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opinion
14 Print.IT Reseller
for hobbyists and specialist applications.
We are keeping a very close eye on this,
though, as we are sure this will change.”
More and more business sectors
are exploring the potential of 3D
printing. Have you seen a surge in
interest among your client base and
has that affected your client offer?
Matt Goodall:
“The typical office user is
not looking to implement 3D printing and
we aren’t seeing huge interest from local
businesses or corporate customers. Schools
and colleges are using it in their design
studios for small mock-up printing. Other
early adopters tend to be interested home
users, model makers or keen amateurs.”
Andrew Jones:
“We have yet to see any
interest from our commercial client base,
although there is an influx of systems
being supplied into the education sector.
I would question how much use these
printers are getting, however, when the
true cost of production is experienced.”
Gary Downey:
“We are seeing a small
rise in enquiries from clients, mostly
asking educational questions, to better
understand the technology, but not quite
a surge.”
Mark Smyth:
“We are seeing an interest
in this new and exciting market. However,
there is clearly trepidation as originators
and resellers alike look to fully understand
both the product capabilities and the all-
important running costs.”
Peter Knight:
“From our point of
view, education seems to be the sector
that is most enthusiastic about 3D
are still in the VHS v Betamax age of 3D
printing; when commonality is achieved,
the potential uses are huge – from home
use to the in-house production of spare
parts from licensed files.”
Gary Downey:
“Much like wide format,
it’s not something relevant for every type
of business, but it is certainly something
that will play a key role in the future of
a number of vertical markets and we are
actively investigating it as a provider of
print technology and services.”
Mark Smyth:
“I believe the market
will enjoy most success at mid-level
where 3D printers are at the right price
point to justify the acquisition and
investment. Right now, the larger scale
the requirement, the more expensive the
3D printer becomes, and that will make it
difficult for some organisations to justify.”
Peter Knight:
“We have taken notice
of the amount of effort being put into
Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics [STEM] subjects in education
at all levels, from primary right through to
university, and we understand the vital role
that 3D printing plays in this.
“As mentioned earlier, the ability to
quickly produce design prototypes in
the classroom pulls together all the core
subjects and allows for an incredible level
of student involvement in projects, from
start to finish. You can see this in action
with schools and universities already
working with 3D print technology to
innovate and move ideas on.”
Karl Welburn:
“If the hype is to be
believed, we will be ordering items online,
downloading designs and then letting the
machine work its magic. In the morning,
when you wake up, your item will be there
ready to go. This will be very interesting
and I am waiting for the day we have
portable ones and make copier parts onsite
whist repairing machines!”
Is 3D printing the next Holy Grail
for office equipment resellers, an
area you ignore at your peril, or is
it a fad that will come and go?
Matt Goodall:
“3D printing is much like
colour printing was ten years ago. The
cost will be controlled and the use limited,
unless absolutely necessary. I certainly
print technology. We have seen plenty
of enquiries come in from various
organisations, but it is those in education
that have really bought into the idea of
being able to create prototypes in the
classroom. Of course, this means we have
to offer the very best in terms of support
and back-up and that is what we are doing
for anyone interested in 3D printers.
“It’s not just the education market,
though, as we are also speaking to a
number of companies in different verticals
in a bid to gauge their interest in 3D
printing and the possibilities that it could
offer them in the future.”
Karl Welburn:
“We are seeing these
machines arrive in schools, but we have
not yet been asked to provide them.”
The applications made possible by
3D printing are seemingly endless.
Where do you see the greatest 3D
printing opportunities?
Matt Goodall:
“Without a doubt the
key area of use is going to be engineering
companies, creating mock-up models and
small run production. The opportunities are
endless, but until a common print language
and 3D modelling software are available,
the market won’t become cohesive. We
Consumer 3D spend to remain low in medium-term
The combined market value of consumer 3D printer hardware sales and material spend is
forecast to exceed $1 billion by 2018, up from just over $75 million this year, according to
forecasts by Jupiter Research.
The new report,
Consumer 3D Printing & Scanning: Service Models, Devices & Opportunities 2014-2018
,
points out that whilst 3D printer shipments are currently at a relatively low level and experiencing soft
consumer demand, things should change in the medium-term as HP and Epson enter the professional market
and an appropriate ecosystem of software, apps and materials develops for the mass market.
Report author Nitin Bhas said: “While there has been an increase in awareness of 3D printing, it is still,
and will continue to be, a niche consumer technology. In order for 3D printing to find a mainstream market
amongst consumers, it needs to widen the applications available that integrate consumer lifestyle and drive a
number of applications beyond professional printing.”
He argues that this can be achieved through the creation of an app or online portal for connecting to the
cloud and enhancing the functionality of the 3D printer via content, as MakerBot is already doing with its
Thingiverse and Digital Store.
continued...
Continued on page 17...
l:
Gary Downey
,
Group Marketing
Director,
Balreed
r:
Mark Smyth
,
Operations Director,
Vision
...until a
common
print
language and
3D modelling
software are
available, the
market won’t
become
cohesive
