Crisis in the music industry foreshadows the coming manufacturing crisis

3D printed materials will never replace raw materials. It isn't the same thing at all.

Music was the the same thing (just music, the music itself wasnt replaced), but the delivery system changed.

Printing out plastic beams to try to build a building is not the same as steel beams. it never will be.

quote:

---

Now he says 3D printers will have the same effect on traditional manufacturing.

---

Its called CNC machines. They have already replaced "traditional" manufacturing to a degree.

They're already 3D printing metal parts, and it's getting cheaper LINK

I definitely agree 3D printing has the potential to disrupt manufacturing but not in the way you describe.

Private parties will at some point be able to download drawings and print proprietary items such as guns, art, and other small materials. But this will not be able to disrupt major manufacturers in the same manner as free music.

3D printing only prints parts of a complex product but it will not assemble it in final form. I doubt we will see a 3D printed TV or a 100% 3D printed car. Plus printer material costs will always be higher than outright purchasing the product.

3D printing will disrupt manufacturing by revolutionizing the supply chain model. What if Ford could 3D print brake pads cheaper than purchasing them from a supplier? How about headlights? Could a major manufacturer use economies of scale to push printing costs down enough to bankrupt those suppliers?

quote:

---

Private parties will at some point be able to download drawings and print proprietary items such as guns, art, and other small materials. But this will not be able to disrupt major manufacturers in the same manner as free music.

3D printing only prints parts of a complex product but it will not assemble it in final form. I doubt we will see a 3D printed TV or a 100% 3D printed car. Plus printer material costs will always be higher than outright purchasing the product.

3D printing will disrupt manufacturing by revolutionizing the supply chain model. What if Ford could 3D print brake pads cheaper than purchasing them from a supplier? How about headlights? Could a major manufacturer use economies of scale to push printing costs down enough to bankrupt those suppliers?

---

I'm surprised we got this far before anyone made this point. This 3D printer doomsday prediction is old hat and easily debunked.

quote:

---

Printing out plastic beams to try to build a building is not the same as steel beams. it never will be.

---

Then it's a good thing they can print using a variety of materials, including all kinds of metals.

quote:

---

Private parties will at some point be able to download drawings and print proprietary items such as guns, art, and other small materials

---

Printers can create objects of widely-varying size and with many different materials. All printers aren't the plastic crap producing machines you see on YouTube.

quote:

---

3D printing only prints parts of a complex product but it will not assemble it in final form.

---

Who gives a shite? No machine assembles a thing in its final form.

What 3D does is make it possible to create 25 different components with one machine instead of 25 different machines. And with the laser scanners, they can copy anything. The technology can go from concept to production in ONE DAY. I'd call that disruptive.

GE, GM, Seimens, etc. have all said that 3D is where everything is going, and they're preparing for it.

Unless you have access to a wealth of raw material I'm afraid you are shite out of luck

quote:

---

Who gives a shite? No machine assembles a thing in its final form.

---

I give a shite. My point was that 3D printing at home will not be able to compete with commercial manufacturing. The OP's article discusses how individuals downloading free music brought the entire music industry to its knees and raises the alarms that 3d printing can do the same for manufacturing.

I understand 3D machines use more than just plastic. Read my previous remarks and while you may disagree with my points, you can probably infer that I am somewhat "up to speed" on the capabilities of 3D printers

I think you will see a significant impact on larger, non-complex, items. For example, Home Depot will not stock toilets or sinks, they will build them locally on-demand.

On items that need assembly (i.e. ceiling fans, chains saws, lawnmowers - sticking with the Home Depot analogy), you won't see an impact in my life time.