Research Proposal: The Impact of 3D Printing in the Manufacturing Industry
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Introduction
3D printing (3DP) is an inventive and disruptive technology in the digital manufacturing era. It is also known as direct digital manufacturing, quick manufacturing, or additive manufacturing (Lee et al., 2017; Khajavi et al., 2014). It is the creation of a 3-D item from a digital 3D replica or a CAD model (Berman, 2012). It is a progressive digital technology utilizing an abstract digital design that may be changed to a real item utilizing a 3D printer (Chan et al., 2018). The advancement of 3D printing may be tracked to the 1980s (Khajavi et al., 2014), though currently more widespread due to the process price has reached a reasonably priced level. It is specifically valid for large-scale and mass customization applications (Gosselin et al., 2016). The technology is no longer inaccessible for engineers in the industry and is within reach of the citizenry, including homer users.
Background
The ramifications of rising technologies like 3DP on the industrial sector are many a time fiercely contested. Some specialists in the manufacturing sector believe that 3D printing will be largely upsetting, while others hold that the technology is years away from practicability (Chan et al., 2018). Predictions project meaningful advancement in the sector over the next few years. A report by Deloitte (2020) highlights that 3DP is anticipated to transform almost every sector it touches, entirely upsetting the conventional manufacturing process. Therefore, the anticipated value of the industry is projected to blow up soon. In 2020, the market for 3DP technology grew to USD 5.2bn (Deloitte, 2020). As the market expands and the price of printers decreases, it is likely to lead to a rise in new competitors in the conventional market, and trigger innovative new commodities, as models for new items will be vastly less expensive and less risky to manufacture (Berman, 2012). This rising technology is equally likely to significantly affect how manufacturers do business, particularly regarding shifts in incremental cost calculations, material cost, and conventional assembly lines. Aforesaid, this research seeks to explore the impacts 3DP technology is having on the manufacturing sector.
Objectives
To provide a comprehensive review of the applications of 3D printing in the manufacturing sector.
To review current industry researches and practices in regards to 3D printing.
To examine the effects 3D printing technology has on the manufacturing sector.
Research Questions?
What are the current applications of 3D printing in the manufacturing sector?
What are the impacts of 3D printing in the manufacturing sector?
Methodology
To address the research questions, empirical qualitative data will be needed. The research topic is exploratory in the nature of the problem, and a qualitative study will fit at this stage. Semi-structured interviews will be used to collect the qualitative data. The sampling of these interviews will cover organizations that utilize 3D printing in their manufacturing process.
References
Berman, B. (2012). 3-D printing: The new industrial revolution. Business Horizons, 55(2), 155-162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2011.11.003.
Chan, H. K., Griffin, J., Lim, J. J., Zeng, F., & Chiu, A. (2018). The impacts of 3D printing technology on the supply chain: Manufacturing and legal perspectives. International Journal of Production Economics, 205, 156-162. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2018.09.009.
Deloitte. (2020). Disruptive manufacturing: The effects of 3D printing. Deloitte. https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ca/Documents/insights-and-issues/ca-en-insights-issues-disruptive-manufacturing.pdf.
Gosselin, C., Duballet, R., Roux, P., Gaudilliere, N., Dirrenberger, J., & Morel, P. (2016). Large-scale 3D printing of ultra-high performance concrete – a new processing route for architects and builders. Material & Design, 100, 102-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2016.03.097.
Khajavi, S. H., Partanen, J., & Holmstrom, J. (2014). Additive manufacturing in the spare parts supply chain. Computers in Industry, 65(1), 50-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compind.2013.07.008.
Lee, J., An, J., & Chua, C. K. (2017). Fundamentals and applications of 3D printing for novel materials. Applied Materials Today, 7, 120-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2017.02.004.