Amazon May Print Your Product

Amazon plans to create and patent 3D-printing delivery trucks. The patent, called 'Providing Services Related to Item Delivery via 3D Manufacturing on Demand', describes an effort to deliver 3D printed items manufactured on a truck to customers.

3D printing is a process, which three dimensional objects can be printed on demand.

The 3D printing trucks that Amazon is proposing will double as delivery trucks. The patent lays out a sequential series of steps in regards to how this process will likely happen: first, a customer places an order, the 3D printable order is sent to the delivery truck closest to the customer, and the item is produced en route and delivered once complete.

The patent also covers subtractive printing, which is the process of taking a block of material, usually metal and removing pieces in order to obtain the desired shape.

UPS 3D Printing

It has reached a new plateau. UPS is now offering in-store printing of 3D objects for its customers. It is the first nationwide retailer to offer 3D printing services in-store. Other local and regional stores have been set up around the country specifically to offer 3D printing with varying degrees of success, but having a national brand offering the printing service brings a shift from concept to mainstream.

UPS' experiment with in-store 3D printers worked and now has expanded the availability of 3D printing services to over 100 locations across the US, including Hawaii. Customers can print everything from accessories, architecture, functional prototypes, and one-of-a-kind gadgets.

http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/22/ups-3d-printer-expansion/