Managing Innovation in Organisation: Innovation Analysis

This report analyses the impact of 3D printing technology on organisations and its management approach. It discusses the subtypes of 3D printing, major milestones, and recommendations for future development. The report is relevant to subjects related to innovation, technology, and management.

Running head: INNOVATION ANALYSIS 0
Managing Innovation in Organisation
Innovation Analysis

INNOVATION ANALYSIS 1
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Area and Subtypes of 3D printing..............................................................................................3
3D printing in Manufacturing................................................................................................3
Subtypes of 3D printing.........................................................................................................3
Most Importance Milestones......................................................................................................4
Effect of 3D printing technology on Organisations...................................................................5
Recommendations......................................................................................................................6
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................8

INNOVATION ANALYSIS 2
Introduction
In past few decades, the technology has developed at a rapid speed due to a number of
innovations. Major technological advancements resulted in improving people lives and
making their work easier. This report will focus on 3D printing technology and analyse how
it has marked as a major progress milestone in the technology sector. The 3D Printing
technology is also called ‘Additive manufacturing’ because it creates new objects or products
by adding layers (McMenamin, Quayle, McHenry & Adams, 2014). Other traditional forms
of manufacturing are called ‘subtractive manufacturing’ because they subtract material from
objects in order to create new once. The 3D Printing technology has the potential to change
manufacturing industry and positively influence people’s lives. This report will focus on
manufacturing area of 3D printing technology and discuss its subtypes. This report will
examine the major milestones in the 3D Printing technology and evaluate how it has affected
organisations management approach by analysing different examples. Further, this report will
provide three future developments for 3D Printing technology by analysing its future
influence.

INNOVATION ANALYSIS 3
Area and Subtypes of 3D printing
The 3D printing technology was first introduced in 1986 when Charles Hull created
first ever 3D printer. After that, the technology has branched into different fields such as
manufacturing, healthcare, production and others (Mueller, 2012). The area in which 3D
printing technology has influenced the most is manufacturing field.
3D printing in Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing process is most suitable for the production of new products or
objects because of its number of benefits such as zero wastage, easy creation of complex
objects, high level of detailing and others. Many manufacturing companies started investing
in 3D printing technology in order to take its full advantage in their production operations
(Vaezi, Seitz & Yang, 2013)). Use of 3D printing in production process allows organisations
to reduce material costs in the process. It has the potential to make manufacturing process
extremely precise and infinite. The technology did not subtract materials which reduce the
requirement for extra material. With the advancement of technology, the 3D printing
technology is also able to use different materials in the production process which provide
different options to manufacturers. It also reduces the requirement of labour costs since it is
an automated process and does not require a large number of employees to work properly
(Wong & Hernandez, 2012). Therefore, it can be stated that 3D printing has a substantial
influence on the manufacturing field and its different areas.
Subtypes of 3D printing
Following are different subtypes of 3D printing technology which can be used by
organisations for different purposes.
Vat Photopolymerisation
In this process, a 3D printer is used that has a container filled with photopolymer resin
which is hardened by use of a UV light.
1. Stereolithography (SLA): In this process, an ultraviolet light hardened the curable
photopolymer by tracing and creating cross sections on the surface of liquid resin
(Wang, Goyanes, Gaisford & Basit, 2016).
2. Digital Light Processing (DLP): In this method, companies use light and
photosensitive polymers to create new objects; it is very similar to stereolithography.

INNOVATION ANALYSIS 4
Material Jetting
In this method, the material is applied in the droplet by using a small diameter nozzle.
This method is similar to a common inkjet paper printer; however, in this process, the
material is applied layer-by-layer to create a 3D object (Gaytan et al., 2015).
Contour Crafting
This process uses the power of additive manufacturing to build houses for people. It
uses the robotic device in order to automate the construction of large structures like houses.
Most Importance Milestones
Other than the first introduction of a 3D printer in 1986 by Charles Hull, the
technology has further developed substantially by marking a number of major process
milestones. Following are few of its examples.
Industrial
After building of first ever 3D printer by Charles Hull, the patent for Selective Laser
Sintering (SLS) was applied by Carl Deckard (Mazzoli, 2013). In the automotive industry,
Ford introduced first every 3D printer in 1986 for prototyping new part designs. Similarly,
Boeing started using 3D printing technology for creating complex aircrafts parts which
cannot otherwise be created at the high level of accuracy. In 2014, BAE Systems started
using 3D printers for creating metal components for defence, security and aerospace purposes
(Harwood, 2017).
Medical
3D printing technology has made it easier and cheaper to create prosthetic parts, such
as legs and arms. The technology has made it easier for corporations to create these parts with
a high level of accuracy and making them easily available for people who require them
worldwide. From 1999 to 2010, the 3D printing technology started revolutionising the
medical industry and at the same time, first ever human organ created using a 3D printer
which was a human bladder. After that, it becomes easier for healthcare professionals to
create blood vessels, miniature kidney, and other human organs (Ventola, 2014). The
researchers at Wake Forest Institute were able to use 3D printing technology for creating
human skin which was a major milestone.

INNOVATION ANALYSIS 5
Commercial
From 2009, it has become easier for small start-ups and organisations to offer
affordable 3D printers to the general public which they can use to build different 3D printed
objects. The commercialisation of 3D printing technology is major milestone, and it will
provide substantial business opportunities to a large number of organisations (Stabile,
Scungio, Buonanno, Arpino & Ficco, 2017).
Technological
In 2016, giant technology corporations such as Hewlett Packard and General Electric
started investing in space technology. HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology is based on 3D
printing technology which enables the firm to create spaceship components which require a
high level of accuracy (Materialise, 2018).
Effect of 3D printing technology on Organisations
Following are different companies which harness the potential of 3D printing
technology and use it to gain a competitive advantage.
General Electric
The company use 3D printers to create more than 85,000 fuel nozzles for Leap jet
engines. The finished products from 3D printers are much lighter and accurate then compared
to its alternatives which reduce its overall costs. The management is able to ensure that parts
are created by using low costs materials, and the components are created with high level of
accuracy. However, the ability of 3D printers to create new nozzles is relatively slower which
require innovations to speed up the process (Conner et al., 2014).
Boeing
Boeing was an early adopter of 3D printing technology, and it has used the
technology to create more than 20,000 parts for ten different commercial and military planes.
The management also invests in additive manufacturing programs in University of
Nottingham and University of Sheffield in order to ensure that they are able to improve the
technology and use it in mass production (Lipson & Kurman, 2013).
Ford

INNOVATION ANALYSIS 6
The management of Ford realised the potential of 3D printing technology from the
early 1980s, and recently the company printed its 500,000th part by using a 3D printer. The
management has invested in 3D printing technology because by using traditional methods it
would take around four mounts and $500,000 to create its products whereas 3D printers are
able to do the same job in four days and $3,000 (Ford, 2015). Therefore, 3D printing
technology provides a competitive advantage to Ford over its competitors because the firm is
able to reduce its time and resources in the production process.
Recommendations
Following are three recommendations for future development of 3D printing technology
for organisations which can assist them in gaining a competitive advantage.
 Additive manufacturing is the future of production operations, and organisations are
requiring investing in the technology in order to gain competitive advantage. The
leading corporations such as General Electric, Ford and Boeing realised the potential
of 3D printing technology in the 1980s, and they started investing in the technology
which provided them a competitive advantage. Similarly, other manufacturing
companies should invest in using 3D printers in their manufacturing process to
improve its efficiency and effectiveness.
 The companies should invest in 3D printing technology’s research and development
programs for developing the technology. Although the technology has grown
substantially since its first introduction in the 1980s, however, it has not achieved its
full potential. Similarly, like Boeing, corporations should invest in 3D printing
programs for developing the technology and making it more suitable for their
operations.
 3D printers offer a prominent market to organisations, and they should invest in
creating more affordable printers for the general public. In the future, people will be
able to create new objects at home by using 3D printers which will disrupt the
manufacturing industry. Therefore, organisations and start-ups should invest in
creating affordable and easy 3D printers for people.

INNOVATION ANALYSIS 7
Conclusion
In conclusion, the 3D printing technology was first developed in the 1980s, and it has
developed exponentially since then. The technology enables organisations and people to
create complex objects easily and in relatively less time than compared to traditional methods
of productions. The technology has a substantial influence on manufacturing field since it
enables companies to create new objects without expensive machinery and labour. Major
milestones of the technology in different field such as medical, productions, commercial and
technology are discussed in the report. The technology has affected management approach in
organisations such as Ford, General Electric and Boeing since it allows them to create
complex machinery components without incurring heavy costs. Various recommendations are
given in the report for organisations regarding 3D printing technology such as increases in
investment in 3D printers will allow them to reduce costs and increase the efficiency of
operations. Organisations should increase the investment in research and development of 3D
printing technology, and they should introduce new commercial 3D printers for the general
public. These recommendations can assist organisations in using 3D printing technology
effectively which will provide a competitive advantage and sustain their future growth.

INNOVATION ANALYSIS 8
References
Conner, B. P., Manogharan, G. P., Martof, A. N., Rodomsky, L. M., Rodomsky, C. M.,
Jordan, D. C., & Limperos, J. W. 2014. Making sense of 3-D printing: Creating a map
of additive manufacturing products and services. Additive Manufacturing, 1, 64-76.
Ford. 2015. 3d Printing Helps Ford to Develop All-New Ford GT – And Means You Can
Build A Supercar At Home. Retrieved from
https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/feu/gb/en/news/2015/11/20/3d-printing-
helps-ford-to-develop-all-new-ford-gt--and-means-you.html
Gaytan, S. M., Cadena, M. A., Karim, H., Delfin, D., Lin, Y., Espalin, D., ... & Wicker, R. B.
2015. Fabrication of barium titanate by binder jetting additive manufacturing
technology. Ceramics International, 41(5), 6610-6619.
Harwood, E. 2017. Major Milestones for Additive Manufacturing Companies. Retrieved
from https://investingnews.com/daily/tech-investing/3d-printing-investing/major-
milestones-additive-manufacturing-companies/
Lipson, H., & Kurman, M. 2013. Fabricated: The new world of 3D printing. New Jersey:
John Wiley & Sons.
Materialise. 2018. Polyamide 3D printing, without the lasers. Retrieved from
http://www.materialise.com/en/manufacturing/3d-printing-technology/multi-jet-fusion
Mazzoli, A. 2013. Selective laser sintering in biomedical engineering. Medical & biological
engineering & computing, 51(3), 245-256.

INNOVATION ANALYSIS 9
McMenamin, P. G., Quayle, M. R., McHenry, C. R., & Adams, J. W. 2014. The production
of anatomical teaching resources using three‐dimensional (3D) printing
technology. Anatomical sciences education, 7(6), 479-486.
Mueller, B. 2012. Additive manufacturing technologies–Rapid prototyping to direct digital
manufacturing. Assembly Automation, 32(2).
Stabile, L., Scungio, M., Buonanno, G., Arpino, F., & Ficco, G. 2017. Airborne particle
emission of a commercial 3D printer: the effect of filament material and printing
temperature. Indoor air, 27(2), 398-408.
Vaezi, M., Seitz, H., & Yang, S. 2013. A review on 3D micro-additive manufacturing
technologies. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing
Technology, 67(5-8), 1721-1754.
Ventola, C. L. 2014. Medical applications for 3D printing: current and projected
uses. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 39(10), 704.
Wang, J., Goyanes, A., Gaisford, S., & Basit, A. W. 2016. Stereolithographic (SLA) 3D
printing of oral modified-release dosage forms. International journal of
pharmaceutics, 503(1-2), 207-212.
Wong, K. V., & Hernandez, A. 2012. A review of additive manufacturing. ISRN Mechanical
Engineering, 2012.