Off The Mark

3D printing came to the fore in 1980s. Since then, it has evolved from being merely a process of creating prototypes to being used in production of multiple consumer products. With its market expected to touch $32.78 billion by 2023 globally, in India 3D printing is still far from flourishing. But one can expect it all change in the years to come.

- Sandeep Soni

21% 3D Printing industry is growing at a rate of 21 percent

$79m Indian market projected to reach $ 79 million mark by 2020

3D printing or additive manufacturing may not be the last leg of the disruption caused by modern technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, robotics, and blockchain. But it seems likely that, in India, atleast, it would take 3D printing some time before its demand would surge.

However, it is poised to bring an unprecedented shiftin the $12 trillion global manufacturing sector and slingshot world economy. The global consulting firm for additive manufacturing Wohlers Associates in its 2018 annual report noted 21 percent increase in the industry’s growth in 2017 —from $6.06 billion in the preceding year to $7.3 billion. This transformation is set to bring production of goods closer to the consumer and ‘democratize’ (as every knowledge content on 3D printing quotes) the manufacturing process across the globe.

NEED FOR SPEED

However, in a market like India which lacks macroeconomic factors, the relatively new market for 3D printing is yet to be defined. The use cases have been limited to prototyping (in various industries) and are largely still at development stage. So far, 3D printing is being used for making high quality products in lower volumes but not for mass production, which is done through conventional methods like injection moulding. Some of the factors at play are the speed at which the printer prints and the cost of the printer. For instance, a Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printer – one of the most common 3D printers, costs around Rs 2 lakh onwards.