The 3D Future: Is It a Print?

Laser metal 3D printer. Photo: UPS Longitudes

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E-commerce is all the rage these days, but inventory requirements for shippers may actually decline in the years ahead if 3D printing catches fire.

Anyway, that’s the prediction of the authors of the latest State of Logistics report. They see this gee-whiz technology being used first and foremost by manufacturers to fabricate spare parts on demand and by retailers to personalize merchandise for individual customers.

Also known as “additive manufacturing,” 3D printing is still largely being used to accelerate product development (28%), offer customized products (16%), and increase production flexibility (13%), according to a 2017 survey by Sculpteo, which provides online 3D printing services.

Among big logistics players, Big Brown has already stepped up to the printer. UPS announced last year that it was launching “a distributed, on-demand manufacturing network” that links its global logistics network with 3D printers at 60 UPS Store locations in the U.S. The company said customers will place 3D print orders online and the work will directed to the optimal manufacturing or UPS Store location based on speed, geography, and product quality required. What’s more, the orders can be shipped as early as same day

“UPS is a leader in bringing industrial-strength 3D printing to reality,” according to Stan Deans, president, UPS Global Distribution & Logistics. “By building this disruptive technology into our supply chain models, we also bring new value to our manufacturing customers of all sizes. Additive manufacturing technology is still developing rapidly so ‘manufacturing as a service’ is a smart approach for many companies.”

In a recent blog post, Alan Amling, UPS vice president– corporate strategy, suggests thinking of 3D printing “as the Uberization of manufacturing, where supply can be accessed anywhere in the world to produce goods at the click of button.”

Amling says the upshot …Read the rest of this story

Source:: http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/fleet-management/article/story/2017/07/is-that-a-print.aspx