Digital manufacturing-industrial 3D printing in particular-has catalyzed world-changing ideas since its inception. This year, however, has been a watershed moment for the industry. The technology proved invaluable, moving at warp-speed in the face of unprecedented challenges when the world was overtaken by a fast-spreading virus.
Digital manufacturing helped bridge broken healthcare supply chains. The industrial 3D printing community came together to design, produce, and deliver personal protective equipment (PPE) for the healthcare providers that needed it.
For our future, this technology plays an indispensable role: Digital manufacturing is charting an entirely new course, driving one of the biggest transformations of our lifetime. Looking to 2021 and beyond, four key trends are becoming clear.
Agility and Economic Growth
Reduced tooling costs. Less downtime. Affordable customization at scale. Faster speed to market. Nearly unlimited iteration capabilities. During the first months of the pandemic, these hallmarks of digital manufacturing not only got PPE into the hands of distressed medical staff in mere days but also allowed companies, at the height of economic disruption, to keep producing and continue planning for the future. In fact, research from McKinsey Global Institute found that 85 percent of C-suite executives witnessed accelerated digitization and automation in their businesses this year.
Similarly, HP surveyed thousands of manufacturing executives in key regions across the globe in the past several months about what their companies have experienced and where their attention is focused for the future. Roughly four out of five respondents intend to increase 3D printing investments for the same reasons the technology was so critical in the pandemic -the ability to increase agility and unlock growth at a greater capacity than traditional manufacturing.
Unmatched Innovation
Ask anyone in the manufacturing industry what makes digital manufacturing invaluable, and they will undoubtably agree: Its ability to drive innovation. Companies are in fierce competition for customers' attention and loyalty-a fact that is only heightened by COVID-19. Winning both demands a personalized approach.
Direct-to-consumer models, on-demand production, and streamlined digital inventorying allow for mass customization through digital manufacturing, which is great news considering 91 percent of HP's survey respondents want to leverage mass customization as a means to explore innovation. The rapid adoption of this technology across industries from automotive to consumer goods to healthcare is a clear sign among business leaders that 3D printing enables faster innovation and more consumer centricity.
Collaboration Across Boundaries
Early 2020 was characterized by atrophied supply chains. People were scrambling for masks. Not enough nasal swabs were available for testing. At this critical juncture, 3D printing allowed companies across industries to increase collaboration and to produce products where, and when, they were needed.
Across borders, designs were adapted overnight, and put into production almost instantly. Small businesses, corporations, governments, and universities must work together to ensure these much-needed paradigm shifts become a lasting reality. Eighty-five percent of respondents to HP's survey said collaboration across sectors to embrace new digital manufacturing technologies is critical for what's to come.
Digital technology galvanized a manufacturing movement that COVID-19 pushed into high gear, and going forward, partnerships will be critical for more sustainable resource use, more equitable supply chains, and more innovative products.
Sustainable and Scalable by Design
Consumers are redefining how they engage with the world's finite resource, and businesses must adapt quickly. Digital manufacturing ensures that sustainability and resiliency are key components of future-ready strategies. The same characteristics that make 3D printing a vehicle for agility and innovation also make it a scalable solution for simplifying supply chains and potentially prolonging the life of products, all in service of a more circular economy and a better future for everyone.
The manufacturing industry supports entire economies and ecosystems, and the insights revealed during this challenging time demand our attention and accountability. What COVID-19 highlighted aren't simply suggestions on change management. They are foundational pillars in a fast-moving world-a world that will only continue to demand more creative solutions. If there is anything this year has taught us, it's that digital manufacturing is the innovation of a lifetime.
We've only just begun to discover and demonstrate what it can do.