A game changing phenomenon even if only half the hype is to be believed. Ive seen quite a few comparisons between the current market leaders of the existing industry and the likes of Apple and Google and am thinking I might splash out and get me one or some shares of these three at least, 3D systems (DDD), Stratasys (SSYS), or Dassault (Dastsy). Any opinions here on where this might go over the longer term ? I own absolutely zero paper and am all long physical PM's but this emerging industry is, so far as I can see a complete game changer on all levels and currently a near groundfloor opportunity. Ive never bought a single share in my life. Don't even know where to start but I really think a technology such as this will bring a fundamental change to manufacturing and have a profound effect on everything from dental implants to coffee cups in the near future. I can remember way back 20 years ago when simply printing a few pages of a book was done at a library or specialist site as photocopiers were a state of the art product. You can already buy a 3D printer that can print with 107 different materials, even live tissue is being used in research for the likes of heart valves, kidneys etc. As stated I am a share/stock/paper virgin and dont own any shares at all but am curious as to what you stackers who dable in the share market think about this. And if you have any advice as to how to buy shares in any of the above stocks I mentioned or any alternatives.
I think a startup company, with the right funding, could out-pace an larger company in this area. As is often the case with new, ground-breaking technology. 3D printing has many unique problems to solve, and it's not simply adding another "printer" to the range. If I were investing I'd like the company to at least have a very competitive prototype, or are already in production. With these types of revolutionary technologies you'll see many start-ups fall to the wayside, even though they have good product. Like computer companies in the 1980s, how many of them failed (Amstrad, Commodore, Atari, Microbee ... etc).
The people who want to print out parts, rather than the people who want to print out a statue or a flower etc. are the sort of people who like to build their own 3D printers and who don't mind tinkering with them to get them to work better. At the moment it seems that most 3D printers are being put together by hobbists from kits and they are also building laser cutters and CNC millers/routers from kits too. Most of the 3D printers I have seen take up a lot of benchspace, I guess if they were made commercially the size would come down. I am starting to see more and more of them on websites like Kickstarter and Instructables so I think there is a fan base for them. It could be many years though before it catches on and there could be many companies in play before the market leader comes out. I guess shares are a gamble though.
Relevant: http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/23/makerbot-takes-10-million-in-funding-from-foundry-group-angels/ search "MakerBot" Imo this is not a "first-play" industry to start with in stocks.... more of a speccy
