News / 3D printing will have a great impact on logistics, but has its limitations, says DHL

© Ben Bibikov

3D printing is unlikely to completely render the factory manufacturing model obsolete, DHL said today.

In its latest trend report, 3D Printing and the Future of Supply Chains, the logistics firm said the technology would complement – rather than replace – mass production by simplifying the production of complex and customisable parts.

Matthias Heutger, senior vice president of DHL customer solutions and innovation, said that while 3D printing had transformative qualities, its potential lay more in its capability to simplify production customised products and ...