Somebody needs to change this perception soon. “3D printing is not suitable for mass production, and it doesn’t have any commercial value, said Gou.”
http://www.3ders.org//articles/20130626-3d-printing-is-just-a-gimmick-says-foxconn-president-terry-gou.html
FDM printing isn’t suitable for mass production. There are cheaper, more efficient ways. It isn’t a gimmick however. It’s great for prototyping, and small runs of things.
@ThantiK you are completely correct. The time it takes to make one object is relatively short. But the time it takes to 10,000 is way too long.
3D printing may not have much commercial value, but by making small runs of objects in billions of local “factories” it may eventually drive the commercial market out of business.
@Alan_Light it has a LOT of commercial value. It helps bring your products to market much much quicker.
With a 3d printer at home, I don’t need mass production. Thats the idea behind a personal 3D printer that can provide you with simple needed things in your life. With more development in this sector you can print more complex items at home. With this technology there is no need for mass production because you can create an item that fits your needs more than an item that was produced for the masses.
3D printing is great for prototyping or one off products, but not for mass production.
It is plain stupid to try to manufacture lets say a million cellphone case per day with 3D printing. Not just slow and expensive but a horrible waste of 3D printer capabalities.
@Adam_Koncz On the other hand if millions of people print one cellphone case at home for personal consumption, this could eventually inpact the market for commercial manufacturers.
The guy sees his bussines endangered by people that can build stuff at home!
3d printers are not suited for mass production, yes, but neither is your home printer.
Did anyone actually claim 3d printing was for suitable for mass production in the first place?
@Simon_Villalobos @Robert_Wozniak This guy is not endanger of being put out of a job any time soon. Yes you can 3d print SOME objects. but the problem is that 90% of what i use has a printed circuit board in it. As an electrical engineer who uses 3D on a daily basses(fabricating cases and chassis), we are not anywhere near the ability to print a product, even with the most expensive commercial printers. Not to mention that 99.99% of consumers do not have fine pitch soldering skills to solder ICs to a PCB. Volume electronics. Knowing the limitation of you technology in its current state is the first step to mastering it.
You could have always made things at home. I made chairs tables and benches for years at home. But Ikea still exists, Why? Because it is easier to buy than build.
If 3d printer are popular, it really will hurt mass production that Terry Gou has now.
Thinking that 3d printing is usable in mass production is wrong. It mey have impact for manufacturers of simple items, because it can easily produced at home or locally in a printstore. However the technology and the distribution of 3d printers are far away to endanger their businesses now. But it is possible to change in the near future.
It is obvious that the next industrial revolution will not happen in the near future. However I believe that we will start to see Local Manufacturing Co-operations in the next decade. Manufacturing is a complex process. 3D printing is just a part of it. Local Manufacturing Systems (LMS) is a new way of producing custom made products in volume (just enough for the local demand). Hopefully in the upcoming decades Apple like firms will sign contract with LMS firms instead of a giant firm like Foxconn.
Blanket statements are dangerous and untrue. Disruptive technologies have a way of redefining things, Mr. Uog.
This makes me wonder how well 100 3d printers that drop parts into product bins on their own and run with only remote supervision could stack up to a traditional factory with expensive hardware, tons of workers needed and expensive retooling between jobs. (insane laughter erupts)
One of the major problems will be unemployment if too much is automated.
Right. Unemployment for China. There would be alot less need to send our money and jobs overseas. I would much rather put our workers back to work overseeing many machines that need little oversite than to send our jobs and money to China. I am an American and the trend of the jobs going to China makes me sick.
Local Manufacturing Systems (LMS) will not only change the employment between countries, but also between States. USA is a big country. I guess the unemployment among States is not the same. Hopefully LMS will also improve such inequalities.