Important issues to consider when it comes to manufacturing.

In this "let's all hurry up and get rich" world we live in we need to keep in mind that there are things that are bigger than ourselves. We all want the cheapest and fastest of everything. But there is a cost to that. If you have Netflix see if you can find: ‘Death by China’ /2012. It's an interesting Documentary and independent of your personal take on it, it raises a lot of questions we all should be contemplating and asking as budding makers and manufacturers. Maybe those of us who use manufacturing need to make just a little bit less profit and help to insure that we leave an intact United States for our great-grandchildren.

Ok, so my post has a point. With the further explosion of 3d printing, I think a lot of work that might otherwise have been sent overseas to be manufactured, will stay home. I think that might be a good thing.

If the link fails just go look for it.

Death by China

Hi, do you think that 3D printing can notably influence at the US economy?

I think one of the biggest areas that 3d printing will change world economies is by drastically reducing the amount of time and energy we spend shipping things around. Even things that are manufactured in the US are often shipped back and forth from manufacturer to distributor to retailer. All of that requires fuel and man hours. If we can shift to a consumer model where people print what they need at home or locally, the only thing they would need to buy is the actual raw material to print with, which could also be very easy to source locally. In the long term I see 3d printing making the vast majority of the shipping, storage and delivery industries obsolete.

I like that philosophy but there are only so many things that the average consume can print at home. Once you've made your iPhone case, a pencil holder, a few tree ornaments, there comes a point that the 3d printer is not used for long periods. Any item or object that has parts, springs, batteries, etc., will always be beyond grandma's ability to make on her own. Unfortunately, I don't think, as noble as it sounds, that shipping, storage and delivery will ever feel even the slightest dent from 3d printers on the market.

What most people don't realize is that 3d printing is just another manufacturing tool for the tool box. It won't replace most manufacturing as it currently exists. It will replace manufacturing in areas where it excels or enables things that can't be printed in any other way. But it will never eliminate the need for us to go to Walmart.

A lot of good points here worth reading,thanks for sharing.