3D printing technology In the Fashion Industry
Introduction
It is worth noting that the use and application of 3D printing play an essential role in enhancing the effective performance of industries and particularly the fashion and design industries. Perhaps, 3D printing is one of the emerging technologies which has enhanced the integration of business activities among many industries. Compared to traditional manufacturing processes, 3D printing poses a various number of advantages such as acceleration of design process, less production time, lower the cost related to inventories, warehousing, packaging as well as transportation of the fashion materials (Vanderploeg, Lee & Mamp, 2017). Notably, the use of 3D printing technology in fashion design has had a revolutionary historical change, and it has indirectly affected the development of prospects of the digital fashion industry. The fashion landscape has changed significantly in design, the printing of the garments as well as the quality of the garments. The 3D printing technology enables designers to design fashions based on customer preferences and specifications and hence meet the market demands. Due to the production of quality and impressive fashion, technology has enhanced competitive advantage among the fashion industries. Therefore, this paper evaluates the application of 3D printing technology in clothing design and how it has influenced the performance of fashion industries.
How has 3D printing technology changed People’s Daily fashion design?
It has created a wide variety of choice for different fashion
It is prudent to note that due to technological advancement and globalization, fashion and design industries have been integrated and revolutionized to keep the phase of increasing customer demand and specifications. The use of 3D printing technology has been one of the main concerns among the design and fashion industries, which in turn has changed people’s daily fashion design (Kim & Kang, 2015). Perhaps, the use of 3D printing technology has shaped the people’s daily fashion in two significant ways. For instance, new technology enhances the mass production of different fashions and designs, which helps to meet customer demands and specifications. Perhaps, the technology through the production of different fashions has helped the customers to have a wide variety of choices, which in turn has promoted their ways of dressing. Unlike the traditional methods of producing fashions, such as the use of hand-sewing, the 3D printer can produce very many garments at a time. This has enhanced the fashion industries to meet the demands and specifications of customers, which in turn has created a good customer response and a good reputation among the industries (Kietzmann, Pitt &Berthon, 2015). The technology has bridged the shortage gap of fashion in the market, and thus the customers can choose any fashion depending on the need and urgency. This, in turn, has promoted people’s daily lives and activities such as the promotion of cultural values in the society, weddings as well as decency among the customers. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Luxury Model and Expansion of Creativity for Designers
Notably, 3D printing technology has enhanced the luxury model where various fashion and designs are printed with high quality and rare materials that aims to appeal to those with bigger budgets. The integration of social life has perpetuated the need for quality products that are durable and presentable. The fashion and design industry has greatly enhanced by the production of quality materials, which meets the phase of growing social life among the people in the 21st century. 3D printing technology helps to design and print quality fashions and garments. These printers are tailored to produce materials that are of high quality and durable unless hand-sewing production. Consequently, 3D printing has expanded creative possibilities for fashion designers. The technology helps the designers to create shapes without molds, which in turn has helped to manage to produce elements of an extreme intricacy among the customers. This printing of garments also takes a short period of time, and thus, the fashion and design industries can respond to the customer demands on time without delay (Valtas & Sun, 2016). This, in turn, has enhanced the integration of people’s daily fashion design since customers can access fashion at any time in the market or e-commerce. Therefore, it can be noted that 3D printing technology has significantly changed people’s daily fashion by the creation of quality, rare materials, and affordable fashions.
Benefits of 3D printing technology in clothing design
Environmental Conservation
Another significant benefit of 3D printing technology in both customers and clothing industries is the environmental friendly created by the technology. Perhaps, the technology is perceived to reduce wastage of materials, which in turn ensures environmental protection. The traditional designing is known for wastage of materials and plenty of textile scraps which are dumped after manufacturing the clothes (Perry, 2018). This, in turn, has been encouraging environmental pollution. Also, the traditional designing involves the usage of dues which are used for color fabrics. These are also perceived to be a major cause of water pollution. However, the use of 3D printing technology minimizes wastage of resources and textile scrapes since it utilizes all the materials. Also, technology makes use of all dyes and thus enhancing environmental conservation. Therefore, this technology has saved the design and clothing industries from dumping and recycling expenses and hence effective performance. Also, technology has saved society from the occurrence of disorders that are likely to occur from environmental pollution. Also, plenty of water is required for manufacturing textiles and fabrics. In addition, air pollution has been a great challenge among the textile production industries. However, 3D technology has helped to solve these challenges since it does not involve the use of water nor any emission of gas to the atmosphere.
Faster Printing Compared to Traditional Textile Production
Another significant benefit of 3D printing technology is that it allows designers to innovate faster as compared to traditional textile production. The technology has helped to reduce lead times drastically due to the use of quality and sophisticated printers. Notably, the technology has helped to make wearable clothing with very few geometrical constraints. This is because the 3D printers remove multiple limitations that are faced by designers in the traditional textile industries. Also, the technology is effective for large companies since it can be transformative based on speed to market and supply chain. Different fashion and clothes can be printed within a short period of time. Perhaps, the technology has increased the change of style for the last few years as well as reducing the lifespan of seasonal collections. This, in turn, helps to respond quickly to the customer demands and hence enhance market satisfaction. According to Parker (2016), 3D printing has helped to produce small-sized batches. Based on the traditional setup, the fashion brand has to order a 40 feet container of clothes and garments due to the size of batches produced by these industries. However, based on 3D orienting, fashion items are manufactured on demand or in small sizes which suits the customer preferences. This, in turn, has helped to reduce the working capital and budgeting.
Drawbacks of 3D printing technology in clothing design
Copyright and authenticity issues
It is worth noting that every technology and innovation is accompanied by its outfalls and drawbacks. Perhaps, 3D printing fashion is one of the advanced technology that has shown various challenges. Copyright is one of the drawbacks associated with this technology. Like in music and movie piracy, design file piracy has affected the fashion industry greatly. For instance, illegal sharing of designs for fashion and clothes has affected the original creator of the design, which in turn has led to confusion to the customers to determine which fashion is original or copyright. Copyright issues have rendered 3D printing machines less effective in the market since people can purchase copyright printing machines and print copyright fashions. This has also posed a great competition with the original fashion. Similar to copyrights, authenticity is another drawback facing 3D technology in fashion and clothing design. In most cases, customers fail to know the design they are purchasing is indeed the work of the designer who advertised the product. Determining the real fashion from the designer has been a great challenge to the customers, which in turn has ruined the reputation of many designers through poor customer experience. Therefore, it can be noted that copyright and authenticity issues have greatly affected the fashion designers and the fashion industries due to stiff completion and loss of customers.
Loss of manufacturing jobs
Introduction of 3D printing technology has created the loss of manufacturing jobs, which in turn has rendered very many people jobless. It is prudent to note that advanced technology has been associated greatly with the loss of jobs since many companies are integrating from the manual execution of duties to the use of advanced technologies and computers (Tania, 2017). This has led many companies to lay off their employees and their roles occupied by advanced technologies. Perhaps, 3D printing technology has led to the loss of manufacturing jobs in the fashion and clothing industries. The machine has replaced human labor, such as hand-sewing employees. Also, with people able to print clothes at their homes and companies and able to make small batch sizes, many manufacturing industries have been shut down, which in turn has increased the rate of employment among the people (Taylor & Unver, 2014). Consequently, the concept of 3D printing is perceived to be less labor-intensive and more machine-intensive. This shows that the replacement of cheap human labor with the use of machines has led to a loss of jobs. Also, the use of 3D printing machines is perceived to produce quality fashion as compared to hand-sewing. This has led the printers to receive a positive response from many designers and customers. Therefore, this has led to the closure of indigenous manufacturing industries, which in turn has led to the loss of employment among many people.
What does the future of the technology hold?
Design of the Prototype
To enhance effective future performance if the 3D printing technology, designers and manufacturing industries can design the prototype, which has the ability to engineer the real-life of 3D models for two-dimensional products. (Sun & Zhao, 2017). The designing prototype will enhance the effective operation of the 3D printers and helps to reduce wastage of materials and other resources required. The use of a prototype is likely to be cost-effective and time-saving, which in turn will help the designers to reduce the cost of material and time used to print the fashions and clothes. Although designing a classic porotype fabrication many take several weeks, the tooling and production of 3D printing help to offer a rapid prototype fabrication, which saves the rest of the time in producing quality and customer-specificity clothes and fashion. Individualized construction is another potential and future growth of the 3D printing technology. When used together with 3D scanning, 3D printing is likely to lower the cost of tailoring products and hence enhancing cost-efficiency among the fashion industries and designers. The use of 3D scanning and printing at the same time will help to reduce the cost of custom orders for clothing and other items (Lim & Cassidy, 2014). This will also enhance the sufficient supply of clothes that are scanned and thoroughly baked to meet customer demands and specifications. 3D printing technology is also likely to enhance the global supply chain.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be noted that 3D printing technology has changed the fashion and clothing industries significantly. Production of quality and reliable clothing has changed people’s daily fashion design. This has been enhanced by the production of quality and various varieties of clothes where customers are given a wide range of choices. Perhaps, the new technology enhances the mass production of different fashions and designs, which helps to meet the customer demands and specifications. The clothes produced are cost-effective, and thus they are affordable. This has helped consumers to have a variety of clothes as much as they want and hence improving their daily fashion design. Consequently, due to technological advancement and integration of social and cultural values, 3D printing technology is likely to outcompete traditional textile production.
References
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