impact of 3-D printing on the international supply chain

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This is the article to read.

Hexa Research (2015). 3D Printing Market is Projected as a Challenge to the Growth of the Market over the Forecast Period 2020. http://www.hexaresearch.com/research-report/3d-printing-industry/

This is the peer discussion

3-D printing technology has begun to take off in the world, especially in the developed world, but there is still space for development in terms of innovation, adaptability, and acceptability for its eventual widespread use. One of the areas that is anticipated to grow as a result of 3-D printing is the global supply chain. The impact of 3-D printing on international supply chain lies in specific components.  Now that the logistics characterizing international supply chains are the reason for the inefficiencies of the international market, components such as world transport, storage, and manufacturing are the issues of concern to understand the impact of 3-D printing.

Literature concerning the impact of 3-D printing on the international supply chain tends to be more concerned with the reflow in the manufacturing sector and supply chain transformations.  Indeed, 3-D printing has the potential to reduce freight volumes, which would in turn impact the logistics industry in global trade. The discussions do not, however, focus on the vital aspect of quantitatively assessing the impact of 3-D printing so that the magnitude of transport variations and trends arising from 3D printing are known in clear terms.  Even research focusing on geographical distribution tends to analyze freight volumes without due attention to vital metric such as time consumption. The international supply chain comprises of Asian countries as main manufacturers, while the North American and European countries specialize in research and development (R &D) and sales. The focus for this research is to determine how 3-D printing may cause a decline in freight volumes from Asia, and a potential resultant rise in freight volumes of Europe and North America.

The study explains the need for and the importance of supply chain reconstruction. Researchers and academics often discuss the impact of supply chain reconstruction on global supply chains. One of the ways to reconstruct the global supply chain is through innovative practices such as 3-D printing. While it is envisioned that 3-D printing has the potential to make global trade efficient and cheaper for the consumer, the specific aspects that will change directly as a result of 3-Dprinting need to be the major focus of research. The dissemination of information on how 3-Dprinting will impact the logistics activities, the level of inventory, and the global freight volume is required.

Thesis

3-D printing technology, also called additive manufacturing, has the potential to improve international supply chain through such changes as dematerializing it, creating a customized just-in-time manufacturing cycle, reducing the setup and changeover time and cost, and the number of assembles. While it could be a disruptive technology that would replace the manner in which supply chains are configured in traditional production, it is the future of international trade as a source of significant value chain.

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