Few technologies have been the subject of such intense and varied media scrutiny over the past decade as 3D printing, and probably few technologies have been so broadly conceived and endowed with so many technical and commercial implications as the essentially simple idea of reproducing any conceivable object at the touch of a button.

The wealth of applications, which range from mundane marketing gimmicks to sophisticated high-tech innovations, encompasses a multitude of areas of life, business and science: While the production of amazingly detailed miniature statues of oneself, the printing of small jewelry items or the manufacture of simple spare parts are still among the more trivial areas of application, the spectrum of what can be achieved appears to be many times wider. For example, researchers are already working on the foundations that will soon enable them to press far more futuristic-looking products such as human tissue, implants or even artificial meat through the 3D printer. Sensational news from the world of 3D printing regularly makes headlines in the media. In 2014, for example, the first 3D-printed car was unveiled - the printing process took 44 hours - and in April of this year, the first robot produced using the 3D printing process, which does not require any further assembly processes, saw the light of day, so to speak, in the world of technology.

The power of data

In 2013, the then 25-year-old American Internet and gun activist Cody Wilson caused a heated discussion when he published the complete 3D printing data for printing out a functioning firearm on the Internet. The debate, which earned Wilson a place in Wired Magazine's ranking of the 15 most dangerous people in the world, made it clear that the "magic" behind the technology cannot be explained by the design of the 3D printers alone, but is also determined to a significant extent by the 3D printing data available. After all, if a 3D printer is not fed the appropriate data, it is about as useful as a smartphone without an Internet connection.

It is therefore not surprising that 3D printing is increasingly becoming a primarily data- and Internet-driven phenomenon. Makerbot, a pioneer in the manufacture of 3D printers for home use, has created a social network for 3D printing data with its website thingiverse.com and is representative of the trend towards ever greater digitization of the technology. On the website, users upload the print data of their self-designed 3D designs, download the works of others and are also active with likes, comments and shares. Thingiverse is considered a success story - the platform reports considerable growth figures. The more than 50'000 designs currently available range from tools, gadgets and toys to jewelry, household tools, art and accessories for 3D printers. The works on display prove sometimes very, sometimes moderately useful, but overall testify to a vibrant movement, sustained by an enthusiastic fan community driven by the vision and fascination of making objects at home at any time, and remarkably, independent of companies and organized manufacturing. Makerbot itself no longer sees its future exclusively in the development of 3D printers, but increasingly in the expansion of the thingiverse universe, and in April of this year outsourced its own production to China, which is considered a caesura among experts.

B2B and prototyping in focus

As fascinating as the grassroots movement of 3D printing nerds may be, it has yet to achieve a commercial breakthrough with consumer devices on every desktop. Nevertheless, the American market research company IDC forecasts an increase in global annual investment in 3D printing technology from USD 11 billion in 2015 to almost USD 27 billion by the end of 2019. Experts see 3D printing primarily as a technology that will benefit manufacturing companies in particular.

The research institute also specifically examined the use of 3D printing in the automotive industry as part of its study and found that in 2015, 3D printers were used for prototyping or rapid prototyping purposes at a rate of around 90%. According to IDC, only 10% of the technology is used purely for production purposes.

A technology chameleon

So has 3D printing now found its definitive destiny as a prototyping technology? It would be premature to make a final statement on this. After all, change is one of the few constants of the 3D printing phenomenon. Hardly any other technology has changed so much over the decades, like a chameleon, and has constantly realigned itself as 3D printing has done. And hardly any technology has gone through more than 30 years of development without reaching the commercial mainstream.

3D printing through the ages

3D printing was invented in 1983, just a few years after the introduction of the first IBM PC, under the somewhat unwieldy term "stereolithography. Whereas before the start of the Internet era the miniaturization of devices and ever new materials and improved printing processes brought 3D printing steadily forward, not least the advancing digitization seems to be acting like a fire accelerator on the technology. Never before have expectations of the possibilities of 3D printing technology been as high as they are today. And the euphoria has never been more justified. This is partly due to the astonishing progress that science has made in disciplines such as medtech, foodtech, materials research and nanotechnology, or to the achievements in digital technologies such as artificial intelligence or virtual inventory (for making 3D printing data available on the web, for example).

3D printing has always been closely linked to progress in other areas, and experts see considerable potential in particular in the use of innovative new materials such as carbon fibers, powdered metal or titanium to radically improve the mechanical, chemical and thermal properties of printed products. Advances in artificial intelligence research are also expected to boost 3D printing even further in the near future, according to researchers. Already, the world's first car chassis has been unveiled that was designed based on AI algorithms and then printed on a 3D printer, and just recently, an amazingly detailed replica of a Rembrandt painting caused a worldwide sensation. The 3D printer used was not fed the necessary data by a human being - in this case, the programming was done by artificial intelligence.

Distributed manufacturing is another area where innovations in 3D printing can be expected in the near future, and experts believe that a significant shortening of the printing process can be expected in the future, which in turn should lead to further exciting areas of application.

Movement in the Swiss market

In Switzerland, too, enthusiasm for the topic of "3D printing" is growing. Numerous agencies, creative studios and so-called "fablabs" offer a wide variety of services. The sometimes colorful range of services includes the production of 3D prints from data brought in, comparable to traditional print and copy stores, support in the production of rapid prototypes, but also seminars and advice on strategic issues relating to 3D printing. And with manufacturers such as Delta Tower, 3D printers "made in Switzerland" have long been available.

Every innovation has its moment

Is it right to call 3D printing a "pincer birth", given the many years we've been waiting for a final breakthrough into the mainstream? After all, other technology trends in the past can claim to have turned entire markets upside down in a much shorter time. Consider the comparatively rapid rise of the personal computer or Apple's iOS universe. Maybe so. But if history has taught us one thing, it's the wisdom that every innovation has its moment, and that applies to 3D printing as well.

Further information and sources:

http://www.augment.com/blog/technology-trends-2016-augmented-reality-and-3d-printing/
http://www.talentinternational.com/is-3d-printing-the-next-hot-startup-trend/
http://news.mit.edu/2016/first-3d-printed-robots-made-of-both-solids-and-liquids-0406
http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/25/11503360/makerbot-manufacturing-outsource-china-industry-city
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/3d-printing-the-trends-that-will-change-the-game-in-2016/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ricksmith/2016/01/12/8-hot-3d-printing-trends-to-watch-in-2016/#493d75f7319a
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cody_Wilson
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D-Druck
www.makerbot.com
www.thingiverse.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strati_(automobile)
http://www.pcworld.com/article/3053520/analytics/ai-just-3d-printed-a-brand-new-rembrandt-and-its-shockingly-good.html