On the morning of February 17th 2014 The Guardian revealed that a large company dedicated to making toys for children had just partnered with a 3D printing company in order to create an altogether different experience for the children of the modern day. The company that has partnered with 3D Systems in order to create a new type of toy is Hasbro, the makers of Transformers and My Little Pony.
What does this mean?
This means that children across the globe have been brought one step closer to their dreams of designing, creating and printing their own toys instead of only having the selection that is given either in the stores, online or within catalogues.
This also means that more and more companies are deciding to take a leap of faith by utilising 3D printing and keeping an eye on their sales. We’ve already seen several companies advertise the fact that you can create and design your own toy and they will print the design and send it to you for a fee, but never have we seen a company the size of Hasbro make a move such as this.
Similar Companies
Many other companies have openly talked about the potential that 3D printing holds and how this could benefit the toy making and retail industry as well as how 3D printing could possibly be the future of the toy making industry as well as many other industries; but not many of these companies appear to have the courage to take the step themselves.
Some of these companies include LEGO and Mattel, although they’ve expressed their concerns regarding 3D printing and have stated as to why they do not believe they will be using 3D printing technology in the near future.
Concerns
LEGO and Mattel expressed similar concerns regarding the use of 3D printing technology and allowing the public to create and order their own 3D designs.
Although these two companies both use 3D printing technology to create prototypes and to test their products before sale, their beliefs about sharing their products with the public through 3D printing are clear.
LEGO and Mattel believe that allowing the public to use these services will cause problems in the future due to the customisable nature of the products. It’s believed that by allowing the public to adjust the products there could be issues with health and safety and there may be an increased risk of choking or similar issues.
It’s important that all companies keep the safety and well-being of the general public in mind when releasing new products or services; by doing so the company could also save themselves a lot of time and money.
For more information on the latest printing technology or anything relating to print management or resources you can contact us here at Print and Digital Associates; we’d be more than happy to help you in any way that we can. Don’t be afraid to get in touch!