3D Printing Could Just Be The Future

3D printing of a city - Photo from pcpro.co.uk

With the recent craze on 3D printing technology and also shares of companies such as Stratasys Ltd. (SSYS) soaring high from $20 to $120 in just a couple of months it can't be overlooked as if it this is just an ordinary machine. This 3D printing unit build in a sense that it functions similar to a regular printer but of course output isn't just a piece of paper but it could be anything from rubber to plastics or even metals.

I believe that we can see a bright future in the 3D printing technology especially when 3D Systems (DDD), another high flying stock that is on a rally just bought some of Xerox Corp (XRX) engineering division. Possibly they have envisioned to market and produce office based 3D printers on a larger scale. A 3D printer might just be one of the essential machine for any R&D departments to own similar to owning a copying machine or printer. Even Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) also announced that they would enter the market for 3D printers next year which I believe is famous for developing household computing products. Opening the market for household 3D printers would be a leap ahead for any company as 3D printing seems revolutionary similar to what the iPhone does to the mobile devices market. These are just preliminary thought but as time goes by, the ability to produce home-based 3D printers could just come through with mass production and also the development for cheaper materials would prove to give a huge advantage in the coming years lowering cost. Seeing that it might just follow the path of the deskjek and laserjet printers that we have today. These products started at a hefty price before it became common and also industries started to replicate the technology and the pricing war between brands begins.

Pondering far ahead on 3D printers arriving to our homes, it might just cause many businesses to change their strategy or even the whole business nature of the company. Remember Blockbuster (BLOAQ)? It was crushed with the movement of technology in improvement to the internet services. The high speed internet or fibre optic changed the way movies are distributed to households making rentals obsolete. Similar condition might faced a famous name "Toys R Us". The minute kids get their hands on a 3D printer, they could produce anything that comes into their imagination and my guess would be toys. Ability of producing something to play with by learning Computer Aided Design (CAD) or simply download blueprints for an action figure off web somewhat gives me a personalized feel increasing the awesomeness factor. This might just cut off the link between toy stores and consumers as toy makers would be selling the blueprints off the net. Adults would enjoy this as I believe that plastic guns had been produced and the results came upon products which are so realistic causing tension over at the airport security. Even the famous IKEA store could be selling blueprints to their products too who knows?

Endless boundaries to what 3D printers can do and the idea is to really market it out to the general public. Marketing is everything in getting products to consumers. As I recalled many years ago the Microsoft Surface existed before the iPhone with capacitive touch screen function but it is Apple who chose to implement it on a phone and market to public a revolutionizing product that change the world towards personal computing especially with more powerful tablets which are one their way.

It all boils down to where we should put our money. Jim Cramer proposed that 3-D printer producing companies are in a bubble which I really have to agree given the fact that it raised too fast with minimal development on the product and also small amount of sales on these printers. But to where I'm putting my money, it has to be a company that has the interest in mass producing them. In conclusion, take conservative action on where to invest on this technology. Whether this is good or bust, I am no one and could not determine how the future looks like but I truly believe in seeing this technology developing further and coming into our homes.