3d System and 3d Printing Essay Example for Free

3d System and 3d Printing EssayAs a radical innovation, 3D chumping has been introduced to market everyplace 30 years since 1980s. This technology diversity doesnt only change the process of molding it likewise adapts its industry to go green by diminution wasting materials. In the contrast, object is produced by traditional technology (subtractive process) generates surplus cut material. In the early period of increase, it was applied in hobbyist uses and industry uses much(prenominal) as design visualization, prototyping, architecture, education, and healthc be. In 2000s, on with mass launches of portable 3D mental picture machines from several companies, 3D printer has stepped on consumer proceeds market also, printed objects ask been transformed from components or prototypes to finished goods. The personal 3D printer is incremental innovation of 3D print. Basically, it was highly-developed from industry 3D printer by design, size, and accessibility. city bloc k as 3D Systems start personal 3D printer is part of follows strategy which is to accelerate 3D printer keenness. Five issue strategiesSee more Homeless satire essay* Expand on-demand-parts function* Accelerate 3D printer penetration* Grow healthc are r notwithstandingue* Consumer and retail* Create Seamless digital s asshole, design and print platform 3D Systems acquired Rapidform which is a leading global provider of 3D s canister-to CAD and inspection software system tools, located in Seoul, South Korea in 9 October 2012. 3D Systems is going to achieve its fifth growing initiative to create a seamless, digital scan, design and print platform for the emolument of its nodes. 3D Systems would stretch forth their range of capabilities with complementary mathematical carrefours and technology, and extend its c everywhereage and breadth globally with a significant foothold in South Korea and Japan.Technological Opportunities and InnovationThe partnership has been playing a s a leading provider in 3D printing duty for over 25 years. It mainly focuses on business purposes e.g. making a speedy prototyping and manufacturing part. The question and development team of the come with work closely with marketing department and counter an opportunity gap in the current market. The team has an idea to entering into lieu personal 3D printing market by launching a saucy product line called dice which allows battalion to print real object in three dimensions. Concurrent with introducing Cubify.com as a marketplace and get together place where artists, designers, children and makers can sell their 3D designs and whateverone can closure in Product Life musical rhythmAccording to Product Life Cycle strategy, 3D Systems and its Cube have been successfully proving the Introduction distributor point and are ongoing with Growth stage. The attention has been captured by hyping up the publicity and put the personal interior(a) 3D printing into recognition. All sources of public media e.g. Magazine, Newspaper, YouTube, News, Trade Event are widely presenting the debut of attach to innovation of home personal 3D printer and has been awarded as the winner of Popular Mechanics break with Award 2012.3D Systems Focusing StrategiesIn order to move a yearn from Introduction period to Growth, the company has put its focus into 4 main company strategies which one of them is Accelerate 3D printer penetration. It is emphasis on expanding company distribution channel with and through reseller and subsidiary around the world which currently the company only offers click-and-mortar store.Cube in Adoption Curve and its schooling CultureSince the personal home 3D printer is new to market, with its intuitive experience offering to consumer, it is not difficult for Innovators group of flock to adopt the printing technology. Therefore, with its product featuresSimplicity of Plug and Play, WiFi printing support, and more pattern operable to download o n cubify.com, it would not be an obscurity for Early Adopters to adopt the system as well.Furthermore, Cube 3D printer is currently likely positioned on the upper right side of the 3D Systems Development Culture model where it is considered to be such a completely new and breakthrough product of the year. The company go forth constantly repair the printer itself as seen in the company annual report under research and development expenses increased by $5.7 billion, or 58.1%, to $15.4 million in the starting nine months of 2012 from $9.7 million in the first nine months of 20113D Systems Development CultureCube and its complementary productThe merchandising point of the Cube 3D printer is not only the machine itself but the company also offer a cloud service confederacyCubify.com. -Cubify turns mobile device, PC or tablet into a powerful mobile digital canvas to unleash creativity and bring ideas to life in 3D. On Cubify.com, user can find falsifying book, cloud gaming and shar e creativity in 3D experience. The site also offers intuitive 3D Apps, rich 3D printable content libraries of games, puzzles, and any new(prenominal) collections for creation, purchase, share, or even sell for money. Additionally, the website also provides online printing service and has the printed object ship it right to customer later by air mail. Therefore, this service has driven the company to hold competitive advantage over competitors. People are increasing the awareness of cloud service where everything can be done over the air. The company can create the value of its product by offering a place where community begins which increasing in customer lock-in strategy and generate more revenue to company in long run.What company strategies beyond launch CubeBe fast moverThe worlds first personal 3D printer was launched by Stratasys in 2009. At the same time, 3D systems also launched its first personal 3D printer to become one of fast movers to better understand the barriers to broad utilization. As technology world, time is everything. 3D systems entered the market early means to quickly build large installed base as many as its industry section, and keep its leading position in 3D printing technology.They are now working on a multi-front strategy to democratize access and accelerate the acceptation of 3D printing for the student, the hobbyist and ultimately, the consumer. The real hears are utility and affordability. Cube is part of its plan.Razor-blade strategyThe launch of Cube reflects companys penetration strategy that attempts to make customers to lock in with its products. The price of Cube is affordable, in addition to its high quality of product and service such as friendly-use application, various materials and colors, platform named Cubify.com where users can download and upload sources. Printer wont be only product customer entrust purchase. Once printer is purchased, customer needs to keep purchasing other complementary products such as m aterials, also service such as applications. They go away continuously make pelf for company even the revenue of materials and service is greater than the revenue of machine.RDAs a technology company, innovation is critical, and one of the key drives of innovation is research and development. 3D systems expense in RD is increasing gradually to ensure its leadership through technology and business innovation.Table 1. 3Dsystems-2012 Financial StatementProtect innovationOnly developing and introducing new technology and product that will meet the customers need is not sufficient to be successful. To gain profit and increase market share, the company need to protect the product and service and development and manufacturing phase copy by competitors and new entrants. 3D Systems consider their technology platforms and materials as proprietary and try to protect them through copyrights, unmixeds, trademarks and trade secrets. 3D Systems has worked steadily over the years to develop the market, protect its position with a portfolio of hundreds of patents, and to improve its machinery, software and materials. This has resulted in improvements in accuracy, surface finish and material properties that have been instrumental in expanding the fast prototyping market as a whole.At December 31, 2011, 3D Systems held 725 patents and 257 pending patent applications worldwide, including applications covering inventions contained in our recently introduced printers. 3D Systems has also entered into licensing or cross-licensing arrangements with various companies in the United States and in other countries that change those companies to utilize the technologies in their products or that enable 3D Systems to use their technologies in the products. Under certain of these licenses, they are entitled to receive, or obligated to kick in, royalties for the sale of licensed products in the U.S. or in other countries. 3D Systems gain the competitive advantages from these patents and licenses and their success depends largely on the marketing, business development and applications know-how and on their ongoing research and development efforts.Although 3D Systems protect their intellectual property rights, the secrecy of their digital content, hush-hush information, trade secrets and unaccredited copying through a variety of techniques, the success of 3D Systems will motivate the competitors to copy what they are doing. When the competitors come with up with the technology and product with the same customer need, it will be harmful to their business. The harm of trade secret protection could make it easier for third parties to compete with their products by copying previously confidential features, which could adversely affect 3D Systems revenue and operating margins.Strategic acquisition3D Systems has made and will continue to make strategical acquisitions in proximo also. 3D has acquired a tot of technologies and competitor companies over the years. It p urchased Keltool technology from 3M several years ago to address high volume injection mold-making applications. In rapid succession in 2001, it acquired Opto formula SARL (France), RPC Ltd. OptoForms technology was aimed at additive manufacturing applications and RPC was acquired to help the company replace its long-term race with resin supplier Vantico.3D Systems completed twelve acquisitions in 2011 and the Z Corp and Vidar acquisitions in 2012. 3D Systems consolidated its entire personal and professional 3D printer businesses into a single unit. This acquisition integrates Z Corp and Vidar products and service with 3D Systems extensive portfolio, uniquely positioning 3D Systems for accelerated growth in the dynamic, rapidly expanding 3D content-to-print space. The transaction completes 3D Systems range of product capabilities, fills price gaps with complementary products and technology and manifold its reseller coverage globally.Z CorporationZ Corp provides 3D technologies use d to create new products and services more effectively than any other ways, compressing the design cycle, generating new concepts, communicating clearly, fostering collaboration, and reducing errors. Z Corp solutions span the entire 3D CAD/BIM design process from concept through design verification. Z Corp is committed to making their solutions the fastest, easiest, most accessible and most valuable.Vidar Systems CorporationVidar Systems is a leading provider of optical imaging technology specializing in medical and dental imaging markets. create upon a solid foundation of innovation and an unwavering dedication to quality, the company is the worldwide leader and number one manufacturer of medical film digitizers. This is a historic, game-changing event for our customers and stockholders. Today we gained complementary full color and high speed printing technology, increased our marketplace presence significantly in verticals beyond product development and direct manufacturing, asse mbled the largest and most-well prepared reseller channel in 3D printing, and catalyzed our healthcare solutions business, said Abe Reichental, President and chief executive officer of 3D Systems.Concurrent with the completion of this transaction today, we have taken immediate, decisive steps to unleash the combine revenue growth potential and deliver the value creation inherent in this acquisition for the benefit of customers and shareholders alike. 3D Systems plan to evaluate acquisition opportunities in the future in an effort to expand the business and enhance stockholder value. Acquisitions involve certain jeopardizes and uncertainties including * Difficulty in integrating newly acquired businesses and operations in an efficient and cost-effective manner, which may also impact our ability to realize the potential benefits associated with the acquisition* The danger that significant un judge costs or other problems associated with integration may be encountered * The challen ges in achieving strategic objectives, cost savings and other anticipated benefits * The risk that our marketplaces do not evolve as anticipated and that the technologies acquired do not prove to be those needed to be successful in the marketplaces that we serve * The risk that we assume significant liabilities that exceed the limitations of any applicable indemnification provisions or the financial resources of any indemnifying party * The inability to maintain a relationship with key customers, vendors and other business partners of the acquired business.Acquisition for the development of Cube* 3D Systems acquired Bit from Bytes (UK) which is one of the more successful of start-up companies producing open-source equipment in 2010. Both companies achieved from this acquisition. BFB has got the patent and technical issues as well as means to accelerate the pace of its development. It also provided 3D Systems with a window on very low price and easier to enter in cost sensitive palm such as education. In 2011, 3D followed up that acquisition and purchased BotMill, an even smaller US company producing RepRap derivative and the purchase of widen their offerings for those customers looking for machine at the lowest cost. At the start of the 2012, 3D introduced a third major initiative in the low cost, the Cube 3D printer presented as a key component in a new web-based consumer community the company has dubbed Cubify. It remains to be seen how 3D Systems will integrate these efforts, or whether the entities will maintain their individual identities.What benefits and risks of 3D systems in the future?Enjoy benefits3D systems make mass targets by providing wide range of product portfolio in vista of price and performance. In the meantime, its 7 print engines are technical standard in 3D printing industries. It means it can capture the majority of customers. Cube is a good trial to spread out 3D printer to personal use. In addition, effective adoption of emerged n ew technology and booming market would impulse 3D systems to gain large market share and profits while building its leadership. The powerful materials and services can diversify the revenue generation of the company they build its competitiveness among market.Potential risksGlobal economic, policy-making and social conditions might increase costs, harm the ability of company to do business, change the market trend. Cube is still not dominant design yet the competitors can easily take over its market position by launching higher performance machine with lower price. The company may go substantial costs enforcing or acquiring intellectual property rights and defending against third party claims as a result of litigation or other proceedings. In some case, it may not be able to protect them from unauthorized copying, use or disclosure. In rapid changing technology world, it will be always possible that radically new technology emerges and destroy current one. If so, the company and its product will face huge difficulty.RecommendationsTo gain greater market share with higher profit, we stir 3D systems to improve in the following aspects1. Price3D Systems could further minify price of 3D printers to penetrate into market. If do so, company can build large installed base. Over time, when company gains sufficient user, it could start to reduce price of materials to follow penetration plan. On the other hand, its to ease users concern, and lift companys reputation.2. Product development3D Systems should bring more advanced products with higher specifications to fulfill diversity of printing requirements. Printing product size, types of materials and level of printing details are main specifications customers care. Therefore product developments in general are to make bigger product size, more types of materials, and higher level of details.3. ServiceThe complexity of use and lack of 3D creations are key barriers of purchase. In order to ease use experience, we s uggest 3D systems to develop a new application itself or gain it from acquisition. The application is complementary product which can convert 2D images into 3D creations. Of course, company might face copyright problems. In this case, it can communicate with a group of giant companies to sign a contract to gain information such as size, material, and color of their products. Certainly, the copyright problems will be solved. This service is not free to customers they need to pay to download. Those giant companies will also gain big percentage of fee from download. 1 . 3DSystems2012 NYSE Investor introduction 2 . http//finance.yahoo.com/news/3d-systems-cube-r-wins-135242928.html 3 . 3DSystems2012 Form10-Q 4 . http//cubify.com/cube/index.aspx 5 . 3DSystems2012 Form10-Q 6 . 3DSystems2012 NYSE Investor Presentation 7 . http//cubify.com 8 . http//www.thisweekbangalore.com/issue141/news10-Statasys.html 9 . http//investor.3dsystems.com/content/financial-reports, http//www.3dsystems.co m/personal-3d-printers/ 10 . http//investor.3dsystems.com/content/financial-reports 11 . 3Dsystems-2012-form-10-Q.pdf 12 . 3D system 2011 annual report on Form 10-K 13 . 3D system 2011 Annual report on Form 10-K 14 . 3D system 2011 Annual report on Form 10-K16 http//investor.3dsystems.com/content/financial-reports 15 . http//investor.3dsystems.com/content/financial-reports