How 3-D Printing Changes Everything

Big business

Big businesses benefit as well, of course, from the improved efficiency of being able to print physical objects in complex shapes that would be considerably more expensive using traditional techniques.

“Because you can make things that were previously impossible – ducts for wiring and cables, for example – that makes engineering much more efficient,” Shapeways’ Weijmarhausen says. He points to the example of aircraft manufacturers like Airbus, which has capitalized on the technology to make stronger, stiffer and cheaper parts for its aircraft.

As the efficiency of these techniques evolves, so does the bottom line for companies and consumers.