14 Ways 3D Printing Will Change the Traditional Office Space€¦ · 14 Ways 3D Printing Will Change the Traditional Office Space While 3D printing is still a technology outside the

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14 Ways 3D Printing Will Change the Traditional Office Space

While 3D printing is still a technology outside the mainstream, many people believe it will change the world. The technology is already being used to create amazing things, such as custom prosthetics and organic skin. As the technology continues to develop, it will disrupt current industries while creating others. Here are 14 ways 3D printing will change the way more traditional professions do business.

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1Custom Office SpacesWhile current office spaces are designed and constructed using conventional methods, the offices of the future may be entirely designed and built using 3D printing technology. In May of 2016, Dubai unveiled the first ever 3D printed office space. Located inside Dubai’s Emirates Towers complex, the “Office of the Future” took 17 days to print. The building was then pieced together with additional work needed to complete the internal and technical aspects of the office.

2Custom WorkspacesCubicles get a bad rap, but what if each workspace was custom designed for an employee’s needs? Instead of having desks and chairs that are ergonomically correct for the general populace, employees could have 3D printed chairs and desks that are the exact ergonomic fit for them. Some 3D printers are big enough to print furniture, so it is only a matter of time before the technology finds its way into the everyday office.

3Instant Office SuppliesIf the office of the future is 3D printed and the employees’ workspace is 3D printed, why not the office supplies? There would be no need to fill out a requisition form stating the type and office supplies that need ordering. In the not-too-distant future, any employee may be able to print everything from pens to staplers to knickknacks for their desks. With a commercial 3D printer and the necessary 3D printing files, a business could refill its office supplies and other promotional materials in-house and for a fraction of the costs.

4A Quicker Design ProcessThe process from idea to design to prototype to finished product will shorten drastically. T.J. McCue, a 3D printing expert, said, “One inventor I know says that with traditional CAD tools, he would spend 15-16 hours to build a new model, but with web-based tools he has cut that down to only 15-20 minutes.”

For companies, this means that an idea approved in a morning meeting can then be designed and a prototype printed by the afternoon. Thus, companies could get new products to market at a much faster pace. With 3D printing’s ability for endless customization, companies will be able to test new product ideas without the high costs currently associated with building and refining prototypes.

5A Quicker Marketing ProcessWith the creation of prototypes and products happening at a quicker pace, all the other processes to get a product to market will be sped up as well. Lead times for marketing materials, advertising and packaging will be expected to keep pace with the ability to create and print products in a fraction of the time previously needed. Adjacent departments will be expected to move up, revamp and restructure their creative processes to compete with the new 3D printing reality.

The ease of printing prototypes also means rank and file employees will have the opportunity to interact with and test the new products their company creates. Instead of calling a big meeting to announce a product or showcase a prototype no one can use, companies can just send their employees the 3D printing file and allow them to print and test the new product.

63D ReportsIn the near future, visual data models may replace spreadsheets and other digital presentations as a way to deliver important stats and information. People don’t retain much of the data and statistics they read in reports or see in presentations. A 3D visual of the data can help people retain more of the information they’re given and need to complete their jobs. Volker Schweisfurth of MeliesArt allows companies to take run-of-the-mill data and turn it into a visual model that brings the digital data into the physical world. The 3D statistical models can accompany a PowerPoint presentation, or any other kind of presentation, allowing for a more tangible experience.

7A Leaner, More Educated WorkforceThe 3D office space built in Dubai only needed one person to monitor the printing process, seven people to put the building together, and seven electricians and other specialists to handle the internal and technical aspects of building the office. That’s a mere fraction of the crew needed on a traditional construction job of that magnitude. Similar staff reductions could also happen in more traditional office spaces as 3D printing technology is integrated into more professions due to the technology becoming cheaper and more readily accessible.

Also, the typical office employee will be more educated and creative. There will be a premium on those with strong backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and math in fields that previously didn’t require those skills. Creatives will also be more in demand as they will be needed to envision and design many of the products and new uses for 3D printing technology.

8InfrastructureLarge-scale civil engineering projects, from city bridges to underground railways, change numerous times before construction even starts. Also, with so many hands involved, a central work space is simply not possible.

The technology of 3D printing can help engineering teams save time and money by providing easier and faster access to modeling. This offers unmatched flexibility to dispersed design and construction teams.

The technology of 3D printing is not only able to unite dispersed teams and help with infrastructure design; 3D-printed materials can actually be infrastructure. For instance, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, construction of the first 3D-printed steel bridge is already under way.

9MakerspacesAt the moment, 3D printing is cost-prohibitive for general manufacturing. Though traditional manufacturing may be more efficient for mass production (for now), makerspaces -- DIY labs stocked with lots of tools and resources, including 3D printers -- are becoming the primary place to create prototypes.

The reason for this is clear. Makerspaces give inventors and designs the freedom to create new products with complete control over the specifications and materials. There is no need to outsource development of an injection mold to another party.

In the future, companies will certainly begin investing more in makerspaces wherever their employees are located. Undoubtedly, these facilities will turn into innovation hubs for every sort of business, from large corporations and successful small businesses to cash-strapped startups.

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10Anatomy ModelsIt’s incredibly expensive to use and preserve organic materials for teaching and research. Previous affordable options, like certain 2D options, just aren’t adequate for training doctors and other medical professionals.

Already, 3D printing can produce anatomically accurate body parts and organs at a reasonable price. In addition, the parts are easily reproducible and can be custom made. Such models will not only be able to reduce waste, but they can also be directly designed for specific medical techniques.

Even more significant, these 3D-printed models can be easily shared between colleagues at different universities, research centers and hospitals. This enhances collaboration capabilities among medical professionals across the globe.

11Reusable PrototypesWith existing technology, many companies can only reasonably create one or two prototypes. But when the product has to withstand extreme environmental conditions or be subject to rigorous testing, developing a replacement can be pricey and time-consuming.

Since a prototype can be fixed and recreated anywhere there is a 3D printer, the technology of 3D printing allows for mistakes to be made. The availability -- at least in theory -- of a limitless numbers of prototypes can relieve some anxiety as engineers can move more quickly to the testing phase of product development. This opens the door for more expansive testing prior to going to market.

What’s inspiring is that that reusable prototypes are already in use. For instance, Space X has 3D printed its rocket engine SuperDraco a number of times, simply making a new one when necessary.

12Mobile ApplicationsThere are now more mobile users than desktop users -- a trend that is bound to continue. For on-the-go work teams and virtual companies, the ability to communicate, collaborate and make products from anywhere is essential to business success.

The ability to 3D print from a mobile device will certainly enhance the productivity of dispersed design teams. Engineers, inventors, artists and other people could share ideas and models seamlessly. And providing feedback would be as easy as a text message.

The technology to do this has already been developed. It’s just a matter of it going mainstream at this point. Once it does, the potential it holds in engineering and product development is limitless.

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13Custom ProductsMany business experts have said this is the era of the customer. If 3D printing is to be the next big thing, that will be because it has directly served the consumer -- not just research and development teams.

This is why it’s very possible that, once it makes sense economically, retail customers will be able to easily custom order products. They’ll enter product preferences into an online form and then have the product designed. After that, the product will be printed locally and delivered to the customer’s doorstep.

Surprisingly, this could arrive much sooner than one would think. Consider this scenario:

1. A customer in New York City orders a custom desk.

2. A designer in Amsterdam makes the necessary alterations to the s[*tandard model.

3. A 3D printing company in Brooklyn prints out the desk.

4. A logistics company delivers the desk to the customer’s door.

14Building Information Modeling (BIM)Digital files of large-scale civil engineering projects provide essential information throughout the life span of the project. Building information modeling -- which is a 3D-based process -- plays several key roles in the successful execution of these projects.

BIM first aids with the construction planning stage, as 3D printing is used to assess various options. BIM also assists with coordinating work teams and integrating new facilities with existing infrastructure, which is analyzed with 3D models.

Throughout construction planning, 3D printing creates scale models to meet the requirements and preferences of the BIM process. Unlike traditional modelling, which requires laborious changes over time, 3D-printed models can be easily modified at an affordable price. This is precisely why they’ll remain the driving force of BIM.

Why 3D Printing Will Drive Change in the 21st Century Workplace3D printing uses digital information sources to create physical objects. This technology will not just support dispersed workforces for the foreseeable future, but it will also drive innovation and enable engineers, architects, artists, doctors and other professionals to best use their skills and creativity.

Thanks to its technological advantages, 3D technology allows for easy modification in response to an unexpected challenge or change of mandate. With its ability to accommodate a variety of materials, a 3D printer can create models that experiment with different surfaces or bonding agents, allowing for more informed scrutiny of options.

In the end, 3D models are tangible representations of a new project or product that are useful for any industry. They are already changing how traditional offices collaborate on projects. As 3D printers become more advanced and affordable, work teams, especially dispersed teams, will be more mobile, innovative and efficient.

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