For those who haven't realized it yet, 3D printing is taking shape in the future – as fast as a meal materializing in our microwave ovens – with just the touch of a keyboard.
But the technology is straightforward: It is the first small step in the evolution of paper printing, in short, the birth of something more substantial (such as plastic resin) whose successive layers bring an object to life.
And yet, by allowing a machine to produce objects of any shape, at home and according to its desires, 3D printing marks the beginning of a new era.
As technology applications expand and prices fall, the first consequence is that most goods will be produced at or near the point of purchase or even consumption. This could even mean homemade production by individuals themselves: you will only have to pay for the raw materials and the documents, plans, or drawings sold on the web.
The second direct consequence is that many goods produced by large centralized factories will be produced locally. Even if the unit production cost is higher, it will be more than offset by the absence of shipping and storage costs.
While several hundred factories worldwide manufacture current cars, they could one day be assembled locally or even regionally depending on demand. For example, parts would be made at dealerships and repair shops, and assembly plants could replace supply chain management with just-in-time component manufacturing.
Another consequence is that the goods will be infinitely more personalized since making them slightly different will not require manipulation, only tweaking the software instructions.
Creativity, finally, will this time be at the forefront, responding to the needs of individuals just as quality control did in the era of standardization.
These first-rate implications will disrupt the entire business chain, from sourcing, manufacturing, distribution chains to their strategies and customer relationships.
Another butterfly effect, the factors that made China the factory of the world will lose much of its force in the face of the surge of 3D printing.
China has taken over the manufacturing outsourcing of our entire old economy by exploiting the mass production model to its limits. It is not enough to absorb sufficient demand to achieve unprecedented economies of scale and reduce the key cost: labor.
The interference of the Chinese government has encouraged production at such a high level, impacting the growth of its manufacturers, the purchasing power, and the standard of living of its consumers.
In an extended yet very flexible 3D distribution model of small-scale manufacturing, this considerable asset that China once had becomes an obsolete liability. More labor paid too little to offset the cost of shipping across oceans. And no more controversy was raised between instincts of overconsumption and desire for personalization.
It seems, however, that the United States and other Western countries, almost despite themselves, have not taken it upon themselves to apply the old judo technique of exploiting a competitor's weaknesses and unbalancing him by his weight until it drags it down.
China will not be a loser in the new 3D era: like any nation, it will have its internal market, and this is huge. Also, not all products are suitable for 3D printing. But China will have to give up being the mass production locomotive of our world. The strategy that gave it such supremacy will not serve it in the future.
The excellent transfer of wealth and jobs to the East over the past two decades may have seemed like a tipping point. But this new technology will still change the way the world looks.
3D printing, just like its name, is a reasonably simple phenomenon: converting a digital file into a materialized product through printing. With detailed instructions and suitable materials, you can make things from a small machine on your desk in theory and- increasingly- in practice.
Thus, we can now start 3D printing parts for machines and household appliances. We can 3D print cement. We can imagine everything being able to print, even the flesh itself.
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