Software firms are betting big on 3D printing, an emerging technology that could prompt manufacturing companies to spend more on information technology.

Infosys, Cognizant Technology Solutions and Mindtree are in the process of readying a sales strategy for 3D printing, a concept that lends itself to rapid manufacturing of products ranging from sunglasses to artificial limbs.

“Recently, I was reading about how 3D printers were being taken to Sudan for creating artificial limbs for the war-affected people. For IT service companies, the possibilities are huge, especially in the areas of engineering and digitisation, which are key ingredients in the creation of a 3D component,” said R Chandrasekaran, Executive Vice-Chairman, Cognizant India.

Simply put, a 3D printer can be thought of as a desktop printer, which uses plastic ink and prints objects in three dimensions from any computer image. Though not a substitute for mass manufacturing, 3D printers are seen as industrial robots capable of carrying out the process of additive manufacturing under computer control.

Falling device costs

A rapid drop in printing device costs has shored up sales for major providers such as 3D Systems, Stratasys and ExOne. Today, entry level 3D printers are available for a starting price of $400.

KK Natarajan, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Mindtree, believes that the engineering services outsourcing play for IT companies, which currently stands at about $10 billion, will further expand with increased adoption of 3D printing.

“From a manufacturer’s perspective, if an earlier product prototype would take 45 days to build and test, today three different prototypes could be done in 10 days. More IT services will be called in to keep pace with these developments,” said Natarajan.

Newer IT solutions would be sought in the areas of asset management, enterprise resources and planning, inventory management and for integration with product lifecycle management systems, industry sources said.

“Many 3D printers can produce different objects that are highly customised. This means that the existing ERP and supply change management systems at the manufacturers end will have to be reconfigured,” said Rakhi Makad, Industry Principal and Program Director, Infosys.

Zalak Shah, Research Analyst with Gartner, believes that 3D printing is gaining traction in sectors such as education, dental and jewellery designing and manufacturing. However, Shah highlights that the adoption of 3D printers today is in the early stage, much like personal computers a few decades ago. Hence, technology will have to play a major role in ensuring print quality. “Censors on many 3D printers give out data feeds. For analysing these feeds, big data sort of solutions will be required. This can help in garnering intelligence and predicting when the quality of the printed product would start deteriorating,” said Makad.

Emerging opportunity

Most IT companies are engaging with key clients and conducting research on how they leverage this emerging opportunity. Infosys, for instance, is following a consulting-led approach. It is consulting for a US-based manufacturer on the competencies, partnerships and technological shifts that the latter will have to brace for, as it prepares to use 3D printing for bringing down spare parts inventory, said Makad.

By 2021, research firm Wohlers Associates forecasts the 3D printing industry to reach $10.8 billion from the current $2 billion.

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