3D Printing Startups

Whether they're designing hyper-modern light fixtures or reproducing human tissues, startups all over the world are using 3D printing as a foundation for building innovative businesses.
3D printing allows startups to create fast, affordable prototypes to attract investors and set ideas in motion. And due to the highly-customizable nature of 3D printed objects, this new manufacturing process is revolutionizing the way that businesses interact with their customers.
Although 3D Printing technology has been around since the 1980s, 3D printers have become commercially available from 2010 and their prices have dropped considerably. A marked jump in the value of the market for 3D printers and services globally was seen in the year 2012.

Opportunities in 3D Printing

3Digiprints offers the business opportunity in 3D printing in india. Seeing a digital file transforming into a physical object in front of their eyes was a magical experience. Having tasted success in building a 3D printer, both of them were convinced that this was the future and they saw an opportunity to build their very own dream 3D printer from scratch. With the idea of building the world’s best 3D printer that was both easy to use and aesthetically appealing
Talking about the opportunities that entrepreneurs can explore in the 3D printing field, “Every single industry will be revolutionized by 3D printing. From printing organs and prosthetic limbs, to space stations, education, science, manufacturing, fashion etc. The primary skill-sets that a person needs to have is to be open to learning and absorb as many skills as possible. 3D printing is not hardware, its not software, its not design – but a perfect combination of all. So if anyone wants to cut their teeth in 3D printing and setup a company of value, they need to be open, and get used to being multidisciplinary in their approach.

The technologies are extremely capital intensive and so are the materials which are higher than the prices prevalent outside India as everything is imported from the developed countries.
A lot of design participants/entities (especially small scale & medium scale) still do not believe in prototyping as an investment but see it as a costly expenditure.
Only if materials could be engineered and locally produced, the cost could come down drastically directly resulting in a healthy demand and supply.
The size of 3D printing equipment restricts a lot of products from being made at one go.
A lack of in-depth knowledge about this 3D printing technology makes companies who opt for prototyping, finally either doing away with it entirely or finding another alternative. A common occurance is including in their budget, the prices of items and materials as mentioned in the newspapers which many a time publish prices of only low-cost equipments and machines as compared to industrial grade equipments which are a lot more expensive. This makes them postpone their need entirely ignoring the cost-benefit ratio, which if taken into consideration would go a long way in companies including 3D printing in their design, research and even manufacturing cycles.

Source: thetechpanda