However, that conclusion misses the point for small and medium manufacturers. The importance of 3D additive printers is not that they will replace large scale manufacturing (after all, they can’t take advantage of economies of scale). Their role is to enable innovators and entrepreneurs to more deeply explore commercial viability.
Inexpensive 3d printing will enable hobbyists and amateurs to cheaply prototype their concepts at a scale that they can sell. This scale (1-500+ units) isn’t well served by existing manufacturers, who have large minimum order requirements and/or high start up costs.
The next generation of innovative products will be created by designers who can prototype and build manufacturable goods in prototype and small quantities.
The blue area on the graph indicates where 3D printing provides significant value
The blue area on the graph indicates where 3D printing provides significant value
New products will emerge from a cottage industry of innovation. Once economic viability is demonstrated, these projects will need to transition to professional manufacturing, to take advantage of economies of scale. Manufacturers who specialize in transitioning a product from additive 3d printing (10-500 units) to large scale manufacturing (1k+ units) will have partners in large growth phases.
Takeaway points:
Role of 3d printers is to enable innovators and entrepreneurs to more deeply explore the commercial viability of their market and product.
Inexpensive 3d printing will enable hobbyists and amateurs to cheaply prototype their concepts at a scale that they can sell
The next generation of innovative products will be created by designers who can prototype and build manufacturable goods in prototype and small quantities.
Manufacturers who specialize in transitioning a product from additive 3d printing (10-500 units) to large scale manufacturing (1k+ units) will have partners in large growth phases.
* (I defined “proof of concept” at 1 unit, non-manufactured, non-sellable. Sellable prototype is one that could be build in quantities of 10-1000. Production scale is over 1,000 units. Costs are estimated, although the actual numbers are less important than the shape of the graph.)
We are excited to announce a new business partner and web-design client in Flair Electronics! Take a look at the new site, and let us know what you think.
Also be sure to check out their redesigned and easy to access Download Center containing hundreds of Product Datasheets, Instruction Manuals, Technical Papers, and more.
In the coming months we will also be working with Flair on various other business development projects, including email marketing and lead generation through our new engineering research tool, Industry Cortex.
Please do not hesitate to contact us at info@industrialinterface.com to inquire about our Web Design, Advertising, and Consulting services. We look forward to hearing from you!
We’ve just launched our new research tool for the manufacturing industry. It’s called Industry Cortex.
Right now we’re testing it with information on 2,500 adhesive suppliers, their products, services, datasheets, images, and more. Check it out and leave us some feedback in the comments. Thanks for all the support from the suppliers, manufacturers, trade groups, and industry professionals that have helped us take this next step.
Check out our latest industrial directories. If you’ve got a product or service you’re eager to get to market quickly and efficiently, contact us and we can help by building a custom directory for your brand or business.
Links to your site from other sites that are relevant to your business are the most important aspect of SEO. If there are only a few sites on the entire internet that link to your site, then search engines will likely ignore your site, or only index a few pages, meaning that most of your content will never show up in a search result that your potential customers are making. The number on thing you can do to increase traffic to your site is to get your customers, partners, distributors, and principals to link to your website. If you do this, I guarantee you will get more exposure and more customers than if you get a feature article in an industry magazine or pay for a full page ad. Additionally, you should always be submitting your site to relevant industrial directories and other online resources. Increasing the number of sites that link to your site makes your site seem more important to search engines, and means more customers will find your company via search.
Make your contact information readily available on every page of your site, and make sure it is easy to find. The most important activity a user can take on your website is to contact your highly skilled, highly paid, and competent sales force. Potential customers are looking for information and you need to make it easy for them to get answers that they can’t find on your site. Besides, unless you operate an online store, it is impossible for you to make even one dollar without a customer calling your sales team. Put your contact information at the top of every page in big bright text.
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EMI Shielding is a very complex subject with a lot of considerations. Whenever you are evaluating an EMI shield you need to think about galvanic reactions, frequencies you are shielding, costs, and additional functions of the EMI shielding gasket. An engineer working on a wireless transceiver contacted Fastel looking to create an EMI shielding gasket in a complex geometry.
1. How to print a logo and product name on a sealing foil
Many medical device companies use heat sealed foils to contain caustic substances or to maintain a seal of freshness. The functional side of these seals requires them to be inert and seal to plastics at a certain temperature. The other side of these foils is what is viewable to the end-user. This material often has a blank metallic look to it. Our customer approached ECS with the desire to print instructions and product branding information on this part of the heat sealable foil.
"The money made to be made w 3D printing is based off the prototypes of products created using 3D printing that are mocked up and tweaked."about 4 months agofrom BufferReplyRetweetFavorite
How 3D Printing Will Generate Business for Production Manufacturers