Product development, the creation or innovation of new products, is essential to any business that sells atoms or bits. With regard to 3D printing, let’s focus on the atoms rather than the bits. Additive manufacturing technologies are hot right now in the product development field. Most of this hype is about rapid prototyping. Rapid prototyping is exactly what it sounds like it is—making prototypes rapidly. In fact the majority of the current 3D printing market is catered to rapid prototyping. As 3D printing technologies advance, printers will continue to be more applicable to the actual product. The auto and aerospace industries are two that are experiencing this trend. Getting back to product development, 3D printing will lead to the demise of product development as we currently know it. Let me say that again for dramatic effect. 3D printing will lead to the demise of product development as we currently know it. As the personal or “desktop” 3D printing market continues to grow, technologies will advance so that eventually one would be able to print whatever material item that they desired right at home. These include advanced electronics with multiple multimaterial components. Basically all one would have to do is go online and find the design file for a product that they desire, put in the required materials, and click print. As I stated earlier, 3D printing will lead to the demise of product development as we know it. Right now 3D printing is making product development cheaper and more efficient. But, as consumers are able to make their own products by either designing their own products or more likely utilizing open source catalogs such as Makerbot’s Thingiverse, SketchUp’s 3D Warehouse, and Shapeways’… Shapeways? (they don’t really have a cool name for it), product development will no longer be the task of the business. I would like to see how product-based business would survive and generate revenue in a future where you can print everything at home.

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