These designs will
enable final consumers to produce customized prod-
ucts at home and allow firms to produce replace-
ment parts on an as-ordered basis. The widespread
adoption and use of the Internet will increase indi-
viduals’ ability to examine the CAD-CAM library of
available designs, and allow for these to be easily
downloaded. The heightened number of CAD-CAM applica-
tions, the availability of higher-quality materials,
and lower material costs will also result in a larger
number of home and professional-quality 3-D print-
ers. One can anticipate that many noncompeting
professionals and firms may also choose to jointly
purchase 3-D printers to reduce their investment
costs, as well as the risk of technological obsoles-
cence. In the long term, the range of industrial 3-D
printing applications will skyrocket as new 3-D print-
ers are able to accommodate larger products and
achieve greater levels of precision. There should
also be significant declines in material and machin-
ery costs as more individuals and firms adopt this
3-D printing: The new industrial revolution 161