Are you familiar with 3D printing?

It is something that has been around for 30 years.  It is now, however, starting to hit its stride.  I feel it will be the breakthrough technology over the next couple years.

This is going to have serious implications on a great many things in society.  Within 5 years. this technology should be at the point that serious impact is felt.  Unlike many technologies where one can see a direct correlation, i.e. cryptocurrency to bank or streaming to cassette rental, 3D printing is going to operate across many different spectrums.  

3D printing is also known as additive manufacturing.  This contracts the present day which is essentially subtractive.  Today, we see someone start with a piece of metal which is sheered, shaped, and welded to form a product.  With 3D printing, a digital file is fed down to the printer which basically "prints" the object out.

The benefits to this is a lot less waste and cost.  We are also seeing the speeds improve to the point where production printing is close.  Since the objects are taken from a digital drawing, the creativity is much higher as compared to traditional manufacturing.

Automotive and aerospace are the traditional industries that utilized 3D printers.  It is still a high end market in this regard with printers starting at $100K and working their way up.  There is also the sub $1,500 market for the home enthusiast.  Up until this point, the mid-market seemed not to exist.

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<center>[Source](https://en.reset.org/blog/latest-future-food-3d-printed-completely-meat-free-steaks)</center>

This is changing as the technology improves.  Of course, the impact on the world of investing is great.

Unfortunately, at this moment, there are few ways to get involved from the outside.  There are a few publicly traded companies such as DDD and Stratasys.   I question the long term validity of these companies.  We also see some of the larger players such as Ricoh, GE, and HP involved.  The challenge with these companies is their legacy businesses could be a drain going forward.

Outside of this, it is also beneficial to look at what 3D printing is disrupting.  For example, if you are involved in a dental lab, that decision might want to be examined.  This technology is enabling caps and bridges to be create right in the dental office.

Another market that is seeing some interest is food.  The 3D printing of food is where many companies are looking.  This obviously is helpful for space exploration although there are a number of uses here on Earth.

One of the main reasons why companies outsource manufacturing is because of the cost of labor.  Automation is helping to chip away at this and 3D printers are part of the process.  One area drastically affected is transportation.  Companies that specialize in moving products from one place to another could see this decrease as more printers are placed.

Eventually, we will see almost all manufacturing done, at worst, on a regional basis.  A great deal of the day-to-day items could end up being printed on a home printer.  Items such as cups, plates, and utensils all could be printed out for, basically, the cost of raw materials.

How will the local dollar store compare with this?

Certainly, much of what I mention is years down the road.  However, when it comes to investing, it is best to start thinking in these terms.  Competition no longer comes from the company across the street.  Nor is it the mass production center on the other side of the world.

Today, and going forward, the biggest disruptions will come from outside that particular industry.  It will be technology based.  This will result in many companies being caught off guard as most within that industry will miss what is taking place.

Medical, dental, food, manufacturing, retail and transportation will all see pressure as a result of 3d printers.  Many companies will embrace them, something that will help their businesses.  Nevertheless, as with many technologies today, what starts out helping ends up destroying.  

3D printing has the potential to do this across a wide range of businesses.  It is worth paying attention to.

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