you can find 3D printers at a reasonable cost.
Photograph by Ines Álvarez Fdez / Unsplash