3D printing to end our throwaway culture?

3D printing may seem like a new concept, but it has been used by major manufacturers for decades, but was known as rapid prototyping.  Since its inception 3D printing has become an essential tool for many manufacturers, enabling them to produce sample products to test, tweak and re-print all within a matter of days.

Jake Durrant, senior lecturer at Ravensbourne Digital Design College said: "3D printing in general has been around since 1986 or thereabouts. But the uptake in industry has been governed by the disposable budgets of companies, so aerospace and Formula One were some of the first."

Alpha Form is one company that constructs car parts for teams such as McLaren and Red Bull and used rapid prototyping to help keep up with the evolving design of the racing cars. Jon Fidler, a previous employee of Alpha Form said: "Components, such as the spoilers, are very complex shapes and they can be printed within 48 hours using printers, which gives a turnaround of days rather than weeks compared to using more traditional methods of production."

Over the years, not only has the name of the technology changed, it has also become accessible to a wider market, due to the technology being improved and simplified. Since 2004 the shoe company, Converse has used 3D printers to get more products to market at a quicker pace. Alessi has also benefitted from the technology, using it to improve its best-selling La Cupola coffee-maker for 70% less cost and in a fraction of the time.

One of the key innovators in bringing 3D printing to the masses was Adrian Bowyer, a lecturer from Bath University. In 2004, Bowyer invented the machine RepRap. It could print around 50% of its own parts, and in 2008 it successfully managed to print itself. With the ability to self-replicate, it meant that unlike earlier 3D printers, the RepRap offered little financial gain. It is for this reason that Bowyer decided to make his designs openly accessible to all, allowing him to adapt and develop his design collectively.

Not only has the machine been simplified and improved, so too has the software making the design process a lot easier. Even search engine giant has capitalised on this and now offers Sketchup!, a user-friendly and free software download. Erik de Bruijn, one of the first RepRappers to replicate functional parts said: "Design is getting more and more accessible. There are a number of websites that don't even have to install software – you can just start drawing straight away. Or if you don't want to create your own design, you can download one of 11,000 online. There is a massive sharing culture with 3D printing, which is forming the building blocks for a new age of design."

Even start-up companies have benefitted from the accessible RepRap. Many garages, through using the technology, have been able to produce affordable, open source machines that they have been able to build themselves. De Bruijn continued: "The RepRap was a very good breeding ground for innovation but at same time very chaotic for new users," says Erik de Bruijn, who was one of the first RepRappers to replicate functional parts. "So I decided to create the Ultimaker which enables users to get printing in a single day – it wasn't designed to self replicate."

According to Bre Pettis, founder of Makerbot, when they started using 3D printing they just wanted to make the cheapest 3D printer kit that anyone could put together, but now, they're making their printers even better. Mr Pettis said: "It's good for business to give our users access to our plans and design files. They're our R&D department, so we get to benefit from any changes they make."

When talking about his second-generation printer, Mr Pettis said: "It has 90% of the functionality of professional printers, but at 1% of the price," says Pettis. These prices aren't just democratising 3D printing; they're democratising manufacturing. "We make 3D printers to offer an alternative to consumerism," Pettis continues. "Nearly three years after we began, there are now 6,000 folks with Makerbots and they get to make a choice between buying something and 3D designing and printing it."

"We live in a throwaway culture, and I think Makerbot interrupts that. It adds value to what you already have by fixing them."

The Makerbot community is also working on ways to recycle leftover plastic and other household materials that can be used to create more useful products. If this is successful people will be able to minimise costs and reduce their carbon footprints as it will encourage local recycling, instead of shipping it round the world for it to then be shipped back.

With 3D printing, manufacturers can make products quickly and easily, which also gives the consumer the opportunity to make more demands on design. Bram De Zwart, the product manager at Dutch design company Freedom of Creation says that until now, products have been pushed into the market, leading to high levels of waste production. "3D printing enables much more of a pull distribution instead, so consumers can buy products that are really tailored," he says.

Alice Taylor, founder of a London based games and toy company, MakieLab agrees that 3D printing removes the risk element of mass production, as you can print according to demand. "With traditional toys, the company comes up with an advert first to test it out. They then run the design over to China, where it is made in large numbers. Manufacturers are gambling on the fact that the end customer still wants the product. But by using 3D printing you don't have to make anything until they've hit 'buy', so it tips the whole process on its head."

This is also good news for startup companies, as they can produce something for very little cost and test the market before filling a warehouse with products that might not sell.

First Choice Business Systems are specialists in Xerox business printers and can offer advice on the best printing solutions for your company. Contact them today on 0808 231 8491 for your free consultation.