3D Content Marketing

Written by: Gary Horsman

3D Content Marketing

Desktop Manufacturing

If you ever had any doubt that online content is the king then doubt no more. With new advances in 3D printing technology and with lower prices on the horizon we can start to think about desktop manufacturing.

This is content marketing in the 3 dimensional sense. This adds a new dimension to online content (no pun intended).

Imagine . . .

You design a fine set of toys for children and never have to ship them. You only have to post the printable files online and anyone with a 3D printer can download the files and print out the toys. No packing. No shipping fees. You can send the printable 3D content within seconds to any point on the globe.

Imagine . . .

You are a Christmas Ornament Designer now making ornaments by hand in your shop. In the near future you will be able to sell the printable 3D files and stop your manufacturing operation. By the way, you will then no longer need to pack and ship anything. You can create the designs and put them online. Everything related to demand fulfillment can be automated. You can spend your time on demand creation with ‘3D Content Marketing‘.

Imagine . . .

You are a Mechanical Design Engineer located in rural Vermont (you live there for the lifestyle but what the income as if you lived in California) and you set up with a design and build group in Texas or California. You create designs and prototypes in your workshop in Vermont and can place the content online for your colleagues in Texas or California.

Imagine . . .

Just as easily as you can now print a photo you can print a a 3D object.

A few weeks ago I visited the Ontario College of Art and Design with my daughter. On tour we saw a high-end 3D printer and things came out of the printer with moving parts. There was no need to put anything together. I saw a ball joint bearing in its housing which was printed rather than manufactured in the traditional sense.

Also, I was impressed that I was at a college of art and design and the 3D printing area was called the Fast Prototype Lab. This is a college that is training artist and designers to make things and make things quickly. They are teaching and training their students to compete.

For those of us that are fully committed to content and want to make it available online then this is another great advancement.

Your online content can now become a physical 3D reality with a 3D printer. This physical reality can be transferred across the globe as fast as you can send an e-mail. It can be downloaded and printed out by anyone with an Internet connection and a 3D Content Printer. 

If you want to learn more about desktop manufacturing then visit MakerBot. They are making a push to being 3D printing to the masses. We now have desktop publishing and this is well established. With companies such as MakerBot creating high resolution 3D printers (now offering a 100µ layer resolution) at a price that more than a few can afford desktop manufacturing is right around the corner and content marketing will reach even new heights.

Visit MakerBot to gain a glimpse into the future of 3D content.