3D printing
Not only is 2015 the year of the sheep according to the Chinese zodiac, but it will also be the year 3D printing finally casts off the shackles of being a gimmick.
This is according to Houston-based 'emerging 3D innovator' Changing Technologies, which claims this year will be even bigger for the exponentially growing and prolifically adapting manufacturing technology, allowing additive manufacturing to truly flex its muscles as a disruptive technology, particularly as patents expire allowing more innovators and entrepreneurs to develop the technology.
CEO Omar Durham said: "Even though companies like CHGT develop new applications for 3D printing every day, the technology is seen by some as an interesting gimmick... In 2015, we’re quite confident 3D printing will shed the current perception and be recognised as the cutting-edge technology that it is."
"With key patents expiring this year, 3D printers that use wood, metal and fabric could bring historic change to engineering and revolutionise a variety of industries worldwide."
Arguably, this is a frame of mind that the small but noisy 3D printing industry has adopted for the best part of 18 months - and much longer for those who knew the technology back when it was known as rapid prototyping and was the reserve of engineers and product developers rather than Minecraft players and Thingiverse fans (not that their contributions are not valid).
As a former Digital Editor of TCT Magazine - who are currently at International CES in Las Vegas reporting on all the latest the 3D printing industry has to offer in 2015 - it is easy to forget that outside of the sector (which is minuscule compared to its big brothers Injection Moulding, Tooling and CNC Machining) many people still think 3D printing is a fad or are unaware of just what the technology can do.
It's in plastics in particular that additive manufacturing has had a bad rap - images of snot green chess rooks and bad 'mini me' likenesses with a surface finish so rough you could grate cheese off it spring to mind - but many manufacturing professionals believe the technology is taking its place in the supply chain as a complementary technology.
Whether 2015 is truly the year 3D printing falls into step or not remains to be seen, but progress with the general public is certainly being made because at least people now know what 3D printing is. In fact, when I started working on TCT Magazine, my in-laws asked me if 3D printing was something to do with embossing greetings cards… How far we've come.