However, businesses have enjoyed many advantages from the development of 3D printing, so much so that they have created new business models around this process. With that said, if you are wondering how exactly 3D printing affected current business models, here are some of them:
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Modularity
With 3D modelling, business models have become a lot more flexible, innovative, and modular. Because of new software and printing devices, the ability to adapt products to almost any need and preference has become incredibly simple.
This provides business with various advantages, including speeding up the prototyping process and the production process overall. Also, the ability to utilise adaptive tooling to minimise defects and reduce machine downtime has become more accessible with 3D printing.
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Rapid Prototyping
As we mentioned earlier, rapid prototyping has become possible and more accessible with 3D printing. With the use of 3D software, new and updated iterations of products can be made much more quickly. Also, since this process is done digitally, it becomes a lot more affordable.
Simply put, the product development process is shortened significantly, allowing for rapid prototyping to produce high-quality products that work as intended. Overall, it speeds up the research and development (R&D) process, saving a lot of money and time that can be directed to other aspects of the business.
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Mass Customisation
Before, businesses either produced many of a generic product or a few of a customised version. This is due to the constraints of time and money having to be put into creating custom items that cater to specific customers. For example, for any new product to be made, a company would have to create new moulds for it.
However, with 3D printing, things have changed. There is no longer the need to use moulds or specific tools. Instead, changes can be made directly on the 3D file quickly before printing it out.
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On-Demand Manufacturing
No more do businesses need to predict what their audience will want in the future and create new tools, moulds, and the like to start producing a product. Now, with 3D printing, they can simply sit and wait for what is being demanded and cater their 3D printing process to produce the right products.
This offers plenty of benefits, such as eliminating the need for tooling, reducing lead times, and even reducing the need for warehousing. With most of the process digitised, on-demand manufacturing is easier to achieve while saving money and time.
Conclusion
As you can see, 3D printing has been a godsend to businesses. Not only have many companies been able to shorten their production process, but many have also saved plenty of money. That said, 3D printing is extremely versatile, meaning that you can use it for almost any purpose. From reducing your need for warehousing to facilitating rapid prototyping, 3D printing can benefit your business in various ways, improving your business model or even changing it entirely.
3D Quick Printing is a 3D printing service giving access to individuals needing 3D printed parts made and sent back to them. If you are looking for a 3D printing service in the UK for rapid prototyping needs or more, start working with us today!
