Kicking off the Inside 3D Printing Conference and Expo in New York, Avi Reichental, president and CEO of 3D Systems stated "the 3D printing industry is entering version 2.0, which will transform and localize manufacturing." Elaborating, he said:
"What we mean by 3D printing 2.0 is the complete imagination of the desktop and democratization of desktop prototyping, and the beginning of real mass manufacturing. And here I am talking about making tens of thousands of units a day using sophisticated and multiple materials. The third leg is cloud sourcing--platform capabilities."
I don't know what he meant by "complete imagination of the desktop" but the rest of what he said is very exciting. There is absolutely a bit of hucksterism in this "2.0 Proclamation" - maybe a bit Jobsian in scope, but there nonetheless. And that in my opinion is one challenge to overcome.
The 3D printing industry needs a Steve Jobs. It needs someone that can marry hardware and software to make both easy and intuitive to use by the majority of computer novices. For this 2.0 vision to flourish, there needs to be a "Mac" for the 3D printing space. Will this Mac be successful? Not necessarily, lest we forget Windows. But it does have to exist if only to point "the way." And honestly, even if it were to be made, it won't be inexpensive and it won't be adopted universally. But, for those that can use this machine, then indeed it is a step in the direction of 3D Printing 2.0.
And that prospect, I repeat, is very exciting. I don't have a 3D printer at home. (A) because they are expensive (a good one will cost about a $1,000 US - not including supplies - and (B) because of the various issues people report using the relatively inexpensive printers (i.e. kits). But a sub-$1000.00 printer (Reichental announced such a machine in the forthcoming generation 3 Cube) that is relatively user friendly and can make some nice objects would be great to see. I would buy one, and I'd love to evaluate one (hint hint).
Why? Because to foment this 2.0 revolution that will "transform and localize manufacturing" we need some good consumer printers so that people like myself can prototype prototypes. That's not a typo. Since I don't own a home 3D printer I have to go to my local Techshop to use their Makerbot - which entails a pretty costly membership, especially if I'm not actively going there everyday, not to mention the travel time - or make use an online printer/marketplace like Shapeways.
Now, Shapeways is great. Truly. Their prints are awesome and the materials they can print are second to none. Well, i.Materialise can print in three kinds of gold, which I've used and the results are spectacular. However, not only do I have to wait for my design to get printed, I also have to wait to see if the design that gets printed is what I thought it would be. Maybe I misjudged the size - the first version of some cufflinks I made came out bigger than I thought (good thing I printed them in alumide and not silver.
The future I envision overcomes those problems. In my future after I iterate a few versions of a design at home using my printer, I send it to Shapeways - which by this point will have a storefront à la my local Apple Store - where after a few hours I'm notified that my silver or titanium print is done and can be picked up. If the design is just what I wanted, then yeah put it on the marketplace or let's talk prices for mass production at a regional facility. Yes, we have "transformed and localized manufacturing."
But none of that is going to happen until maybe Version 3.5.8. Why? Because the average person isn't really aware of the technology or of what it can actually do. Thus we also need an education component. My suggestion? Set up a "3D printing traveling circus" that goes mall to mall every weekend where people can touch and feel what 3D printing is all about. What Shapeways did at SXSW this year. The reason?
People don't know what they want until you show it to them.
- Steve Jobs
Thoughts?
