This document provides an overview of 3D printing technology and its implications. It begins with definitions of 3D printing and descriptions of the different types of 3D printing processes and materials. It then discusses the historical development of 3D printing and its applications in various industries like aerospace, automotive, medical and consumer products. The document analyzes the economic, social and environmental implications of 3D printing. It also explores the opportunities and challenges of 3D printing for companies and consumers, and the implications for business models and intellectual property rights. Finally, it provides an overview of the global 3D printing industry market and key players.

1. Technological Innovation: 3D Printing Technology
and Its Fundamental Implications
Relatore: Chiar.mo Tesi di Laurea di:
Prof. Alessandro Sterlacchini Hatice Kubra Bayram
Anno Accademico 2015 – 2016
UNIVERSITÀ POLITECNICA DELLE MARCHE
FACOLTÀ DI ECONOMIA “GIORGIO FUÀ”
_______________________________________________________________
Corso di Laurea Magistrale in International Economics and Business

2. CONTENT
ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................7
1.1. Definition of 3D Printing ............................................................................
1.2. Phases of 3D Printing..................................................................................
1.3. Types of 3D Printing Processes ..................................................................
1.3.1. Material Extrusion ...............................................................................
1.3.2. Material Jetting ....................................................................................
1.3.3. Powder Bed Fusion..............................................................................
1.3.4. Binder Jetting.......................................................................................
1.3.5. VAT Photopolymerization...................................................................
1.3.6. Direct Energy Deposition ....................................................................
1.3.7. Sheet Lamination .................................................................................
1.4. Types of 3D Printing Materials...................................................................
CHAPTER II..............................................................................................................
2. HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATIONS OF 3D PRINTING
2.1. Historical Development ..............................................................................
2.2. Applications of 3D Printing ........................................................................
2.2.1. Aerospace Industry ..............................................................................

3. 2.2.2. Automotive Industry............................................................................
2.2.3. Medical Industry..................................................................................
2.2.4. Construction Industry ..........................................................................
2.2.5. Consumer Product Industry .................................................................
CHAPTER III ............................................................................................................
3. IMPLICATIONS OF 3D PRINTING................................................................
3.1. Economic and Social Implications..............................................................
3.1.1. Cost......................................................................................................
3.1.2. Labor and Development.......................................................................
3.1.3. Imbalance Between Import and Export Countries...............................
3.2. Environmental and Sustainability Implications ..........................................
3.2.1. Lighter Parts, Less Energy...................................................................
3.2.2. Distributed and On-Demand Manufacturing .......................................
3.2.3. Resource Efficiency and Waste Reduction..........................................
3.2.4. Materials Innovation...........................................................................
3.2.5. Risk and Challenges.............................................................................
3.3. Opportunities of 3D Printing for Companies and Consumers ....................
3.3.1. Increased part complexity....................................................................
3.3.2. Digital design and manufacturing........................................................
3.3.3. Complexity is free................................................................................
3.3.4. Instant production on a global scale ....................................................
3.3.5. Waste reduction ...................................................................................

4. 3.4. Challenges of 3D Printing for Companies and Consumers ........................
3.5. Implications on Business Models Innovation .............................................
3.6. 3D Printing and Intellectual Property Rights..............................................
3.6.1. Industrial 3D Printing ..........................................................................
CHAPTER IV............................................................................................................
4. 3D Printing Industry Market Insights ................................................................
4.1. A General Overview of 3D Printing Market Structure Worldwide ............
4.1.1. Past and Current Situation ...................................................................
4.1.2. Consumer 3D Printing .........................................................................
4.1.3. Industrial 3D Printing ..........................................................................
4.1.4. Direct Part Production .........................................................................
4.1.5. Forecasts ..............................................................................................
4.2. Market Structure by Applications, Materials, Technologies, Regions and
Countries................................................................................................................
4.3. Key Players In The Market .........................................................................
4.3.1. Stratasys Ltd. .......................................................................................
4.3.2. 3D Systems Corporation......................................................................
4.3.3. Materialise NV.....................................................................................
4.4. The Future of 3D Printing Technology.......................................................
4.5. Conclusion...................................................................................................
References..................................................................................................................

5. ABSTRACT
3D printing, also known as “additive manufacturing”, is a radical manufacturing
technology that leads to transform manufacturing processes, supply chains,
distribution channels, business models, and the usage of resources in the
production. It is anticipated that 3D printing technology could have a tremendous
and widespread affect on many industries including aerospace, automotive, medical
and consumer products, with presenting a wide range of advantages and
disadvantages for both companies and consumers. This paper analyses the
evolution of 3D printing technology together with its main applications across the
industries, containing also its economic, social and environmental implications.
The paper also explains the opportunities and challenges of 3D printing for both
companies and consumers. Additionally, it also includes a discussion about the
main implications of 3D printing on business models innovation and intellectual
property rights. It then continues with an overview of 3D printing industry’s market
structure worldwide by identifying the market by applications, materials, regions
and countries. The paper concludes by advancing a discussion about the future of
3D printing technology and the final thoughts about the related topic.

6. Key Words: 3D Printing; Additive Manufacturing; Impacts; Implications;
Advantages; Disadvantages; Opportunities, Challenges; Applications;
Technology; Innovation; Business Models; Cost; Supply Chain; Industry Growth;
Key Players; Intellectual Property Rights

7. INTRODUCTION
3D printing, also known as “additive manufacturing”, is a radical manufacturing
technology that deposits materials layer-by-layer to build a tangible product from
a three-dimensional digital file (ASTM International, 2012)1
. The main benefit of
the technology is that enables the flexible production of customized products,
without any need for tooling, molding and cutting implementations, unlike
subtractive and conventional manufacturing methods such as drilling2
and milling3
(ASTM International, 2012).
3D printing technology has been used mainly for manufacturing of conceptual
and functional prototypes for over three decades, but it has received a lot of
attention recently because of its potential to transform to a direct manufacturing
method for final products. The performance improvements together with its new
applications across various industries enabled the technology to offer numerous
opportunities in the manufacturing process of final products. The technology is now
capable to fabricate more complex shapes, reduce production cycle time, costs and
supply chain risks, and more efficient use of raw materials which provides to reduce
waste in the production processes and its negative environmental consequences.
1
The American Society of the International Association for Testing and Materials that is an international standards
organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products,
systems, and services.
2
Drilling is a cutting process that uses a drill bit to cut a hole of circular cross-section in solid materials.
3
Milling is the most common form of machining, a material removal process, which can create a variety of features on a
part by cutting away the unwanted material.

8. Additionally, it also allows to enhance design freedoms, produce more personalized
and sustainable products by offering a wide range of material and quality choices.
Currently, the technology is used for production in several areas, including
components for the automotive and aerospace industries, as well as dental implants
and orthopedics for the medical industry.
In recent years, 3D printing technology has claimed to have triggered of a new
industrial revolution because it is anticipated that the technology has the potential
to transform manufacturing processes, supply chains, distribution channels,
business models, and the usage of resources in the production (The Economist,
2012). This revolutionary technology can have a tremendous and widespread affect
on the production, distribution and selling processes of products which are the ways
of how companies create, capture and delivery the value to their customers. For
instance, the use of 3D printing technology can enable supply chains more efficient
by allowing on-demand production which could reduce the need to maintain large
production inventories and spare parts, and allow for the localized production of
goods much more closer to consumers. As an additional example, the application
of 3D printing technology in the aerospace industry can eliminate of many
conventional design constraints that promises opportunities for optimized designs
to increase performance and reduce weight of components.
Even though the technology has many fundamental opportunities, it also has
numerous challenges in order to achieve its entire potential. With 3D printing the
pace of production is rather low, the materials that are available for manufacturing
do not always match the characteristics of conventional manufacturing processes.
And, most of the manufacturers need an additional surface finish, and common
standards for quality control are not established yet. There are other challenges and

9. barriers in terms of its adaptation and diffusion. The adaptation of 3D printing
technology has significant implications for the configuration and sustainability of
manufacturing, it is essential that such issues should be identified and remedied
before they become barriers to the growth of 3D printing industry. The rest of
challenges can be described such as standardization, intellectual property rights,
certification, skills and required education to use the technology.
The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of 3D printing technology with
a particular focus on its possible opportunities and challenges for both company
and consumer levels. The structure of the paper as follows. Chapter I defines 3D
printing technology together with describing its main phases, the process and the
material types. Chapter II explains the historical evolution of 3D printing
technology, including its key applications in some particular manufacturing
industries. Chapter III analyses the major opportunities and challenges of the
technology, by stating also its major economic, social and environmental
implications. It then continues to explain the effects of the technology on business
models innovation and the implications in the aspect of intellectual property rights.
Chapter IV provides an overview of 3D printing industry’s market structure
worldwide by identifying the market by applications, materials, regions and
countries. The chapter also includes a brief information about the key players in the
market and a discussion about the future of 3D printing technology. Then, the paper
concludes with the final thoughts about the related topic.