Digital Fabrication (3-D printing)
The group will investigate 3-dimensional
printing from a managerial perspective: How can organizations strategically
exploit 3-D printing technologies?
3-D
Printing:
According to 3dprinting.com:
“The
creation of a 3D printed object is achieved using additive processes. In an
additive process an object is created by laying down successive layers of
material until the object is created. Each of these layers can be seen as a
thinly sliced horizontal cross-section of the eventual object.”
Source: viewed http://3dprinting.com/what-is-3d-printing/
July 7 2016.
Your group might structure the presentation
as follows:
I. Overview of 3-D printing:
Your group’s job would be to explain to
general managers the business value of the 3-D printing. Specifically, the
group should address:
Size of market, dollars spent on
3-D printing
Brief history of 3-D printing (no
more than 2 slides)
Explanation of how 3-D printing works
Promised business benefits of 3-D
printing
Future of 3-D printing
Limitations or controversies of 3-D
printing
II.
Applications of 3-D printing:
Much
of the presentation could focus on really cool and innovative applications of
3-D printing. There are so many
industries that will be affected by this from medicine (3-D printing human
cells!) fashion design, space station/aviation, industrial and consumer
applications. I saw a really
fascinating example of 3-D fashion at the Boston Museum of fine art. Here was a
famous piece:
Source:
http://www.mfa.org/news/techstyle
viewed July 14 2016
Industrial
sized 3-D printers built a bridge in Amsterdam:
http://www.slate.com/articles/video/video/2015/06/_3_d_print_bridge_3_d_bridge_robot_bridge_bridge_mx3d_robot_building_bridge.html
The
group should do at least 3 interviews; All sorts of
organizations use 3-D printing and it should be easy to find people who
understand the 3-D printing application and the business impact of the 3-D
printing application.
III.
Lessons Learned or Best Practices
The group
might end the presentation on best practices for effective 3-D printing systems, then map how your
examples fit into best practices.
This is essentially a cross-case or cross-example comparison that
integrates your primary (interviews) and secondary (journal articles &
books) research.