3D printing poised to change consumer buying patterns in a big way

Thanks to 3D printing technology ordinary people could one day use 3D printers to make shoes, glasses frames and toys in their homes rather than buying the items at shops, according to speakers at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Music star will.i.am, who made a debut as a creative officer for 3D Systems, projects the technology would make many basic items '3D printable' at home.

He predicted that 3D printers would be common in homes within a decade and people would print out everyday items instead of going to the shops or waiting for a delivery.

"3D printers will be in your house like refrigerators, TVs and microwaves," will.i.am said.

3D printing is not really new, it has been around for 25 years; its popularity shot up as the technology improved and costs were down to a point accessible for hobbyists, artists and entrepreneurs.

Printers for the home market, would typically create products using layers of plastic.

According to Roger Chang, chief executive of Singapore-based Pirate 3D, it could be thought of as laying microscopic bricks; layers and layers of these bricks. The company makes a Buccaneer home printer that sells for $497.

Five years ago, the sole exhibitor in the section was Brooklyn-based MakerBot, but the company this time was one among many rivals looking to cash in on the trend.

However, Rakesh Sharma, a freelance technology writer, points out in Forbes magazine that the demand for 3D printers was still unproven. Growth rates for the industry, which were over 300 per cent during the final years of the previous decade, were down to less than 50 per cent in 2012. Further, several industry analysts had cautioned that the personal manufacturing revolution would take time.

According to Sharma, Makerbot's eagerness to release new products could be explained in one word – China.

Sharma writes, with its focus on building a community of enthusiasts and custom retail stores for its products, Makerbot went by the Apple playbook in a market that was dominated by variations of open-source printers.

Much like the Cupertino-based company, Makerbot's products came with slightly heavier price tags than competition. The company, in return, offered clean design and community support.

Consumers responded positively and the company's growth rates tracked that of the 3D printing industry.

In 2009, when Makerbot was launched, the startup commanded 41 per cent of the total 3D printing market, but as more players entered the play that number declined to 32 per cent of the total market in 2011.