3D Printing Invigorates Manufacturing

Italian firm HSL has expanded its business by creating 3D-printed designer lamps and eyeglasses. Image: HSL

Low-cost mass production of consumer goods in countries where labor is cheap has made it difficult for traditional manufacturers in other countries to compete. 3D printing could be seen as yet another threat to traditional industries, but in Italy a group of manufacturers in the country's industrial center in the Northeast have embraced 3D printing as a way to create custom, made-to-order goods, according to this report in Bloomberg.

Growth for manufacturing in the region was positive for the first time since 2007, and exports have risen by 3.5%. Italian research firm Prometeia says that the use of 3D printing and other technologies could boost revenue for these small Italian manufacturers by as much as 15%.

Automotive prototyping company HSL, for example, has branched out into custom-made designer lamps and eyeglass frames. The complex lamps are built on-demand using 3D printers. The company has teamed with dozens of designers, and even introduced a line of 3D-printed jewelry.

While these companies can compete in terms of the cheap labor available in places like China or India, they can leverage more flexibility, technical innovations and customization. As designer Selvaggia Armani, who created HSL's custom lamps, said in the article: “If something doesn’t work, you simply stop producing. You haven’t filled a warehouse. For a designer, it’s a dream. You can take more risks.”

Centro Moda Canossa, a trade school in Trento, a town in the same region, has added classes that teach students how to use 3D printing, laser cutting, and other technologies in their fashion design and tailoring projects.

Source: Bloomberg