The reports on 3D printing are flying around our ears. UPS is setting up its own centre with a hundred 3D printers, TNT is taking up printing and in China 10 houses were printed in a day. Maersk is putting 3D printers on ships, GE wants to print entire aircraft, and the Port of Rotterdam is betting heavily on 3D printing. Some even wonder if 3D printing will eventually make logistics obsolete. According to Alexander Hermanns of INDICIA, it is high time to pierce through that hype. What is fact and what is fiction? What is possible in what timeframe?
Hermanns will give a seminar on the impact of 3D printing on logistics at the LogistiekProfs theatre on Wednesday 11 November. "Everyone is talking about it. Companies are wondering if they are missing the boat if they don't join in now, but the question is for whom 3D printing will be relevant in what timeframe, and how to find out." Hermanns mentions a number of points: professional 3D printers are relatively expensive, print speeds are low, materials are still limited despite rapid progress, and knowledge about 3D printing needs to be built up. "Companies need to ask themselves whether it is worth the investment at this point in time," he says. Besides buying the device and peripherals, they also need to invest in knowledge and quality assurance." For some companies, that investment will pay off, according to Hermanns. During his lecture, Hermanns explains for which applications the 3D printer is attractive in the short term, and which companies are better off passing this technology by for the time being.
A provider of courses and trainer for 3D printing, Hermanns knows where we currently stand in terms of 3D printen. What can already be printed and what cannot? What materials are suitable for this? What does it cost? As Director of Technology and Innovation, he also puts 3D printing in perspective: how does 3D printing relate to other trends in logistics, such as big data, augmented reality and robotisation?
Curious about the status of 3D printing in logistics? And would you like to be inspired? Then this lecture on 11 November, from 12:00 to 12:30 is for you! You can register for free here.
