Benefit #1: Manufacturing complex objects does not increase costs. In traditional manufacturing, the more complex the shape of an object, the more expensive it is to make. With 3d printers, the cost of making complex items does not increase, nor does the time, skill, or cost required to make an ornate, complex item take any more time, skill, or cost than it would to print a simple box. Making complex products at no additional cost will break the traditional pricing model and change the way we calculate manufacturing costs.
Advantage #2: Product diversification does not increase costs.A 3D printer can print many shapes. It can make different shapes every time, just like a craftsman. Traditional manufacturing equipment has fewer features and limited types of shapes.3D printing saves the cost of training machinists or buying new equipment. A 3D printer only requires different digital blueprints and a new batch of raw materials.
Benefit 3: No assembly required.3D printing supports the integration of components. Traditional mass production is based on assembly lines. In modern factories, machines produce the same parts, which are then assembled by robots or workers (even across continents). The more components there are in a product, the greater the time and cost of assembly. 3-D printers can print both the door and its supporting hinges in a layered manufacturing process, eliminating the need for assembly. Eliminating assembly shortens the supply chain and saves money on labor and transportation. The shorter the supply chain, the less pollution.
Advantage 4: Zero time delivery. 3D printers can be printed on demand. Real-time production reduces a company's physical inventory, and a new business model will be possible as companies can use 3D printers to produce special or customized products to meet customer demand based on customer orders. Zero time delivery type of production minimizes the cost of long distance shipping if the goods needed are produced in the closest possible way, and zero time delivery type of production minimizes the cost of long distance shipping.
Benefit #5: Unlimited design space. Traditional manufacturing techniques and products made by artisans are limited in shape, and the ability to produce shapes depends on the tools used. For example, a traditional wooden lathe can only produce round objects, a rolling mill can only process parts assembled with milling cutters, and a mold making machine can only produce cast shapes.3D printers can break through these limitations and open up a huge amount of design space, even to the point of producing shapes that can only exist in nature.
Advantage #6: Zero-skill manufacturing. Traditionally, artisans needed to apprentice for several years to master the skills required. Mass production and computer-controlled manufacturing machines have reduced the skill requirements, but traditional manufacturing machines still require skilled professionals to adjust and calibrate the machines. 3-D printers, which can take a variety of instructions from design documents, require fewer operating skills than injection molding machines. Non-technical manufacturing opens up new business models that can provide new modes of production for people in remote environments or extreme situations.
Advantage 7: Space-less, mobile manufacturing. 3D printers are more powerful than traditional manufacturing machines when it comes to production space per unit. For example, an injection molding machine can only produce products much smaller than it can. Instead, 3D printers can make items as large as a print sheet. Once the 3D printer is commissioned, the print unit is free to move around and the printer can make items larger than itself. The higher productivity per unit of space makes 3D printers suitable for home or office use because they require less physical space.
Benefit #8: Reduced wasteful byproducts. 3D printers produce fewer byproducts when manufacturing metal than traditional metal fabrication techniques. The waste from traditional metal fabrication is staggering, with 90% of raw metal being discarded on factory floors.3D printing reduces the waste from metal fabrication. With the development of printing materials, "mesh" manufacturing may become a more environmentally friendly process.
Benefit 9: Infinite combinations of materials. It's difficult for today's manufacturing machines to combine different raw materials into a single product because traditional manufacturing machines have a hard time fusing the various raw materials together during the cutting or molding process. With the development of multi-material 3D printing technology, we have the ability to integrate different raw materials together. Materials that previously could not be blended will form new materials that come in a wide range of shades and have unique properties or functions.
Benefit 10: Accurate physical reproduction. Digital music files can be reproduced endlessly with no degradation in audio quality. In the future, 3D printing will extend digital precision into the physical world. Scanning technology and 3D printing technology will ***along with improved resolution for form transitions between the physical and digital worlds, we can scan, edit, and duplicate solid objects to create accurate copies or optimize the original object.