Although our objective is to make Cloud 3D Print a global phenomenon, there’s no doubt that the software will make its first impression in Canada. Being a Canadian firm, Cloud 3D Print has to have real benefits for the individuals, institutions, and the markets in Canada. As time goes on and Cloud 3D Print matures as a technology, the benefits to Canada are bound to increase. But even before its complete launch, we can envision some of the benefits that the software can bring to the community. In this article, we explore some of the ways in which Cloud 3D Print can serve as a means for benefit in the context of Canada itself.

Creating jobs for the local talent pool

Can 3D printing create more jobs than it will wipe off? The answer is more optimistic than it seems. At Mech Solutions Ltd, we aim to inspire a culture of 3D Printing by making its access easy and simple to a growing number of people. We believe that by inspiring a culture of 3D printing, we will be able to revolutionize manufacturing and create more jobs in the Canadian market.

Won’t automation wipe off jobs?

It is a common conception that automation in general and 3D printing, in particular, can make us lose more jobs. After all, before automation, we required 10 individuals to operate a machine. Now, we require only one! So how are we going to replace those 9 jobs that have been seemingly lost?

If we can really mainstream 3D printing in Canada, then we can shift a lot of manufacturing here. When a local machine operator is fabricating parts on a 3D printer here, most of the supply, support, and distribution chain will be here.

From central to regional manufacturing

The present economy is all about centralized manufacturing. There are big centralized manufacturing hubs in which bulk manufacturing takes place. To support bulk manufacturing, large firms are in a constant race to procure cheap labour. 3D Printing will change that.

3D printing is not going to replace traditional manufacturing completely. Traditional manufacturing machines are here to stay. But as 3D printing becomes more mature and accessible, we will be able to manufacture almost all finished products. This will cut down the need for centralized manufacturing and shift it to more regional and distributed manufacturing. Instead of centralized manufacturing hubs, manufacturing will shift towards tens of thousands of small factories and manufacturing units across the world, part by part, product by product. Do you see what’s happening here? Parts will be produced regionally, close to places where they are required.

But how will jobs be created?

You might be still wondering how will this create jobs? How can a culture of 3D printing inspired by Cloud 3D Print help to create job opportunities? On the surface, it seems that more jobs will be lost. Factories and industries will source more and more 3D printers and automation machinery and this will replace hundreds of factory workers.

To understand this, you must consider the example of a horse! When the horse was the main source of transportation, there were plenty of jobs linked to the horse. The saddle makers, the wagon makers, and the blacksmiths had many opportunities.

When the horse was replaced by the motor vehicle, all these jobs were lost. The dawn of the auto industry cast a death blow for these jobs. But as the auto industry developed further, so many new jobs were created that were unimaginable in the era of the horse. What the auto industry did to the horse, 3D printing will do to manufacturing.

That is why making 3D printing accessible for all is one of the main goals of Cloud 3D Print. Once 3D printing is mainstream, so many new businesses will be created that are not conceivable at the moment. And new businesses always give rise to new products, services, and new jobs.

Creating more businesses

Once it makes 3D printing accessible, Cloud 3D Print is bound to help more businesses spawn. With cloud 3D print, one of our main focuses is to facilitate and help new businesses establish themselves and grow. This will happen through the shifting of manufacturing from the centralized hubs to regional centers, as explained above.

Regional manufacturing will help create independent fabricators. We have seen many 3D printing startups emerge already. People are setting up independent businesses and helping create small rapid-prototyping units. Many traditional manufacturing units are also adding 3D printers. All of these 3D printing setups will act as the local and regional distributors and suppliers in the new 3D printing age.

Individually, these small business units might not employ a large number of people. But on a collective scale, a large number of such small businesses will become a major source of replacing factory jobs in Canada. Skilled individuals working in the factories will then be employed in 3D printing businesses across the country.

Another aspect is that 3D-printing fuels customization. Gone is the era of the ‘one size fits all approach. 3D printing is making custom products a popular trend. And the business of customized products itself will create jobs in Canada. As time goes by, customization will become normal and will penetrate deep into our lives.

More jobs for programmers

As Cloud 3D Print matures as a platform, it will face a continuous stream of demands from new customers. The software has already been designed with immense room for innovation. Much like a ‘block building approach’ which is adopted while designing fighter aircraft. Each existing block has room to incorporate the emerging technologies of the time and it eventually morphs into a completely new block. Changing market demands and needs might push Mech Solutions Ltd to launch completely separate versions of Cloud 3D Print for different customers.

In this scenario, Mech Solutions Ltd will need the services of more and more talented programmers and coders over time. Programmers will be required for design, encryption, authentication of products and parts, customization, networking, quality control, anti-counterfeiting, and many other related roles. This will undoubtedly create numerous jobs for Canadian programmers.

Jobs for security entrepreneurs

Cloud 3D print can also create jobs for Canadian security entrepreneurs. As a software, Cloud 3D Print will have access to the digital blueprints of many of its clients. Digital blueprints are a big asset for any company and their proliferation or theft can have devastating consequences for a company. To make sure that this doesn’t happen, our company will hire local security entrepreneurs who will help us in blueprint security, data management, and encryption.

Consumers to makers

The industrial revolution has turned us all into consumers. This trend is reflected in Canada as well. Industries manufacture whatever we need and we buy that stuff. With 3D printing becoming mainstream, Canadians will turn into makers again. This will fuel small business growth. For comparison, 25% of manufacturing companies in the USA only employ around 5 people. And almost two-thirds of all new jobs in the USA between 2009 and 2013 were created by small businesses. So Cloud 3D Print can help replicate the same trend in Canada. Once small businesses are created through mainstreaming of 3D printing, there will be an endless amount of new jobs created.

Benefits for industries in Canada

Owing to its flexibility, Cloud 3D Print can be used in a variety of industries. The main benefit is that the software will facilitate the 3D printing process and make it easy and manageable. This will translate into more and more industries moving towards 3D printing. As of now, many industry owners are unsure as to what benefits 3D printing can bring to their industries. Furthermore, they are reluctant to completely embrace 3D printing because there is no proper platform for managing 3D printing on an industrial scale.

If industry owners are confident that a comprehensive and functional [3D printing management platform] in the Canadian market, they are more likely to gain much-needed confidence to move towards complete 3D printing operations in the industry. This can, in turn, generate many benefits for Canadian industries and increase their competitiveness on the global level. Some of the benefits can be the following:

Reduction of machine costs

Whether it be labour, transit, machine, or materials, 3D printing can be a source of drastic cost reduction. Complex parts can be manufactured relatively easily and by sourcing fewer machines. When it comes to energy consumption, 3D printers consume way less energy than industrial machines like moulding machines, etc.

Fast-tracking the design process

Since 3D printing is a ‘rapid’ prototyping technique, the process of prototyping can be fast-tracked. 3D printing allows industries to prepare prototypes in a short time. This accelerates the design validation process and the next phase of manufacturing can be undertaken relatively quickly.

Managing the process

Perhaps the biggest hindrance to Canadian industries adopting a full-scale adoption of 3D printing is the lack of management software. Without a proper management platform, 3D printing can be a difficult process to handle. It is necessary to streamline the process, manage the workflow, predict the amount of material required for each project, and estimate the time required to complete each job.

With Cloud 3D Print, Canadian industries will be equipped with a management platform unlike any other. Proper management of the entire process can really help increase the efficiency and productivity of Canadian industries.

Producing durable and sustainable products

To compete on a global level, Canadian industries must develop a reputation for delivering reliable and durable products. The incorporation of 3D printing in the Canadian industrial landscape can ensure that to a high degree. 3D printing can really help industries to develop lightweight, robust products with high precision and high structural integrity.

Benefits to the Canadian educational sector

When 3D printing is facilitated for educational institutions, it will be incorporated in schools, colleges, and universities to modernize the learning experience. 3D printing has a huge role to play in the teaching of physics, maths, engineering, and technology.

More and more educators across the world are realizing the importance of 3D printing in a world where innovation is happening all the time. Educators in Canada can deploy 3D printing to facilitate the teaching of stem subjects. The next generation of innovators must be familiarized with 3D printing at a young age. When young kids are allowed to experiment with 3D printing, their creativity will be channelled towards innovation and product development. Cloud 3D Print can really help the next generation of Canadian students to become the next generation of innovators.

Benefits for the Canadian research institutions

Research and development are some of the fastest ways to build our future. 3D printing has immense benefits for Canadian research institutions. Perhaps the most critical phase in all 3D printing projects is ‘testing and prototyping’. With Cloud 3D Print, this phase will be fast-tracked and will be performed efficiently. The manufacturing and testing of prototypes will be accelerated once it is managed through smart 3D printing software. It is also hoped that Cloud 3D Print will become a major contributor to the field of R&D in Canada. Cloud 3D Print will be a groundbreaking software for the National Research Council (NRC) Canada and other R&D set-ups around Canada. Cloud 3D Print’s collaboration with the NRC, in particular, can bring real incentives for both partners.