PPB June 2015

THINK

64 •

PPB

• JUNE 2015

FAST FORWARD

3D PRINTING AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

THINK

BRANDS DEBUT IN-STORE MANUFACTURING SERVICES

BY TAMA UNDERWOOD

F YOU’RE ONE OF THE MANY who get

excited about the possibilities of 3D printing

but then immediately feel overwhelmed by the

mechanics of it all, your time has arrived.

Retailers such as Staples, Lowe’s and The UPS Store

have all unveiled 3D-printing services that reduce costs

and increase access to 3D printers. Small businesses and

enterprising consumers are the target market for these

new services, which are used mainly for prototypes and

customized objects.

Lowe’s 3D printing

solution—described by the

brand as the “real DIY”—is being touted as the most

user-friendly of the in-store printers because it doesn’t

require customers to arrive with pre-engineered render-

ings. Instead, it provides a kiosk manned by Lowe’s

staffers who walk customers through the computerized

design process. A scanner is also available to copy exist-

ing items’ designs into the 3D-printing software, allow-

ing customers to duplicate products or parts.

At Staples, customers without design skills are

offered help getting in touch with professionals who can input their concepts into rendering software. And after testing a

few markets, The UPS Store has rolled out 3D printers—all aimed at “sophisticated small-business customers”—into more

than 100 of its retail stores.

All the machines can print objects in an impressive array of materials, and projects take anywhere from a few hours to a

few days to print, depending on their size and complexity.

Another upside to these in-store printers is quality. Commercial-grade 3D printers are considered more precise and

reliable than amateur home models.

Some of these new, consumer-focused 3D-printing initiatives are in response to data from the Wohlers Report, the

self-proclaimed bible of 3D printing, which has found the industry grew at a compound annual growth rate of 35.2 percent

to reach $4.1 billion in 2014 and projects the industry to quadruple in size by 2018.

As for the promotions industry, widespread public use of 3D printers could be a game changer in the years to come.

3D PRINTING

BE A WINNER!

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