University Dissertation: 3D Printing & International Logistics

This dissertation examines the evolving landscape of 3D printing technology and its profound implications for the international logistics sector. Through archival research and secondary data analysis, the study investigates the advancements in 3D printing, its potential for customized and decentralized manufacturing, and its projected influence over the next decade. The research addresses key questions regarding the technology's impact on manufacturing, supply chains, and warehouse management, considering the potential for disruption within the current logistics framework. The findings highlight the current state of 3D printing across different product sectors, its competitiveness, and its anticipated future impact. The paper explores the technology's utilities, applications, and obstacles, ultimately assessing its potential to reshape the logistics industry and its role in global trade.

Running Head: 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY AND INTERNATIONAL LOGISTICS SECTOR
Dissertation
3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY AND INTERNATIONAL LOGISTICS SECTOR
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3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY AND INTERNATIONAL LOGISTICS SECTOR 1
Executive Summary
The paper has tried to understand the 3D Printing technology and international logistics sector.
The research methodology that has been used is archival research method. The paper has
considered secondary research methods for the data collection and assessment. The recent
advancement in the 3D technology is a matter of curiosity and numerous industries are gradually
accepting this technology. Therefore, it seemed imperative that the various growths in this aspect
is studied and understood. Some of the advancements are also impacting the utility of the
logistics around the world. The advancements of the 3D technology will allow the businesses to
produce cheap products in house and will rely less on the international import of the products. It
was expected that the utility of the international logistics will gradual reduce. The aim of the
research was to understand the 3D printing technology and international logistics sector. The
objectives of the research were directed towards this aim. The objectives of the research was to
understand to understand the contemporary growth in the 3 Dimensional Printing Technology; to
understand whether there exists chance for world to use customized and decentralized form of
3D printer; to understand the influence 3D printing will have in a decade to come; and to
understand whether 3D printing will disrupt the current logistics sector and warehouse
management. The research findings are interesting to note. It has been understood that the 3D
printing has reached around different MRL value for different product sector such as 10 for the
dental products and around 4-6 for the industrial products. Various recent advancements have
been observed in the recent years and the timeline shows appreciable upward trajectory.
The impact of the technology on the manufacturing is expected to profound in the years to come.
The 3D printing technology allows the industries to manufacture products that are of high quality
and of low price. However, perfection is yet to be attained. Therefore, it is difficult to state that
when this technology will dominate the whole manufacturing industry. The impact of the 3D
printing on the supply chains is less evident at present and it does not seem that it will have any
profound impact in a decade ahead.

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Table of Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................1
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Research Background..................................................................................................................5
Research Rationale.......................................................................................................................6
Research Aim...............................................................................................................................6
Research Objectives.....................................................................................................................6
Research Questions......................................................................................................................6
Research Scope............................................................................................................................7
Summary......................................................................................................................................8
Literature Review............................................................................................................................9
3D Printing and Advancements...................................................................................................9
Historical Aspect of 3D Printing............................................................................................11
3D Printing Technology.........................................................................................................13
3D Printing at Present................................................................................................................14
Availability of 3D printing for Industries...............................................................................14
Contributors of 3D Printing....................................................................................................16
Obstacles for 3D Printing.......................................................................................................17
3D Printing Processes.............................................................................................................17
3D Printing Industry Ahead.......................................................................................................20
Application of 3D Printing Technology.....................................................................................22
3D Printing Utilities...................................................................................................................25
3D printing and Supply Chains..................................................................................................28
Research Methodology..................................................................................................................33
Primary and Secondary Research..............................................................................................33
Quantitative and Qualitative Research.......................................................................................34
Deductive and Inductive Research.............................................................................................34
Empirical and Theoretical Research..........................................................................................35
Results and Discussion..................................................................................................................36
3D Printing Competitiveness and its Future..............................................................................37

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3D Printing Impacts in the Next Decade...................................................................................40
Summary....................................................................................................................................42
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................43
References......................................................................................................................................47
List of Figures
Figure 1: 3D Printed Project Illustration.........................................................................................4
Figure 2: 3D Human Heart Printing (Illustration Only)..................................................................5
Figure 3: 3D Model Printing............................................................................................................9
Figure 4: 3D Pizza Printing...........................................................................................................10
Figure 5: 3D Printing Timeline 2000s...........................................................................................11
Figure 6: 3D Printing Processes....................................................................................................13
Figure 7: MetalFAB1 Industry Level 3D Printer..........................................................................15
Figure 8: MRL Value 3D Printing.................................................................................................16
Figure 9: Stereolithography...........................................................................................................18
Figure 10: Digital Light Processing...............................................................................................19
Figure 11: Selective Deposition Lamination.................................................................................19
Figure 12: Electron Beam Melting................................................................................................20

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Introduction
Figure 1: 3D Printed Project Illustration
3D Printing (3DP) has been growing gradually from prototyping to manufacturing customized
parts in low volume. It has started to create buzz around the industry professionals. However,
there is consideration that whether this would be a suitable field to invest large sums or it is just a
field of amusement. 3D printing can be seen spreading its wings to almost all the industry,
beginning from IT industry to manufacturing and supply chains. This paper has focused on
understanding the implications of the 3D printing technology for the global logistics industry
(Manners-Bell and Lyon, 2012). The logistics industry amply utilizes the various transportation
services and there are some speculations that the utilization of the 3D printing in this filed can
profoundly impacts the extent with which the transportation services are being demanded in the
market. Moreover, there are numerous geographies that can utilize this technology to build better
capitals.
The logistics industry combines six elements in general, namely, “consumption, design,
production, transport, selection, and final delivery.” One can observe that all the elements are
deeply connected and it is the expectation that embracing the 3D technology can streamline these
activities and goals can be achieved faster.
3D printing allows the companies involved in the development of the products in manufacturing
even single unit at lowest cost possible. Therefore, it can be stated that the manufacturing
companies do not have to bother about the mass production and economies of scale. The
reduction in the time and costs utilized for the production due to the expected growth in the 3D
technology is likely to positively impact the market price of the products being brought in the
market (Airbus, 2014). Moreover, the reduction in the utilization of the resources for the product
will help the companies to produce the local products effectively and compete with the
companies and the products that are coming from abroad. It can also be stated that the companies
that are coming from the external market at present use the global logistics to a greater extent to
compete with the local market (Tatham et al, 2014). However, after the advancement in the 3D

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technologies, one can expect growth in the manufacturing of the products from the local market
which will eventually improve the local market condition. The demand of the global logistics
might reduce due to this overturn of the manufacturing techniques. The above discussion helps in
inferring that 3D technology might be disruptor for the technological industry. This disruptive
technology is likely to challenge the logistics and manufacturing. There are some of the
researchers who have realized that this technology might have appreciable impact as stated
earlier (Van Diepen, 2012; Markillie, 2012; Anderson, 2012).
There have been a series of debates concerning the 3D printing and the logistics. It is expected
that the evolution in the 3D technology is likely to revolutionize the methods that are utilized to
do the production of goods (Ambrosi and Pumera, 2016). The organizations will be gradually
shifting from the transportation oriented organization to the costs that are employed on the labor.
Research Background
3D printing technology has spent appreciable amount of time with the manufacturing industry as
there are some specific industries such as the automotive and aerospace that has utilized this
method to develop prototypes. It has been observed from the study that the stability and safety
provided by the products developed by 3D printing are almost similar to that of the products that
are manufactured through the traditional methods (Anderson, 2012). It has been found that the
utilization of this technology in the development of the aircraft components positively impacts
the overall weight of the aircraft. Moreover, it contributes in the reduction of the carbon dioxide
emission and saves fuel. The 3D technology has also been used in the health care industry for
some time now. The term used for the 3D printing in the medical field is “additive
manufacturing.” There are various elements that are being manufactured in the medical sector
such as the dental components and the hip joints and are readily used by the doctors from around
the world (Bak, 2003). The extent of 3D printing technology has reached to the level that now
there are some of the researchers who are trying to replicate the human cells that can be used to
replace the defective part of the individuals. One might witness artificial human internal organs
in the coming days if everything went as desired and planned.

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Figure 2: 3D Human Heart Printing (Illustration Only)
The use of 3D printing can be observed in the other sectors also. There are some fashion
designers and architects who are orienting towards this technology to develop models. Items
such as shoes, buildings, and even the eatable pizza are being developed by the 3D printing
technologies. 3D printing technology is the technology of replication done by the machines and
there is no limit to what can be replicated. One can view the development in the market
concerned with the 3D printing (Bailiere, 2013). Moreover, it is expected that in the near future
most of the industries will be substantially using this technology. This will allow the businesses
to procure and produce locally. Therefore, one can expect the impact it can have on the logistics
industry. This paper has tried to understand the same. The implication of the 3D advancement on
the logistics industry is the major area that is being investigated in this paper.
Research Rationale
The reason behind understanding the implication of the 3D printing technology is that this
technology seems to be at the forefront of the new era. However, there has been limited research
in this field and fewer researchers have shown interests in conducting the academic study.
Therefore, it has been understood by far that conduction of some more study in this field which
can help the industry understand this technology better is imperative. Considering this aspect,
this paper has been presented based on various research questions, aims, and objectives.
Research Aim
The research aim for this paper is to understand the 3D printing technology and international
logistics sector.
Research Objectives
Based on the research aim, mentioned below are the research objectives that have been defined:
- To understand the contemporary growth in the 3 Dimensional Printing Technology
- To understand whether there exists chance for world to use customized and decentralized
form of 3D printer

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- To understand the influence 3D printing will have in a decade to come
- To understand whether 3D printing will disrupt the current logistics sector and warehouse
management
Research Questions
The study of some of the papers developed by the various researchers led to the understanding
that there exists close relationship between the 3D technology development and manufacturing
and logistics. Though the focus of the paper is to understand the 3D printing technology in
relation to the logistics, there are some of the research questions that have been defined which
will be used as the guide to take ahead the research further. The research paper is intended to
focus on the below mentioned questions while moving ahead with the study:
Central Question
What impact 3D printing will have on the logistics sector in the years to come?
Sub-research questions
1. To what extent 3D printing has developed till now?
This question will help the researcher in getting proper insight into the developments that have
been done in the 3D printing industry. The purpose of investigating this question is to get an
overview of the various advancements and activities that have being conducted in this area.
Moreover, the investigation will help in understanding the overall scope of this technology.
2. How 3D printing technology impacting manufacturing?
This sub research question has been defined to understand the way 3D printing is impacting the
manufacturing sector on global scale. The question will help the researcher in understanding the
impact in quantitative terms. Moreover, the researcher will try to understand that whether the use
of 3D printing technology in manufacturing bring any kind of competitive advantage to the
company involved in the same.
3. How 3D printing technology impacting supply chains?
The question has been defined to understand whether 3D printing will have influence on the
supply chains or the logistics and if yes, then the extent of the same will be assessed. While
understanding this question, the inner supply chain activities will be understood, and then the
same will be assessed in comparison to the logistics that are concerned with the 3D printing.
4. What impact 3D printing has on the international logistic sector?
This question will help the researcher in understanding the future of 3D printing in global
logistics. The time period that has been taken for the assessment is two decades. It is the most
sought after aspect of the 3D printing technology that interests numerous individuals from the

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manufacturing and logistics industry and, therefore, taking a close look at the same would be an
appreciable step for this research.
Research Scope
The paper that has been developed has certain limitations that cannot be ignored while studying
this report. The limitation of time has been the major constraint while preparing this paper.
Mentioned below are some of the scopes that have been defined which will be kept in
consideration while the work on this paper will be conducted:
- The global aspect has been chosen for the study as most of the information can be
gathered on global perspective rather than the location specific study.
- The logistic aspect that has been considered refers majorly to the sea routes as the focus
has been on the global aspect. The use of trucks and other minor road transportation
elements have not been consider as they may hamper the study of the global aspect.
Moreover, time consumption sought by such study would be extensive which is limited.
- The time period that has been considered to understand the future implications is 20
years.
- As the focus of this study is towards the 3D printing of the products and the
transportation of the same. Therefore, the attention will be kept on the products that can
be packed within the containers and transported.
- The study has concerned itself mainly with the advancements in the 3D technology and
the implications of the same on the logistics. Therefore, the various micro variables of a
particular country and the political situation of that country have not been picked up.
- The focus will be kept on the stakeholders who are of substantial size as the focus is the
global logistics.
Summary
The paper has tried to understand the implication of advancement in 3D printing on the global
logistics. The paper will be consulting various past researches to understand the growth the
impact it can have on the global supply chain. The 3D printing technology is expected to
substantially impact the manufacturing and supply chain industry and, therefore, it would be a
wise decision to understand this aspect with greater attention. There are certain limitations to this
research and, therefore, the whole research has been limited to certain premise such as keeping
major focus on global aspect and negligibly considering the local or minor aspects of logistics or
3D printing. The paper will be addressing central research question with four sub-research
questions. The whole paper is based on certain research aims and objectives. The next chapter is
concerned with reviewing the past literature developed by various researchers on 3D printing
technology. Moreover, the analysis of the various research papers will be focused on the global
logistics and the way changes can be witnessed in the same due to the advancements.

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Literature Review
The literature review is concerned with understanding the studies that have in done in reference
to the 3D printing and global logistics by the various researchers. The studies concerning the 3D
printing technology and manufacturing are in abundance however the direct correlational study
of 3D printing technology and logistics are limited. This chapter will try to assess the various
studies and reach certain inference in relation to the research questions defined earlier.
3D Printing and Advancements
There have been various technological advancements that have impacted the human lives in
some way or the other. This field can be attributed as having comparatively more profound
impact on the human civilization than other advancements. Most of the technologies were
disruptive in nature. One such technology is 3D printing, which is gradually making its mark on
the human civilization (Gill and Hart, 2016). It is the expectation of the proponents of this
technology that there are various activities within the industry that are going to be obsolete in the
near future if the desired outcome associated with the 3D printing is achieved.
Figure 3: 3D Model Printing
Additive manufacturing is another name for the 3DP. The nomenclature ‘additive’ is used as it
creates object by addition of something over the other. Traditionally, the process of
manufacturing was subtractive, that is the parts were molded and something were chiseled out to
create something. However, after the advancements in the manufacturing technologies, now the
one element is added with another to create something else (Baskaran et al, 2016). The 3D
printing technology is one such element with advanced capability. The use of 3DP is getting
wider each passing day and various sectors are gradually accepting this technology. However, it

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is only the initial phase of 3D technology and there is lot of developments one can witness in the
coming days.
The proponents of 3D printing technology have no doubt about the potential of this technology.
The 3DP technology has been widely covered by various researchers, and mainstream media.
Most claims with great confidence that the 3D printing technology will impact the current
manufacturing to greater extent and it might be possible that current manufacturing processes
might become obsolete (Beyer, 2014). Moreover, one can expect this technology to break all the
external barriers such as geopolitical, economic or social and will be adopted by large number of
organizations around the world.
The major differentiating factor concerned with this technology is that, it is additive in nature.
The method of manufacturing allows the 3D printer to build parts at micro scale (sub mm scale).
One can clearly differentiate this technology from the basic manufacturing methods that are
existent around the industry. The traditional industries that are prevalent nowadays have
numerous limitations and one of them is the involvement of the human effort in manufacturing
the products (Bose et al, 2013). However, there are various technological advancements that can
be witnessed which have improved the way manufacturing is being done. Most of the tasks are
now being automated, but still they require human involvement to most extent. All these
traditional manufacturing methods that are being applied till date are using the subtracting
method for the production. That is, they subtract the big chunk of raw material to build desired
object. This can be observed as one of the major limitation of the traditional manufacturing
industry (Bhasin et al, 2014). The subtractive method prefers the utilization of the tools and
fixtures for assembling the various parts to form a structure.

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Figure 4: 3D Pizza Printing
Moreover, the traditional manufacturing process ends up
wasting most of the raw materials during chiseling out the
useful parts. This method is in complete contrast to what 3D
printing technology has proposed. In 3D printing, the objects
are developed by the addition of the material one layer after
another. 3D printing allows the manufacturing organizations to
build creative objects with complex designs (Muth et al, 2014).
Moreover, it gives freedom to the individuals and
organizations to think more creatively regarding the product
designs without concerning about the constraints such as costs
and time. 3D printing allows development of complex
geometric objects. It has been stated by some of the
researchers that the 3D printing is an energy efficient
technology. Moreover, it is expected to increase the
efficiencies of the manufacturing organizations in terms of
time and cost.
The 3D printing technology has moved beyond the prototyping
stage and has entered the actual arena of product development
and delivery. There are various industries that have started
utilizing this technology at small scale which is expected to
grow in the near future. The reason behind the same is that the