BY MITCH MAC DONALD, GROUP EDITORIAL DIRECTOR outbound
Rocking your (logistics) world …
in 3D, no less
OVER THE PAST DECADE, WE’VE NOTED SEVERAL TIMES IN
this space that logistics has a nice built-in hedge against being
replaced by emerging technology. Despite all the amazing technological breakthroughs during the period, logistics has effectively been
sheltered from obsolescence by the very nature of its activity.
The technology has been amazing indeed. You have at your disposal today systems that provide end-to-end product
and inventory visibility, optimize your logistics network, track shipments globally in real time, and in
the case of artificial intelligence software, even
make critical logistics business decisions for you.
Yet for all they can do to enhance efficiency, there’s
one thing these technologies can’t do: replace a
logistics operation. At the end of the day, somebody
(and something) has still got to physically move all
your company’s stuff.
And we’ve always assumed nothing would change
that until the day comes when, say, Star Trek-style
teleportation becomes a reality.
Well, folks, that day may be closer than you ever
imagined, and it will flat-out rock your (logistics)
world, and in 3D, no less.
Behold the emergence of 3D printers. Still in their relative infancy,
these machines can already, with just a few keystrokes, spit out anything from a wedding ring or a shirt button to replacement parts for
your car. Just as easily as your desktop printer puts ink on a sheet of
paper, 3D printers extrude ultrathin fibers of heated plastic and layer
them to turn software-enhanced images into actual solid objects.
It’s not as far-fetched as it seems. In fact, a New York-based company called MakerBot started selling the $2,200 Replicator 2, its latest
and most advanced 3D printer, back in September. In just over a
month, it had sold over 2,000 units.
MakerBot is viewed as the leader in an emerging technology sector
that is admittedly still in the early stages. The predictions, though, are
that it will mature quickly. In fact, Deloitte projects that the global
market for 3D printers, currently estimated at just under $200 million
in annual sales, will grow twofold each year for the foreseeable future.
With these 3D printers getting better every day—and with the
potential to produce even larger and more com-
plex items—consumers and businesses can now
legitimately envision a time when a product will
be delivered to their home via 3D printer, the
same way you get tickets to movies, concerts, or
sporting events. What happens to logistics net-
works when the printer is able
to use composites, and instead
of making lampshades, can
deliver complex aircraft parts?
The day, it seems, is coming,
and sooner than anyone may
have expected.
