Many of the biggest players already in the business of additive manufacturing are vying to develop the platforms on which other companies will build and connect. And leaders must consider the strategic implications as whole commercial ecosystems begin to form around the new realities of 3-D printing. Industrial enterprises should revisit their operations to determine what network of supply chain assets and what mix of old and new processes will be optimal. Managers, D’Aveni writes, should now be engaging with strategic questions on three levels: Sellers of tangible products should ask how their offerings could be improved, whether by themselves or by competitors. In this article the author makes the case that additive manufacturing will gain ground quickly, given advantages such as greater flexibility, fewer assembly steps and other cost savings, and enhanced product-design possibilities. Already available are basic plastics, photosensitive resins, ceramics, cement, glass, numerous metals, thermoplastic composites (some infused with carbon nanotubes and fibers), and even stem cells.
More companies will follow as the range of printable materials continues to expand. Companies such as GE, Lockheed Martin, and BMW are switching to it for industrial production at scale. The use of 3-D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has moved well beyond prototyping, rapid tooling, trinkets, and toys.
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