3D Printing - Future Opportunities

18 replies
Hello Fellow Warriors,

I'm wondering about 3D Printing and if (in time of course) it's going to be a complete game changer in terms of being able to have someone print off your branded product? For example, if you owned a T-Shirt company could people print off a T-Shirt they purchased from you? This would have to be a special soft texture printable medium. Would you be able to print off consumables like a case of Coca Cola and consume it? How do you get nutrients into a product you print off? Not that Coca Cola has many nutrients lol but you know what I mean. At first one wouldn't think so but who would have thought 3D Printing would be possible in the first place.

Again just thinking outside the box. Any input would be appreciated. Really enjoying my stay here at the Warrior Forum and going to make the investment in the War Room soon here. Hopefully it goes on sale some time. Does War Room membership ever go on sale?

Thanks J
#future #opportunities #printing
  • Profile picture of the author Ferrari Enzo
    3D Printers are the future! 3D printers are even printing 3D printers crazy right? So about the T shirt im not exactly sure about that i think they would have to make a template exactly like your branded product.
    I know that there is already food being 3D printed so coca cola wont be too far into the future!
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    • Profile picture of the author jordorules
      Originally Posted by Ferrari Enzo View Post

      I know that there is already food being 3D printed so coca cola wont be too far into the future!
      Thanks Ferrari Enzo. That's absolutely mind boggling. How can they print food that is just difficult for me to get my head around. I'm sure it's correct it's just so hard to fathom.

      Almost makes you wonder that once the advancement of 3D Printers becomes more the norm and of course cost effective then industry leaders like FedEx will go the way of Blockbuster and either change their business model almost completely or die.

      Appreciate the input! J
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      "Whether you believe you can or can't ... You're right." - Henry Ford, CEO, Ford Motor Company

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      • Profile picture of the author dana67
        3D Printing is just the beginning. Perhaps it will lead to replicators like those seen on Star Trek.


        It will change the scope of many industries.
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        • Profile picture of the author jordorules
          I agree 100%. It's fascinating and one of the more unusual technology advancements we've seen. Will there be a 'Google' of the 3D Printing industry? Is there already? Thanks J
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          "Whether you believe you can or can't ... You're right." - Henry Ford, CEO, Ford Motor Company

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  • Profile picture of the author SapirVelis
    Originally Posted by jordorules View Post

    Hello Fellow Warriors,

    I'm wondering about 3D Printing and if (in time of course) it's going to be a complete game changer in terms of being able to have someone print off your branded product? For example, if you owned a T-Shirt company could people print off a T-Shirt they purchased from you? This would have to be a special soft texture printable medium. Would you be able to print off consumables like a case of Coca Cola and consume it? How do you get nutrients into a product you print off? Not that Coca Cola has many nutrients lol but you know what I mean. At first one wouldn't think so but who would have thought 3D Printing would be possible in the first place.

    Again just thinking outside the box. Any input would be appreciated. Really enjoying my stay here at the Warrior Forum and going to make the investment in the War Room soon here. Hopefully it goes on sale some time. Does War Room membership ever go on sale?

    Thanks J
    I'm sure that is will change everything!
    You can already see that great advantages and things that already can be made- if it's small part's your'e missing for your child's toy (or yourselves (; ) or creating your favourite cup that was just broken.

    The best thing about it that you can make you own printers for yourself and all the instructors are online!
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  • Profile picture of the author Silverhoop
    A 3d Printer, A Holodeck and a replicator.

    I'm set for life
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel Evans
      Originally Posted by Silverhoop View Post

      A 3d Printer, A Holodeck and a replicator.

      I'm set for life
      A valuable reference there, since many people dont understand the difference between 3D printing and universal materialisation, which is a far cry from the former.
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      • Profile picture of the author myob
        This technology has been booming and revolutionizing every conceivable manufacturing aspect in industry, medicine, engineering, aerospace, consumer products, hobbyists, etc for nearly ten years. An excellent introductory ebook I've been promoting quite successfully for list-building niche prospects is truthabout3d.com (on Clickbank).

        In terms of monetizing this huge market, consider promoting the vast array of selections on Amazon for 3D printers, accessories, parts, supplies, CAD software. The cost of entry is dropping so fast that it is possible now to have a manufacturing facility on the kitchen table. The space station has one for making tools and small replacement parts.
        Ref: Space Station's 3D Printer Makes 1st Part - Space.com, November 25, 2014
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        • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
          Originally Posted by myob View Post

          This technology has been booming and revolutionizing every conceivable manufacturing aspect in industry, medicine, engineering, aerospace, consumer products, hobbyists, etc for nearly ten years.

          In terms of monetizing this huge market, consider promoting the vast array of selections on Amazon for 3D printers, accessories, parts, supplies, CAD software. The cost of entry is dropping so fast that it is possible now to have a manufacturing facility on the kitchen table.
          How much research have you done on this? I've done a ton, and it is NOT as easy as you are making it sound.

          3D printing is s-l-o-w.

          It requires calibration, chemistry skills, and trial and error.

          Look at the tech in this troubleshooting vid:



          People are not going to spend $10K and get a magic box that quickly and perfectly creates what they want.

          Given the whining we seen from newbies about a simple, well-explained thing like Wordpress (did they bother to look up a youtube video to get the answer?), I can expect the same whining from people who blindly buy these things expecting plug and play ability. So let's not sell them on the dream, OK?

          Look at all the little devices, measures and more the operator has to learn about and master.

          Who's prepared to do that?
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          • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
            Jason's right. This technology is a long way from being ready for general consumer use.

            Using a 3D printer for a tee shirt? Why not just use an inkjet printer like they use on cakes? Or a simple iron on transfer?

            There might be near term opportunities for small businesses to use 3D printers to manufacture replacement parts, custom hardware, and such.

            If you want to talk Trek, give me my replicator and holodeck, and you can keep the 3D printer.
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            • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
              Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

              Jason's right. This technology is a long way from being ready for general consumer use.

              Using a 3D printer for a tee shirt? Why not just use an inkjet printer like they use on cakes? Or a simple iron on transfer?

              There might be near term opportunities for small businesses to use 3D printers to manufacture replacement parts, custom hardware, and such.

              If you want to talk Trek, give me my replicator and holodeck, and you can keep the 3D printer.
              High end units--$100K+ that corporations can afford--do perform better than their tabletop counterparts.

              But in either case, high or low end, you need a competent operator...and for us home users, that essentially means buying yourself a job.

              Now I've operated fine plasma cutting tables that required their own G-code programming following uploading of a CAD drawing (which I also drew--I've learned and forgotten AutoCAD and VersaCAD three times over the years)...and that took months to get good at. Even with a simple mixing of a few gases plus some torch head settings--height, burn time etc.

              I know someone who prints prosthetic hands. For fun, since we're part of a horror fan group, he turned the printer to printing a movie logo. It took him, well the printer, 3 hours. I think it was 16 hours for a hand.

              This article states "Each hand takes about 20 hours to print and another two or three hours to assemble."

              And for $20-$50 in revenue?

              ...Why would you bother? Sure, it could be a nice side business making you say $30 in profit a day...but the idea of "turn it on and it'll plop out a hundred by daybreak" is totally false.

              Imagine how long it would take to print a full chess set, or enough jewelry pieces to make some decent money. And that's IF you get all the settings just right....and don't run out of printing material halfway through.

              For now, the cost-benefit ratio is not great. It's a hobby at best for us non-corporate types, and a highly technical one at that.
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          • Profile picture of the author myob
            Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

            How much research have you done on this? I've done a ton, and it is NOT as easy as you are making it sound.
            There are 3D printers available right now for under $1,000 (ie on Amazon) that will fit nicely on a kitchen table and produce small plastic parts (up to 5 cubic inches). Of course it's not easy, but the market for this technology has been booming, especially in the last few years as cost reductions and performance improves.
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            • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
              Originally Posted by myob View Post

              There are 3D printers available right now for under $1,000 (ie on Amazon) that will fit nicely on a kitchen table and produce small plastic parts (up to 5 cubic inches). Of course it's not easy, but the market for this technology has been booming, especially in the last few years as cost reductions and performance improves.
              Yup...and read the reviews.

              Soak in the technical aspects, the confusion, and the fact that they all require calibration and some Ikea-assembly-required stuff to figure out that isn't quite covered in the manual.

              Note how they ask each other technical questions in the comments. And that they say perfect output is definitely not achieved every time.

              The guy I know doing the hands and logos etc. says, "I rent printer time out as a side business at $10/hr. For people that need prototypes, inventions, or art projects."

              $10/hr? This isn't a business.

              Let's assume we get the printer for $700. It takes several days to test the calibration so a decent result comes out more often than not.

              Even at $50, which is what people are paying for an assembled (that costs money), articulated hand...you'll need to sell FOURTEEN just to break even.

              That's not considering labor, consumables, and screw-up time.

              And it will take you two weeks just to print those hands.

              Given that most people give up after three days or less on an idea, how viable does this sound?

              Will they stick around to figure production out?

              Will they stick around to learn how to sell these things? FOURTEEN of them?

              Unlikely.

              Much more likely it'll quickly become a $700 paperweight.

              My purpose isn't to be mean. It's to educate people of the reality of the situation. I've done plenty of research and reading and watching of videos about 3D printing and it's simply not the easy moneymaker some believe it will be.
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              • Profile picture of the author myob
                Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

                I've done plenty of research and reading and watching of videos about 3D printing and it's simply not the easy moneymaker some believe it will be.
                I've been selling 3D printers, accessories, supplies, and related reference books for over 10 years. This technology really is not new. Also known as additive manufacturing, it was actually developed in the late 1970's.

                Although made mostly from polymers, the last two decades or so have seen developments in metalworking applications. For example, GE uses this technology for building parts in its manufacture of turbine generators.

                An excellent 3D printer for beginners and hobbyists is from the Tiertime brand line, especially the UP! Plus 2 (available from Amazon currently at $950.00). Admittedly, this type of printer is not practical for full-scale production, but many of my customers enjoy making curiosity novelties and unique objects d'art.
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  • Profile picture of the author Stop Byte
    Yes 3D printing is the future and taking off rapidly. There already are people printing clothes!

    Also you might want to check this marketplace out ShopMy3D.com - The Worlds Best 3D Printing Market
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    The tech is not so great at the low end. It is NOT "push the button and get the result."

    You'll have to learn a lot about chemical mixing, ratios, and spend a lot of time in trial and error with the low budget printers.

    People seem to think this is easy. There's much to learn, as in any field, and things don't work as advertised.

    A lot of crappy blobs have been created by people who thought their 3D printer was going to be simple plug and play.
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    The War room has been much cheaper in the past and I see you have been a member for many years. It's a shame you didn't grab it before it went up.
    It's well worth joining though.
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    • Profile picture of the author jordorules
      Originally Posted by laurencewins View Post

      The War room has been much cheaper in the past and I see you have been a member for many years. It's a shame you didn't grab it before it went up.
      It's well worth joining though.
      Thanks laurencewins, I have been a member since 2003 and did not buy my account from anyone. This is why I think a lot of members give me a hard time about some of my posts. I was busy with a sales career and other entrepreneurial ventures I never really had the time for Internet Marketing. I would like to see Warrior Forum offer an affiliate program for The War Room membership. Even if they payed 25% commission reoccurring each year it would be worth promoting. Does The War Room ever go on sale? I'll likely join shortly probably this year once I get settled.

      Thanks J
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      "Whether you believe you can or can't ... You're right." - Henry Ford, CEO, Ford Motor Company

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