Text: Thomas Masuch, 3 September 2024
A few weeks back, I once again had the good fortune of spending several days in Leipzig. For me, it’s one of the most beautiful and livable cities in Germany – not to mention a treasure trove for history buffs. From Johann Sebastian Bach, who served as cantor of St. Thomas Church around 300 years ago, to the Monday demonstrations of 1989 that ultimately led to the fall of East Germany’s Socialist dictatorship, Leipzig has plenty to offer in this regard. Incidentally, the latter remains the only revolution that ever succeeded in Germany.
While that type of spirit seems to have left the city today, something revolutionary did cross my radar while I was there: an announcement from the world of 3D printing! In a press release, a very well-known producer of AM systems unveiled its latest model and made sure to point out that this printer would “revolutionize” additive manufacturing. It even claimed that production companies would be able to reconfigure their processes from the ground up. When I hear about promises as bold as these, the first thing I check is the date of publication. This, however, really was news from 2024 and not from a decade ago. Back then, there was no shortage of companies and self-proclaimed experts heralding – you guessed it – a revolution in production. From schnitzels to entire automobiles, everything would soon be popping out of 3D printers. Even start-ups that were bringing yet another affordable FDM printer to market saw themselves as forerunners in this revolution – which, by the way, was also poised to change every aspect of our daily lives.
These pronouncements were surely aimed at potential investors, as well, and they did indeed help attract millions in financial backing. To this day, I wonder if those investors – particularly those in the United States – actually believed such promises. I suppose it wasn’t even that important in the end, as long as the story was compelling enough to continue to attract people for the next funding round, or even for an IPO. A few years later, many of those big bets hadn’t hit. The AM market was turning in constant double-digit growth, but the revolution was off, at least for the time being. Stockholders that hadn’t managed to sell their shares in certain AM companies in time were among those left footing the bill. These developments did have a bright side, though: Significant capital was poured into the market, resulting in numerous technical innovations.
Perhaps AM is less about revolution and more like Bach. Artfully melodic and borne by a constant rhythm, it’s a technology that continues to captivate fans and imitators. This in turn is giving rise to ever more new and unique projects and creations. Some 300 years down the line, people will surely look back and see that AM led to significant advancements as it helped shape the world of production. I’m actually quite certain it won’t take that long; even the most devout realist will tell you that there’s a bit of revolution in AM after all.
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- Outside the box