I'm not doing 3D printing myself, but as an industry analyst, I have written a report titled "State of 3D Printing in the Commercial Printing Industry" that includes as many implementations of 3D printing in this industry as I could find, the business models and the products produced. Here are the current business models I see being used for 3D printing in the commercial printing industry:
1. Research and development (in other words, get your feet wet and learn the technology and what it can do) – most common at this point.
2. Reframing the perception of your company in the eyes of customers – second most common.
3. Providing products to the consumer and hobbyist market (competing with existing 3D print providers)
4. Targeting the traditional 3D printing marketplace (prototypes and models, competing with existing 3D print providers)
5. Being an output-only provider (assuming a printable 3D file)
6. Creating internal cost efficiencies within your own company (one printer used its 3D printer to print replacements parts for its platesetter and saved $10,000)
7. White labeling
8. Incentives and promotional items used to drive responses to direct mail campaigns.
To me, this is the most interesting because the value of 3D printing isn't in selling the 3D printed product itself. Its using these products to drive sales of what printers really want to be doing anyway – more print. In fact, I've pointed out that in order to use 3D printing this way, you don't even have to be producing the 3D output. You could be outsourcing it. In other words, using 3D-printed dolls personalized to the recipient as a box-opener/incentive for a dimensional mail campaign to C-level executives. You outsource the production of the dolls, then print the dimensional mail, handle the mailing, and do the follow-up email campaign, as well. It's not the 3D printing you want. It's just a tool (whether produced by you or someone else) to get the rest of the multichannel marketing work.
For more info on the report,
State of 3D Printing in the Commercial Printing Industry: 2014 - Heidi Tolliver-Walker But if anyone in PrintPlanet would like to purchase the report, email me directly and I'll offer you a 10% discount on the price on the website.
