With so many almost identical products available online, it’s hard to stand out in today’s global market. If you want to stand out from your competitors, you should look into novel methods of production and delivery.
In this article, we are taking a closer look at how an industrial 3D printer can give you an edge against your competitors.
1. Personalize and Customize
3D printing allows you to create customized offerings without interrupting your regular production or adding to your overhead costs. An industrial 3D printer gives you the power to personalize products according to every customer’s requests, which can increase your market penetration.
One industry that is already using 3D printing to create customizable offerings is the medical industry. Orthopedic aids, hearing implants, and dental implants are among the most popular 3D-printed medical items.
In the same vein, businesses today allow their customers to directly design and print their own version of a product. For example, toy companies allow customers to design and 3D print personalized toys, which they then ship to them by mail.
2. Bring Products Faster in the Market
3D printing allows you to partially bypass the prototyping phase of a new product. In the past, you needed to create custom molds for each new product you were planning to create, cast the first prototype, test it, and then begin production.
With 3D printing, you can directly print the prototypes for testing and marketing approval. This is both faster and more economical than the traditional route. If you launch new products with the help of an industrial 3D printer, a competitor of comparable size won’t be able to catch up without a 3D printer of their own.
3. Keep Costs Low Without Mass Producing
With conventional molds and casting, you had to rely on mass production to have a cost-effective product line. Thanks to 3D printing, you can print a single item without the usual expenses of limited-number manufacture.
3D printing allows you to produce small batches with the same efficiency as large ones. This is significant both for product development, but also for actual sales and logistics.
4. Create Limited-Edition Products
3D printing has redefined the concept of limited edition offerings. As we have seen above, you can now afford to print single-unit batches. You can now launch limited offers without having to spend extra on upfront development.
With 3D printing like PEEK, you can now offer truly unique products. You can find more info about the history PEEK 3D Printing here. The benefits of creating affordable limited edition offerings are huge for your marketing campaigns.
5. Create New Designs
3D printing allows designers to create designs directly from their computers. This allows them to create shapes that until recently were impossible to create.
There are numerous technical limitations to the traditional machining and casting methods. 3D printing works around all these issues, allowing you to create complex new designs for your products.
6. Create Emergency Spares and Replacements
Until recently, when a piece of equipment broke down, you had to order expensive replacement parts. These had to be , which could take several working days.
Thanks to 3D printing, you can now print spare parts for many of your industrial machinery, including your industrial 3d printer itself!
Collectors of rare toys, vintage electronics and vintage cars are already using 3D printing to recreate parts that are long out of circulation.
7. A Shorter Supply Chain
Another undeniable benefit of 3D printing is that it allows you to print select products on demand. You no longer have to rely on suppliers and warehouses to stock and sell your product. You can now print an item and deliver it to your customers only after they have placed an order.
This makes your company less reliant on third party services and gives you more flexibility with a shorter supply chain. The print-on-demand model is already popular in the publishing industry. Thanks to 3D printing, it is now becoming a trend for physical products as well.
8. Improve Operational Efficiency
Industrial 3D printers require minimal labor to operate. Compared to a conventional manufacturing facility, you will only need a fraction of the manpower and a fraction of the floor space. This reduces cost across the board and improves operational efficiency.
A shorter production line is also a more reliable production line. With 3D printing, you minimize the risk of human error or faulty items slipping through production. What’s even better is that 3D printing technology is growing fast, so this efficiency will only go up with time.
9. Enhance Your R&D Department
As we have seen above, 3D printing allows you to produce prototypes with speed and efficiency. This enables R&D departments to experiment with new configurations and novel materials.
Testing new materials and exploring new product concepts becomes as easy as producing an established product. Even if your main production is still done conventionally, you can still benefit from 3D printing when it comes to research and development.
10. An Industrial 3D Printer is Eco-Friendly
Finally, 3D printing is eco-friendly. If you aim to reduce your waste and carbon footprint, 3D printing presents a viable and advantageous solution.
As we have seen earlier, 3D printing shortens the supply chain and reduces the need for extensive warehousing and transportation. Moreover, 3D printing allows you to turn over the same number of units with less raw materials.
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