Page 153 - The Fourth Industrial Revolution

Figure VII: Use of 3D Printing in Various Areas (% of respondents*)

* Percentages are of respondents from the Sculpteo survey.
Source: Sculpteo, The State of 3D Printing (survey of 1,000 people), as published in Hedstrom, J., “The
State of 3D Printing…”, Quora 100

Positive impacts
– More personalized products and personal fabrication
– Creating niche products, and making money selling them
– Fastest growth of 3D printing where each customer has slightly different needs from a product –
e.g. a particular shaped foot requires a specially sized shoe
– Reduced logistics costs, with the possibility of huge energy savings 101
– Contributing to abundant local activities; crafting own goods that benefit from the removal of logistics
costs (circular economy)

Negative impacts
– Global and regional supply and logistics chain: lower demand resulting in job losses
– Gun control: opening opportunities for printing objects with high levels of abuse, such as guns
– Growth in waste for disposal, and further burden on the environment
– Major disruption of production controls, consumer regulations, trade barriers, patents, taxes and other
government restrictions; and, the struggle to adapt

The shift in action
Almost 133,000 3D printers were shipped worldwide in 2014, a 68% increase from 2013. The majority
of printers, selling for under $10,000, are thus suitable for applications from labouratories and schools
to small manufacturing businesses. As a result, the size of the 3D materials and services industry grew
strongly, to $3.3 billion. 102

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