Additive manufacturing, better known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, has the potential to completely change the relationships between individual consumers, professional designers and manufacturers. So argued Loughborough University reader in computer-aided product design Dr Ian Campbell at the recent Rapid Product Development Association of South Africa 2015 conference. “Additive manufacturing makes new things happen,” he said. “It’s not just making new things. It’s also doing things in a new way.” It is creating new oppor- tunities for consumers, designers and manufac-turers to work together.

Traditionally, he pointed out, new product development took the route of first, market research, followed by design (by professional designers), manufacture and sale to many consumers. More recently, focus groups have complemented or even replaced market research (which sometimes gets things wrong).

Additive manufacturing allows new models, enabled by modern information and communi-cations technology (easy-to-use software and the Internet). An individual consumer could commission a specific product from a designer, which would be made by 3D printing and sold to that consumer. Campbell noted that this was how things were originally done, with, for example, a villager commissioning the local blacksmith to make a specific tool for his individual use. And it is still the way bespoke tailoring functions.

But the combination of 3D printing and the Internet will allow an even more revolutionary development: those individual consumers who wish to do so, could design their very own products for their personal use. There would, obviously, be limits to this, but it could include jewellery, ornaments, certain types of furniture and fittings and so on. These would then be 3D printed, either (in the cases of small items) at home, or by specialist additive manufacturing companies.

This, however, raises issues of functionality, reliability and safety. Campbell and his team at Loughborough are actively looking into these. A concept they are developing sees the individual consumer/designer benefiting from the expertise of professional designers.

The idea is that, within the design and 3D printing software package, which will be available to the individual consumer/designer, there would be “a sort of ‘black box’ of functionality defined by the professional designers and engineers – something the consumer cannot touch”, explained Campbell. The software would also include maximum design limits, also determined by the professional designers and engineers, which could not be exceeded, to ensure safety. The result would be a defined design space. “You allow the consumer to play around within this design space.”

They have already done this, on an experi-mental basis, with a simple product category: lampshades. The result was a number of unique but functional lampshades designs produced by individual consumer/designers (for reasons of cost, only the winning design was printed).

“The aim is to create functional and safe products,” he highlighted. “What we’re see-ing is that the new design/manufacturing models can also empower nonprofessional designers. Professional designers must learn to accommodate this in practice.” Campbell foresees that individual-designed products may have to be produced by professional companies, which would vet the designs first. This would be for reasons of safety and legal liability.

Ian Campbell and Keith Campbell are not related.