Disruption in Three-Dimensions: How 3D Printing Will Change the Supply Chain From Top-to-Bottom

After many years of anticipation, the implementation of 3D printing is finally set to disrupt the supply chain in a big way over the course of the next few years, with the market for the technology estimated to grow to a whopping $490 billion by the year 2025. Industry experts expect its effect to be holistic, with no sector along the supply chain being left untouched by it. Yet, the general consensus seems to be one of optimism, with this disruption hopefully leading to higher levels of optimization, reductions in waste, and an overall rise in customer satisfaction.

Additive manufacturing, AKA 3D printing, is the linear process whereby solid objects made from plastic or metal are created through successive layering. This process, managed by computers and conducted by machines that work in a fashion similar to your standard jet ink printers, allows for on-the-spot manufacturing of parts which contain such complex geometry that their construction had previously required much greater effort and investment.

Now that the technology is more readily available, the leading companies in auto manufacturing, electronics, medical equipment, and industrial are all delving into it in it. Some of the big names that have invested in 3D printing start-ups and/or initiatives include General Electric, HP, Nikka, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. But what, exactly, does this integration of 3D printing mean for the supply chain? For starters, it means optimization. The best example of this is in spare parts manufacturing. This sector of the supply chain industry is one that is most likely to see immediate changes thanks to what 3D printing can do for it. No longer will spare parts manufacturers need to fill their warehouses with high volumes of physical parts that go unattended for long periods of time. Instead, they can create those same parts on-the-spot and have them ready to ship when needed. They can also collaborate with logistics providers to create new networks of 3D printers that will give them global coverage.

Those networks are also likely to disrupt the sectors of the supply chain industry which specialize in postponement services. Regional establishment will allow logistics providers and manufacturers to delay final assembly of a product to the final point of demand, thus providing customers with greater levels of input in regards to customization. This will cut down on lead times and enhance overall customer satisfaction.

Some of the major shippers have already started taking the lead in this area, testing out even more radical implementations of 3D printing technology. Unsurprisingly, Amazon is ahead of the pack, last year patenting mobile hubs for 3D printing. Their trucks, equipped with these printers, will be able to manufacture products while in transit. Conceivably, they would be able to deliver an order to its destination mere moments after manufacturing it. Needless to say, the effect this could have on delivery times and cost is nothing short of revolutionary.

Similarly, UPS is looking to optimize shipping by opening 3D printing air hubs in several locations worldwide. These stations, located at airports, would get rid of the middle stage of cargo delivery that sees the product travel from a warehouse to the airport, thus allowing for logistics providers and manufacturers to be better able to meet hard and fast deadlines.

Along with optimizing the customer experience and logistical ends of the supply chain, there is one other area where disruption as a result of 3D printing is greatly welcome: the environmental impact of manufacturing and shipping. Studies have shown that companies could possibly achieve reductions as high as 40% in CO2 emissions, 25% in material waste, and 10 kilograms in air cargo weight, by redesigning their supply chains to integrate 3D printing brackets.

3D printing has been around, in one form or another, since the 1980s. Only now that the technology has caught up to design are we seeing its true potential. Everyone along the supply chain—from manufacturers, to logistics providers, to shippers, to the consumer—should embrace 3D printing as a welcome disruptor which will lead to a faster, cleaner, and overall more efficient way of doing business.