3d printers in logistics

My self Athul kumar a and this post is according to an article which came through which says the advantanges of 3d printing technology in logistics and it can be usefull mainly in make in India process

Advantages

Cost Savings 

•  Eliminate the need for large bulk inventory 

•  Eliminate the need for high volume production facilities 

•  Reduce transportation cost 

•  Eliminate penalty for redesign 

•  Reduce the size of an economical lot 

•  More economical and effective packaging solutions 

•  Vetting out designs: offer customized designs at lower cost 

•  Reduce labor inputs: eliminate low level assembly workers

 •  Reduce required tooling and machining centers 

•  Economical mass customization 

Speed Responsiveness 

•  Eliminate the time lag between design and product 

•  Shorter lead time 

•  Enabling on-demand manufacturing 

•  Improving process flexibility 

•  Supply chain disintermediation 

Quality Improvement  

•  Reduce production waste 

•  Improve quality 

•  Incorporate customer feedback 

•  More optimum products across many industries 

•  Eliminate excess parts that cause drag and add weight 

•  Management of demand uncertainty 

Environmental Impact  

•  Less negative impact on environment 

•  Reduce carbon footprint 

•  Reduce the waste that accrue in traditional manufacturing

Now to talk about its implications in logistics in world wild 

• Potentially a proportion of goods which were previously produced in China or other Asia markets could be ‘near-sourced’ to North America and Europe. This would reduce shipping and air cargo volumes. 
• Customisation of products would mean that inventory levels fall, as goods are made to order. This would have the effect of reducing warehousing requirements. 
• Downstream logistics would also be affected. Build-to-order production strategies could fundamentally impact the manufacturer-wholesaler-retailer relationship. In the future the shopping experience could also be vastly different. In some sectors, retailers will either cease to exist or become ‘shop windows’ for manufacturers, keeping no stock of their own. Orders are fulfilled directly by the manufacturer, and delivered to the home of the consumer. 
• A major new sector of the logistics industry would emerge dealing with the storage and movement of the raw materials which ‘feed’ the 3D Printers. As 3D Printers become more affordable to the general public, the home delivery market of these materials would increase. 
• The Service Parts Logistics sector would be one of the first to be affected. At present billions are spent on holding stock. If you can download a design from the online library, print 3D and then enter it in a very short time window, then global and national warehouses as well as front warehouses will not be needed.