3D printing may have come off as a flop to consumers, but industry can make incredibly good use of it. This is the message Alexander Hermanss of Indicia wanted to convey in his talk at the Logistica trade fair.
The technology surrounding 3D printing is decades old, but adoption of the subject lags behind. After the fact that everything can come out of a printer these days was picked up by the media in 2013, 3D printing received a huge boost. "Nowadays, we are almost back to square one. That acceptance has to come."
He himself has long been convinced. "When I heard about this, I could only think in possibilities - shoes, houses, prototypes, cars, parts to lighten work: anything is possible." As an example with the latter, he gives Opel, which had a plastic holder for their thumb printed for its employees. "If you have to press caps all day, you can suffer medical complaints. Through this thumb, those are reduced."
Legislation
Acceptance seems to be emerging among some companies, but Hermanss says it is being held back by legislation, among other things. "If everything is printable, who holds copyright? And who bears responsibility that an accident happens, for example, with a printed car engine?" Other legal pitfalls also threaten. "If you print a car, does the RDW allow you to drive it on the road?"
The issue is hotly debated in the industry, but Hermanss is firm in his answer: "Data should belong to everyone. There is no copyright on things you digitise yourself."
Bottleneck for logistics
The acceptance of 3D printing requires a new state of mind, according to Hermanss. "Right now we are still thinking mainly in mass production, but we will soon have to take a close look at where 3D printing would be a useful addition." According to Hermanss, once everyone realises that the possibilities are enormous, acceptance will come quickly in the industry. "Although it may mean quite a setback for logistics: once individual parts no longer have to be delivered but can be printed directly, there will be fewer trucks to drive. A good thing for the environment, but that could become a bottleneck for the logistics sector."
Editorial LogistiekProfs
