Peter J. Thompson/National PostAb. Velasco (RIGHT), Project Leader for Digital Content and Innovation at the Toronto Public Library and Techknight Founder Derek Quenneville (LEFT) pose with a 3D printer at the Toronto Reference Library.
Ab Velasco and his colleagues at the Toronto Reference Library knew there would be interest when they decided to add two 3D printers to the library’s digital innovation hub early this year.
What they didn’t anticipate was just how much.
From students looking to create three-dimensional prototypes of their engineering or design creations to entrepreneurs seeking a cost-effective way to literally bring their ideas to 3D life, the library’s two little printers have been steadily humming away for the past three months, churning out everything from chess pieces to mobile phone cases to jewelry to an automated pill dispenser.
In the first half of April we already saw the same usage we saw in all of March
It is a testament to the growing popularity of 3D printing among consumers and the broader public, which — thanks to ongoing innovation and lower price points for the machines — are increasingly embracing the new technology as a way to make all sorts of things.
“There has been an incredible amount of interest and enthusiasm, and it has been snowballing,” says Mr. Velasco. “In the first half of April we already saw the same usage we saw in all of March.”
First developed in the mid-1980s, 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, involves using a type of plastic called acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or ABS, that can run through printer nozzles when heated. As the material flows, it builds up successive layers to create a solid, three-dimensional object.
For years, 3D printers have been used commercially to make prototypes of manufacturing components, significantly cutting the time and expense of creating something by hand or with specific machinery. Ford Motor Co., for instance, uses 3D printing to test car components before incorporating them into the assembly line.
The medical world has also embraced 3D printing to create prosthetics at a fraction of the cost, and with significantly more customization. Critical Making Lab, run out of the University of Toronto, announced in January that it is partnering with an international NGO and a Ugandan hospital to use 3D scanning and printing to speed the process of creating and fitting sockets for artificial limbs.
And now it’s the consumer market, which has already doubled in size in a little more than a year, and will grow from US$288-million into a more than US$5.7-billion global industry by 2017, according to technology research firm Gartner.
The catalyst to rising consumer adoption is a simple factor — the declining cost of 3D printers. Only a few years ago, a decent non-commercial 3D printer would run in the range of US$5,000 or more, and was mainly targeted at die-hard enthusiasts.
Today you can get one out of the box for less than US$1,500. MakerBot, one of the world’s biggest 3D printer manufacturers, recently released a model for as little as US$1,375. Another one, made by 3D Systems, sells for just less than US$1,000. But the lowest priced is the so-called “da Vinci 3D printer” from Taiwan-based XYZ Printing, which sells for US$499.
Amit Daryanani, an equity research analyst with RBC Capital Markets in San Francisco who covers the 3D printing space, admits that at first blush it’s a bit difficult to ponder what, exactly, people might use a 3D printer for in their home.
“The consumer market for 3D printers right now consists mostly of hobbyists — people who want to make a coffee mug or an iPhone case — but I think it is going to be a much bigger deal over time,” he says. “Not only will you be able to print all kinds of items at home, you will be able to create or download what you want and send those files to a service depot to be printed.”
The possibility of ordering something online and being able to print it out rather than waiting for it to be shipped from China or somewhere else is very real
For example, someone could download the latest Disney figurine and then send the file to be printed in 3D — or potentially print it out at home.
It’s not just plastic figurines and Lego. Already manufacturers are experimenting with other types of materials: metal, ceramic, powdered wood and even sugar (you could literally print your own candies).
At a recent 3D printing “MeetUp” at the Toronto Reference Library, at least three printing aficionados brought in their customized printers — and a choice selection of some of the things they produced, including statues, figurines and a vase — to an eager and fascinated crowd.
“What 3D printing can offer is the ability to reduce inventory in certain areas — a hardware store where parts could be printed on an as-needed basis, or, in the case of a bakery, customized confectionaries that wouldn’t be possible to make using traditional means,” said Derek Quenneville, a Toronto-based 3D printing expert and digital fabrication artist currently assisting with the 3D component of the library’s digital innovation program. “I think that’s where you can start to see the potential.”
Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Indeed, beyond iPhone cases, coffee mugs and candy, there are a myriad of promising uses for 3D printing: life-saving organs in the medicine world; full-sized homes that can be printed in a day; cars entirely made out of 3D-printed parts.
To be sure, the industry has its detractors, especially on the consumer-adaptation side. For one, even at the US$500-mark, the units are still expensive and still somewhat rudimentary, notes Mr. Quenneville, particularly since most only use one or two colours of ABS plastic.
What’s more, 3D printers are already gaining notoriety for producing some malevolent items, such as guns and bullets. Another industry pitfall is that patents — many of which will remain in place for some time to come — will limit manufacturers’ ability to create new and different types of 3D printers.Still, the concept of 3D printing remains in its infancy, with significantly more adoption on the commercial side that Gartner and others believe will revolutionize manufacturing — significantly reducing the number of parts needed to make products, and altering the concept of just-in-time delivery.
“The possibility of ordering something online and being able to print it out rather than waiting for it to be shipped from China or somewhere else is very real, and very possible,” said Mr. Daryanani.
from: National Post
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