Prosumption perspectives on additive manufacturing: reconfiguration of consumer products with 3D printing

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to examine the changing backdrop of the consumer market in relation to three-dimensional (3D) printing, especially in the context of Web infrastructure that connects consumers and producers with unprecedented diversity and scale and Web 2.0 user-created content in the material domain. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a conceptual architecture and software platform that facilitates do-it-yourself reconfiguration of existing products incorporating 3D printing, mobile 3D sensor, augmented reality (AR) and Web technologies. Findings This work shows that prosumer reconfiguration of consumer products is the major paradigm in the era of democratized production. The results suggest that this approach may be used in the consumer market to meet consumer preferences for adopting innovations without redundant consumption. Research limitations/implications Verification of the proposed conceptual approach is limited to the use of household consumer products. A critical mass of participants and product information are both necessary to achieve a sustainable ecosystem from the proposed platform. Intellectual property issues rely on the fair use of end-user production in this paper. Social implications The proposed approach allows users to swap out consumer product parts or upgrade individual modules as innovations emerge, extending the lifecycles of consumer products and potentially reducing consumer waste. Originality/value There is a lack of work on facilitating the proliferation of practical 3D printing through prosumption in relation to existing consumer products. This paper’s scientific contribution involves how 3D printing affords social manufacturing and consumer-oriented presumption in conjunction with mobile 3D sensor, AR, and Web technologies.

Contextual Impacts on Industrial Processes Brought by the Digital Transformation of Manufacturing: A Systematic Review

“…It refers to the important social change of individuals directly involved in the design and production of the goods they consume. Innovations enable end-users to have authority over the design and production of their own original one-off goods, reshaping the traditional role of passive consumers in the production process by providing them with the highest level of involvement [112,113,149].…”

3D Printing and Shaping Polymers, Composites, and Nanocomposites: A Review

“…By allowing consumers to modify and extend products, a 3D printing platform for prosumer reconfiguration that connects consumers and producers in the material domain can free consumers from being locked into a producer’s product line. This prosumer-oriented ecosystem of consumer products will discourage redundant functionality proliferation and encourage feature divergence to meet the creative needs of individual consumers [ 167 ]. Dahake et al [ 168 ] reviewed the application of medical rapid prototyping (MRP)-assisted customized surgical guides (CSGs).…”

“From souvenirs to 3D printed souvenirs”. Exploring the capabilities of additive manufacturing technologies in (re)-framing tourist souvenirs

“…According to Rayna, Striukova and Darlington (2015), consumers are no longer peripheral in the production of physical objects but their input becomes central in the production process. Yoo, Ko and Chun (2016) claim that the expansion of 3D printing technologies ushers a new era of digital prosumption that is based on social manufacturing-a new model of socioeconomic production in which large numbers of people work cooperatively through the internet and social media platforms to obtain, modify and share again object designs. Many communities and user groups are providing facilities that facilitate "tinkering", experimenting, making, crafting, and prototyping, fabricating and hacking using 3D printers.…”

“…Unlike existing souvenirs which are developed for the tourists without their input, the 3D printed souvenir offers the opportunity to have a hand in the design and personalisation process. They generate opportunities for co-creation (Chathoth, Altinay, Harrington, Okumus, & Chan, 2013;McIntyre, 2010;Minkiewicz, Evans, & Bridson, 2013), prosumption (Rayna et al, 2015;Yoo et al, 2016) and experiential learning (Campos et al, 2015;McIntyre, 2010;Pine & Gilmore, 1999). The findings add additional learning and opportunity to self-design and produce to the tourist motivations for purchasing souvenirs (Fangxuan & Ryan, 2018;Wilkins, 2011Wilkins, , 2013.…”