Industry Leaders Are Looking for More Ways to Use 3-D Printing (DDD) (SSYS)
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Shares of 3-D printing companies are higher Thursday following positive commentary in the WSJ on Wednesday night.
The WSJ said that 3-D printing is taking off faster than most consumer realize. Large companies like Ford (NYSE: F), General Electric (NYSE: GE), and Mattel (Nasdaq: MAT) have all utilized the technology in creating parts and components.
Also known as additive manufacturing, the companies will realize a cost-savings benefit over time from the technique. Compared with the traditional route of shaving a piece of medium into the desired component, 3-D printing creates the object layer-by-layer, allowing companies to first model the object on a computer, then print it out using just about the exact amount of material needed.
Initial and continuing costs are the big hump right now. Both are expected to drop (aka - consumer electronics) as demand picks up. Research firm Wohlers Associates said CAGR for the 3-D printing industry was 29.4 percent in 2011, though revs are expected to rise from $2.2 billion last year up to $3.7 billion in 2013.
Ford, for example, might allow customers to log-on and print out their own replacement parts. They might be able to download the associated files, take them to a local 3-D printer, and have the replacement within hours, if not minutes.
Mattel might have taken the same path, though one major concern they have over allowing consumers to design their own toys would be child safety. A spokesperson for Mattel said there is no guarantee that a toy consumers design would be safe for certain age demographics.
In any case, though consumer-level 3-D printers are still a bit of a luxury item and have certain limitations, it might not be too unlikely that you'd be able to go get a camshaft replacement in 2025 for your 1970 Ford Mustang. All it would take is a click.
Traders are keeping an eye on 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD), Stratasys (Nasdaq: SSYS), and ExOne (Nasdaq: XONE) today.
The WSJ said that 3-D printing is taking off faster than most consumer realize. Large companies like Ford (NYSE: F), General Electric (NYSE: GE), and Mattel (Nasdaq: MAT) have all utilized the technology in creating parts and components.
Also known as additive manufacturing, the companies will realize a cost-savings benefit over time from the technique. Compared with the traditional route of shaving a piece of medium into the desired component, 3-D printing creates the object layer-by-layer, allowing companies to first model the object on a computer, then print it out using just about the exact amount of material needed.
Initial and continuing costs are the big hump right now. Both are expected to drop (aka - consumer electronics) as demand picks up. Research firm Wohlers Associates said CAGR for the 3-D printing industry was 29.4 percent in 2011, though revs are expected to rise from $2.2 billion last year up to $3.7 billion in 2013.
Ford, for example, might allow customers to log-on and print out their own replacement parts. They might be able to download the associated files, take them to a local 3-D printer, and have the replacement within hours, if not minutes.
Mattel might have taken the same path, though one major concern they have over allowing consumers to design their own toys would be child safety. A spokesperson for Mattel said there is no guarantee that a toy consumers design would be safe for certain age demographics.
In any case, though consumer-level 3-D printers are still a bit of a luxury item and have certain limitations, it might not be too unlikely that you'd be able to go get a camshaft replacement in 2025 for your 1970 Ford Mustang. All it would take is a click.
Traders are keeping an eye on 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD), Stratasys (Nasdaq: SSYS), and ExOne (Nasdaq: XONE) today.
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