Background Information

Our company is a medium sized manufacturing company is Australia. It wants to diversify and 3D printing is a viable diversification avenue aimed at increasing revenues for the organization. As the head of ICT department of the company, the main aim is to increase profits through online businesses that are profit making. Advantages of 3D printing are easy to get and make (Miko?ajewska, Macko, Ziarnecki, & Miko?ajewski,2014). They do not require a lot of technicalities. At present, the achievements of scientific and technical progress have been widely developed in various industries, including in the food industry.

The use of the achievements of fundamental research led to the development of new machines and devices, technologies, methods and methods of creating products, the widespread use of once revolutionary ideas in everyday life. The aim of the report is to help the organization to get the best prospects of 3D printing in respect to global and international requirements set and have a business initiative. Due to the growing business trends all geared towards 3D printing, the company has decided to get those prospects.

The issues in 3D printing were investigated through thorough and comprehensive reports done by the ICT department and 3D technology survey researchers. Questionnaires and interviews were also some of the methods that were used in research and analysis of 3D printing (Chia & Wu,2015). In the process of 3DP, one of the main functions is performed by a 3D printer-an automated device that creates three-dimensional objects. Like a traditional printer, a 3D printer receives an array of input digital data from the computer. The report was also investigated through reading of journals and books that are useful in 3D printing.

1.1Brief Description of 3D Printing

According to the definition, a 3D-print (3D-print, 3BR) is an action or process of creating a physical object from a three-dimensional digital model, usually sequentially setting a set of thin layers of material [4]. That is, 3B-printing is a production process by collecting layers of source material to create a three-dimensional physical object from its digital model van den (Akker,2017). To do this, you need to use computer software (CAD) – CAD programs to create a 3D model that converts the object into the sum of thin sections (layers) in the printing process, and a 3D printer that starts creating the object at the bottom of the structure by sequentially applying layers of material until the object is completed. 3DP is also understood as rapid prototyping or additive manufacturing (Laplume, Petersen & Pearce, 2016).

1.2 Objective of the Report

The report objective is to determine how favourable 3D printing is businesswise. However, instead of printing the result on paper, the 3D printer creates a three-dimensional model from the user material, and by additive layering (addition), which distinguishes it from machines and devices that cut or remove material from the existing shape (work piece) by clipping (subtraction).The printers deposit layers of usually plastic materials when making a 3D object from the data file on a computer.

Uses and Applications of 3D Printing Technology

2.0Applications that use 3D printing

3D printing can be used when manufacturing the following;

2.1. Body parts and human prostheses:

Disposable prostheses such as legs, arms, hands, pieces of bone and even face covers can be made in case of deep wounds. In addition, parts of the human body of the exact size a patient needs can be printed.

2.2. Toys:

It is already possible to create toys of children’s taste, ranging from small figures of a simple body to more complex and large structures formed by several smaller impressions.

2.3. Clothing:

New-Balance-printer-3D innovation in the field of fashion has a lot to do with the growing demand for increasingly personalized clothing, using 3D printing you can create models of all types of clothing tailored for each person as dresses, shirts and even underwear.

2.4. Food: 

You can model desserts and sweets formed with a 3D printer, achieving artistic designs impossible to do by hand. The most curious case of food printing, is the impression of meat (vitro-meat they call it) by means of stem cells and animal tissue engineering. The process today is so complicated and expensive, that making a hamburger through this system costs more than 250,000 Australian dollars (Gross, Erkal, Lockwood, Chen, & Spence2014). NASA also sees many possibilities for 3D food printing and is studying the possibility of manufacturing food from nutritious cartridges that can maintain their properties for up to 30 years.

2.5. Weapons:

This can be a threat to citizen security in the short term as it will be impossible for public institutions to control the arms market. Internet circulate many plans of how to manufacture rifles and pistols for less than 30 Australian dollars , all or which has forced the US government to reform its law of weapons possession (Muth, Vogt, Mengüç, Kolesky, & Lewis,2014).

2.6. Construction:

There is already talk of the possibility of using giant 3D printers to build houses through a mixture of cement with industrial waste such as glass and a special hardening agent in just 24 hours. This is done by printing prefabricated pieces that later allow the home to be assembled in a very short time, reducing the waste generated by 50%.

3.0Applications that the company can move into in the next five years.

. One of the modern applied trends in the development of society is 3D printing (3D-printing, 3DP), which is a production process by collecting layers of source material to create a three-dimensional physical object from its digital model. The main part of companies engaged in 3DP in the field of research and development, production, promotion of concept ideas and implementation of models of operating printing machines, related consumables and software, is concentrated mainly in the USA and EU countries (65.6% of the world market). This is a big market for the firm to take advantage and increase revenues (Schubert, Van Langeveld, & Donoso ,2014).

In the next five years, the company can move into the use of 3D printing technology in its application in the following  three areas.3D printers create objects from scratch, which is a more efficient way of production, since less waste is produced than with the conventional ways of manufacturing.

Benefits and Limitations of 3D Printing Technology for Business Expansion

4.0 The organization can use the application to expand in the following areas

Food production.

The company can use these application to get into food production for example for production of meat which will be a good thing to do due to the increasing population in the world. It is shown that everything starts with an idea, then it is implemented, using a certain set of knowledge in the field of food chemistry, food hygiene, processes and devices of food production and information technology and ends with the end result of the food product. The main method of food production through 3DP is layer-by-layer / fusion modeling (FDM), which is related to the specificity of raw materials for the production of finished food products (Petrick & Simpson,2013).

 Currently, most 3D-printers for food products are presented either in conceptual models, experimental or pre-sale samples, less often in commercially available devices. It is established that 3DP in the food industry will progress, including through the further development of existing printing principles and technologies, as well as the creation and development of new futuristic ideas that are actively researched and developed by teams of innovators. Therefore our firm should take advantage of this emerging technology to get into the food production.

It can be assumed that the development of 3DP in the food industry will intensify; at the same time, new knowledge will appear in this subject area, which will contribute to its subsequent development. 3DP in the global food industry will undoubtedly progress, therefore, the company should consider using 3D printing technology in this field including through the further development of existing printing principles and technologies, as well as the creation and development of new futuristic ideas that are actively researched and developed by teams of innovators. The main method of food production through 3DP is layer-by-layer / fusion modeling (FDM).3D printers are going to change the way we live, as we know it today and we see it in printed (Shirazi, Gharehkhani,2015).

1. Toys:

 Secondly, another area that the company can venture into is production of toys. It is already possible to create toys of children’s taste, ranging from small figures of a simple body to more complex and large structures formed by several smaller impressions. Therefore, the company should increase its revenues by producing toys.

1. Clothing:

New-Balance-printer-3d innovation in the field of fashion has a lot to do with the growing demand for increasingly personalized clothing, using 3D printing you can create models of all types of clothing tailored for each person as dresses, shirts and even underwear. The organization should also move into this areas which has got a lot of potential for growth (Lipson & Kurman,2013).

5.0Advantages and Disadvantages of 3D Printing

 It will bring many advantages and also several disadvantages, related to the creation of products in an automated way using a 3D printer. It will be possible to make a replica of an object, print or create an object from a file, or we can also design it ourselves.

Key Challenges and Solutions for Adopting 3D Printing Technology

5.1Advantages

3D printing has got many advantages. The company can make different products using a single 3D printing. Manufacturing done currently is done with specific machines which are limited to producing one type of product. If there is a production change, the machine must be changed or readjusted which is sometimes costly.  Second, it allows for flexibility and rapid prototyping. It allows prototypes of products with ease, which can imply an improvement in the design. 3D printing is important for cost reduction. The production can be done from any place even home.

Another advantage of 3DP is that products can be personalized. The possibility of making products which have been personalized and exclusive way such as clothes. 3D printing has a lot of ground to cover and more and more fields will be applied. Many businesses will be widely favored, such as jewelers, because when they can print the 3D printer in wax, when making rings, they simply make the mold in a file and the technological device prints them (Weller, Kleer & Piller,2015).

For industrial designers create an industrial object, you can see it in a plastic prototype. Make replicas of objects that we need. For example, designing a mechanical product to sell, and we have a nail, but we need another one, we can create it. If we have broken a piece of an object, we can create it to fix it. One can make objects with plastic, wax and rubber, probably at a time other materials will be involved and the range of products that can be made will change the way we live as we know it (Rayna & Striukova, 2016).

Companies instead of having an automation system to carry out a commercial product, 3D printers can be at stake to reduce costs in terms of machinery, and so that the products do not have errors in terms of design since they will be able to correct with the computer. 

5.2Disadvantages:

Decrease in work position. The elaboration of the products themselves, and the reduction of machinery can lead to fewer jobs in manufacturing which may lead to redundancies in the company infringement of copyright. Malicious uses of technology. Increase in useless products (MacDonald & Wicker,2016). The technology can be costly. Many companies are going to benefit, many are going to be harmed because their business can be lost. For example, companies that design and produce toys, or items for home decoration. An article or prototype will be produced or printed in 3 dimensions in about 2 hours.

6.0Legal, social and ethical considerations

With time more companies and people will have access to 3D printers which brings about both legal and ethical implications. Accessibility will enable people to print anything they want , hence , if a company has a patent on a particular object that is useful to the people, they may refuse to pay for it and instead print it (Norman, Madurawe & Khairuzzaman,2017). This contravenes patent laws and infringes the right of the company to reap from its creation or product. Ethically, 3D printing can be used to produce harmful objects such as guns and consequently when they find themselves in the hands of the wrong people might cause a lot of harm in the society.  This are questions that are of concern to companies especially when 3D printers is made available to the public.

Recommendations

7.0Conclusion

Currently the relationship between 3D printing and commerce is almost negligible, compared to what can be achieved in the coming years.  In 2016, the sales of 3D printers doubled. An industry that already reaches six billion dollars. 3D printing on the one hand can be a threat to world trade, but opens up further development for local production, so not all producers or exporters could benefit (Miko?ajewska, Macko, & Miko?ajewski,2014). Once 3D printing becomes widely applicable and economically viable for mass production, local production will increase with 3D printers at the expense of imports. With this prospect, the organization should take advantage of this mode of production to buy 3D printers as we await for the world to embrace this technology.

 The first steps in the direction of high-speed printing have been taken, but it is uncertain when and to what degree high speed / mass production with 3D printers is possible in all industries. Perhaps in the not too distant future we will pay to print our products at home with three-dimensional printers or in schools, more emphasis will be placed on the development of 3D objects. However, the company should take a slow approach in the products that it wishes to produce because to produce some of the items at the moment is so costly (Espalin, Muse & Wicker,2014).

 Recommendations

Second, the company should patent the products that it has developed to enable them enjoy all the benefits and rights of the product and therefore, increase revenues. Sensitization of this method of production should be made to the public for acceptance of the products.  

9.0 References

Chia, H. N., & Wu, B. M. (2015). Recent advances in 3D printing of biomaterials. Journal of biological engineering, 9(1), 4.

Conner, B. P., Manogharan, G. P., Martof, A. N., Rodomsky, L. M., Rodomsky, C. M.,    Jordan, D. C., & Limperos, J. W. (2014). Making sense of 3-D printing:Creating a map of additive manufacturing products and services. Additive Manufacturing, 1, 64-76.

Espalin, D., Muse, D. W., MacDonald, E., & Wicker, R. B. (2014). 3D Printing multifunctionality: structures with electronics. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 72(5-8), 963-978.

Gross, B. C., Erkal, J. L., Lockwood, S. Y., Chen, C., & Spence, D. M. (2014). Evaluation of 3D printing and its potential impact on biotechnology and the chemical sciences.

Laplume, A. O., Petersen, B., & Pearce, J. M. (2016). Global value chains from a 3D printing                                perspective. Journal of International Business Studies, 47(5), 595-609.

Lipson, H., & Kurman, M. (2013). Fabricated: The new world of 3D printing. John Wiley & Sons.

MacDonald, E., & Wicker, R. (2016). Multiprocess 3D printing for increasing component functionality. Science, 353(6307), aaf2093.

Miko?ajewska, E., Macko, M., Ziarnecki, ?., Sta?czak, S., Kawalec, P., & Miko?ajewski, D. (2014). 3D printing technologies in rehabilitation engineering.

Muth, J. T., Vogt, D. M., Truby, R. L., Mengüç, Y., Kolesky, D. B., Wood, R. J., & Lewis, J. . (2014). Embedded 3D printing of strain sensors within highly stretchable    elastomers. Advanced Materials, 26(36), 6307-6312.

Norman, J., Madurawe, R. D., Moore, C. M., Khan, M. A., & Khairuzzaman, A. (2017). A new chapter in pharmaceutical manufacturing: 3D-printed drug   products. Advanced drug delivery reviews, 108, 39-50.

Petrick, I. J., & Simpson, T. W. (2013). 3D printing disrupts manufacturing: how economies of one create new rules of competition. Research-Technology Management, 56(6), 12-16.

Piller, F. T., Weller, C., & Kleer, R. (2015). Business models with additive manufacturing—opportunities and challenges from the perspective of economics and management. In Advances in Production Technology (pp. 39-48). Springer, Cham.

Rayna, T., & Striukova, L. (2016). From rapid prototyping to home fabrication: How 3D printing is changing business model innovation. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 102, 214-224.

Schubert, C., Van Langeveld, M. C., & Donoso, L. A. (2014). Innovations in 3D printing: a3D overview from optics to organs. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 98(2), 159-161.

Shirazi, S. F. S., Gharehkhani, S., Mehrali, M., Yarmand, H., Metselaar, H. S. C., Kadri, N.A., & Osman, N. A. A. (2015). A review on powder-based additive manufacturing for tissue engineering: selective laser sintering and inkje 3D printing. Science and Technology of Advanced Materials, 16(3), 033502.

van den Akker, D. (2017). The development of a hybrid manufacturing system that combines multimaterial 3D-printing with silicone casting for the development of soft robotic parts

Weller, C., Kleer, R., & Piller, F. T. (2015). Economic implications of 3D printing: Market structure models in light of additive manufacturing revisited. International    Journal of Production Economics, 164, 43-56.