{"id":4026,"date":"2013-12-29T13:35:53","date_gmt":"2013-12-29T13:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/get3dsmart.com\/Stagingsite\/\/\/?p=4026"},"modified":"2017-07-11T13:46:17","modified_gmt":"2017-07-11T13:46:17","slug":"wont-3d-printed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/get3dsmart.com\/Stagingsite\/2013\/12\/29\/wont-3d-printed\/","title":{"rendered":"What Won’t Be 3D Printed?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently I read an <\/span>article<\/span><\/a> on Forbes.com about new innovations that have the potential to kill the sales of major household brands. The article was a first in a series by Robin Lewis and it makes the argument that the sheer number of competitive offerings (including private label alternatives), plus the impact of the Internet and globalization – and the hyper-competitive selling environment those things helped create – foretell the death of mega brands.<\/span><\/p>\n

One point I think the author missed that could either be an opportunity or another nail in the coffin of major brands is the impact of 3D printing. Like books, music, and movies before, products are going digital. Offering products in 3D printable format could help big brands remain relevant. Those who don\u2019t won\u2019t enjoy digital shelf space, which could quickly become as important as their position on a store shelf or views on eCommerce websites.<\/span><\/p>\n

A few weeks ago noted futurist, Ray Kurzweil wrote an <\/span>article<\/span><\/a> for CNN, and among his five predictions was that \u201cby the early 2020\u2032s we\u2019ll print out a significant fraction of the products we use.\u201d In fact, he sees the next decade as the \u201cgolden era\u201d of 3D printing. Not only does it have the potential to impact fashion and medicine (as mentioned in the article), but if he\u2019s right, could change our notion of how many consumer goods are produced.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just who is Ray Kurzweil and why do his opinions matter? I first heard about him in the early 1990\u2019s when I was working for Xerox, where he was consulting on optical character recognition software. By then he\u2019d already invented the first CCD flatbed scanner, text-to-speech devices for the blind, speech recognition software (he\u2019s the \u201cgrandfather\u201d of Siri), and a line of music synthesizers. He\u2019s gone on to an amazing career in technology and is currently the Chief of Engineering at Google.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was also during the early 1990\u2019s that he began making predictions about the future. He\u2019s continued to do so since, and his <\/span>record of accuracy<\/span><\/a> is astounding. Perhaps his biggest and most well-known prediction is that of the \u201csingularity\u201d – an idea which supposes that the barrier between man and machine will eventually dissolve. Kurzweil predicts this will happen in the year 2045. \u00a0Of all of Kurzweil’s predictions, it’s certainly the one that’s the most controversial, in part because of perceived moral and spiritual implications. To some, it conjures up fears of a Borg-like evolution of mankind.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the late 1700’s, the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said, “<\/span>all truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” <\/span>Depending on who you ask, you’re likely to get any one of those reactions to Kurzweil’s predictions, which more often than not are eventually accepted as truth.<\/span><\/p>\n

So when I posted the Forbes article on social media and alluded to Kurzweil\u2019s predictions about 3D printing and how it could impact major brands, I got some of what Schopenhauer would have expected – ridicule and opposition. One response was particularly telling. The commenter said, \u201cYou mean my cotton underwear or my tomato paste or my ceramic dishes or my cast iron cookware? Go Ray, go!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In the past I\u2019ve written about how and why retailers in practically every niche, from books, automotive parts, home improvement, wireless and outdoor, to generalists like grocery and mass marketers could make a case for offering 3D printing services online and in their stores. I\u2019ve mentioned dozens of products that can be 3D printed now, from book sleeves, tire stem caps, light switch plates, smartphone cases and fishing lures, to cooking utensils and hair brushes. I recently started a new series where I\u2019m focusing on consumer brands themselves and how a retail supplier like Newell Rubbermaid, with 40+ brands could provide the digital products in many of those categories.<\/span><\/p>\n

As much as I wanted to respond to my (and Ray\u2019s) critic, saying that fabrics, food, ceramics, and metals are already being 3D printed, I found myself dwelling on the commenter\u2019s underlying point. I’ve spent so much time talking about what will be 3D printable, that I haven’t given much thought to what won’t be 3D printed. Certainly there are things which will never be, right?<\/span><\/p>\n

I thought one way to highlight some of those products would be to do a quick review of the top selling products on Amazon. Aside from WalMart, they distribute more products than just about anybody. Here\u2019s a <\/span>list<\/span><\/a> of their top selling categories and the top selling items in them. As of today, some of those items include:<\/span><\/p>\n

Toys and Games<\/span><\/p>\n