Additive manufacturing is at a crossroads. Simultaneously, we find ourselves between certain very different modalities, applications, and industries. Rather than being able to explore them all, companies will now have to specialize, focus, and concentrate their efforts to win outsized opportunities. Success will be more explosively rewarded but will be more difficult to achieve.
Three Phases
We can divide the history of additive manufacturing into several chapters. Initially, in the invention phase (1984 to 2009), several firms such as 3D Systems, DTM, EOS, and Stratasys commercialized their own technologies, focusing on that technology silo and those applications that would work with their machines. Later, from 2010 to 2025, the Hype phase saw an influx of VC, corporate, and SPAC money into the market. Pitchmen made inordinate promises about a Revolution afoot, which saw inflated expectations. Free-flowing money washed over everyone, strengthening those with the best promises and best PowerPoints, not necessarily those with the best ideas, abilities, or technologies. Now, in the Industrialization phase, some firms are progressing with large-scale implementation, while many companies use the technology casually.
The Desktop 3D Printing Revolution
Crucially, Bambu Lab is a billion-dollar revenue firm making good on some of the pitchmen’s promises to tens of millions of desktop users. The desktop 3D printing revolution may yet occur. Through better AI-assisted software, millions more people could make. And even without it, we can now see an influx of tens of millions of new users per year. These users don’t care about 3D printing, but they do care about cosplay, art, craft, inventing, and making money. But it would be naive to assume that these desktop printers are consumer devices. Hundreds of thousands of firms are also deploying them for prototypes, spare parts, and end-use parts.
MakerBot Replicator 2. Image courtesy of UltiMaker.
There is far too much strategic replication in additive; far too many people are still trying to sell their inventions rather than create solutions. Companies need to look at cases where they can help all of the players in a value chain. Firms need to deliver on value and ease of use, and deliver true performance. Calling your mish-mash of ideas a solution will not solve anything. Just having a weight-saving part is unlikely to move the needle; instead, it may need to deliver on part-count reduction, functional integration, improved flow, easier adoption of design changes, lower up-front costs, and less capital deployed simultaneously. We will have to explore many advantages simultaneously if we really want deep, significant, and profitable implementations.
Over two million clear aligners are made each day, millions of bridges, crowns, and other additional dental parts are printed each year, tens of thousands of parts are flying on commercial aircraft, hundreds of thousands of shoes have been 3D prin
Additive manufacturing is at a crossroads. Simultaneously, we find ourselves between certain very different modalities, applications, and industries. Rather than being able to explore them all, companies will now have to specialize, focus, and concentrate their efforts to win outsized opportunities. Success will be more explosively rewarded but will be more difficult to achieve.
Three Phases
We can divide the history of additive manufacturing into several chapters. Initially, in the invention phase (1984 to 2009), several firms such as 3D Systems, DTM, EOS, and Stratasys commercialized their own technologies, focusing on that technology silo and those applications that would work with their machines. Later, from 2010 to 2025, the Hype phase saw an influx of VC, corporate, and SPAC money into the market. Pitchmen made inordinate promises about a Revolution afoot, which saw inflated expectations. Free-flowing money washed over everyone, strengthening those with the best promises and best PowerPoints, not necessarily those with the best ideas, abilities, or technologies. Now, in the Industrialization phase, some firms are progressing with large-scale implementation, while many companies use the technology casually.
The Desktop 3D Printing Revolution
Crucially, Bambu Lab is a billion-dollar revenue firm making good on some of the pitchmen’s promises to tens of millions of desktop users. The desktop 3D printing revolution may yet occur. Through better AI-assisted software, millions more people could make. And even without it, we can now see an influx of tens of millions of new users per year. These users don’t care about 3D printing, but they do care about cosplay, art, craft, inventing, and making money. But it would be naive to assume that these desktop printers are consumer devices. Hundreds of thousands of firms are also deploying them for prototypes, spare parts, and end-use parts.
MakerBot Replicator 2. Image courtesy of UltiMaker.
There is far too much strategic replication in additive; far too many people are still trying to sell their inventions rather than create solutions. Companies need to look at cases where they can help all of the players in a value chain. Firms need to deliver on value and ease of use, and deliver true performance. Calling your mish-mash of ideas a solution will not solve anything. Just having a weight-saving part is unlikely to move the needle; instead, it may need to deliver on part-count reduction, functional integration, improved flow, easier adoption of design changes, lower up-front costs, and less capital deployed simultaneously. We will have to explore many advantages simultaneously if we really want deep, significant, and profitable implementations.
Over two million clear aligners are made each day, millions of bridges, crowns, and other additional dental parts are printed each year, tens of thousands of parts are flying on commercial aircraft, hundreds of thousands of shoes have been 3D prin