Vysoké vstupní náklady v oblasti trojrozměrného tisku brání ve většině organizací jeho širšímu nasazení, jak vyplývá z výzkumu společnosti Gartner. Na druhou stranu organizacím, které do 3D tisku investovaly, přináší tato technologie nezanedbatelné benefity v mnoha oblastech. (TZ)
V přiložené tiskové zprávě najdete shrnutí (anglicky) výsledků průzkumu, který Garter uskutečnil ve druhém čtvrtletí tohoto roku a ve kterém sledoval, jakým způsobem organizace využívají nebo plánují využít 3D tisk.
Gartner Survey Reveals That High Acquisition and Start- Up Costs Are Delaying Investment in 3D Printers
3D Printers Can Reduce the Cost of Finished Products by More Than 4 Per Cent
Egham, UK, 9th December, 2014 — Sixty per cent of organisations said high start-up costs are a main factor in the delay of implementing 3D printing strategies, according to a new survey by Gartner, Inc. However, the survey also found that early adopters of the technology are finding clear benefits in multiple areas.
In the second quarter of 2014, Gartner conducted a worldwide survey to determine how organisations are using or planning to use 3D printing technologies. Survey participants were 330 individuals employed by organisations with at least 100 employees that are using or planning to use 3D printing.
„3D printing has broad appeal to a wide range of businesses and early adopter consumers, and while the technology is already in use across a wide range of manufacturing verticals from medical to aerospace, costs remain the primary concern for buyers,“ said Pete Basiliere, research director at Gartner. „3D printer vendors must work closely with their clients to identify potential applications of the technology that may have been overlooked, and improve the cost-benefit ratios of their products. Organisations that wish to experiment with the technology without incurring start-up costs should consider partnering with a local 3D printing service bureau.“
The survey also revealed that while prototyping, product innovation and development are the main uses of 3D printing, the technology is also being used extensively in manufacturing applications (see Figure 1).
Figure1: Reasons for Pursuing 3D Printing
Source: Gartner (November 2014)
„The market is emerging from its nascent stage as organisations move beyond design and prototyping applications of 3D printing toward creating short run production quantities of finished products,“ said Mr Basiliere. „Based on these results and the answers to other survey questions, we predict that by 2018, almost 50 per cent of consumer, heavy industry and life sciences manufacturers will use 3D printing to produce parts for the items they consume, sell or service.“
Despite this ongoing evolution, 53 per cent of survey respondent indicated that managers of R&D, engineering or manufacturing are the primary influencer driving any 3D printing strategy. The CIO, CTO and others outside of operations groups do play a role, but are not the primary decision makers.
„An interesting finding was that respondents felt overwhelmingly that using a 3D printer as part of their supply chain generally reduces the cost of existing processes, especially research and product development costs,“ said Mr Basiliere. „The mean cost reduction for finished goods is between 4.1 per cent and 4.3 per cent which is an impressive figure. It shows that early adopters of the technology are finding clear benefits, which are likely to drive further adoption.“
When selecting a 3D printer, 37 per cent of respondents ranked the quality of the finished piece as the primary factor in deciding, whereas 28 per cent felt price was the most important. Only 9 per cent of respondents felt that the respective categories of production speed, the range of materials the printer could use, or size of parts it could create were the most important things to consider.
Of those surveyed, 37 per cent had just one 3D printer within their organisations, with 18 per cent owning 10 or more. The average number of printers per organisation was 5.4.
„Clearly there is much room for future growth in this market, but vendors need to work on tools and marketing that show how the technology can be applied and drive competitive advantage,“ said Mr Basiliere. „3D printing vendors that take the time to articulate the value of their product in terms that align with their clients‘ needs will be well-positioned to capitalise on any future growth.“
More information on the 3D printer market is available in the report „3D Printer Market Survey Reveals Enterprise Demand Drivers for Technology, Printer and Vendor Decision Making“ which is available on Gartner’s web site at http://www.gartner.com/doc/2906317.
About Gartner
Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is the world’s leading information technology research and advisory company. We deliver the technology-related insight necessary for our clients to make the right decisions, every day. From CIOs and senior IT leaders in corporations and government agencies, to business leaders in high-tech and telecom enterprises and professional services firms, to technology investors, we are the valuable partner to clients in over 9,100 distinct enterprises worldwide. Through the resources of Gartner Research, Gartner Executive Programs, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events, we work with every client to research, analyze and interpret the business of IT within the context of their individual role. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, USA., and has 6,600 associates, including more than 1,500 research analysts and consultants, and clients in 85 countries. For more information, visit www.gartner.com.