Business
Business

3D printing: Building the future of Atlanta business a layer at a time?

By
Oct 9, 2015

Think of 3D printing this way.

In traditional manufacturing, machines or people trim away material — metal, wood, plastic, whatever — until they've created the product they want. A 3D printer starts with nothing but a digital image and then builds the product a layer at a time.

Eventually, this process could radically change the way we buy things, from medical devices to toys to furniture to spare parts for the dishwasher.

What might that mean to companies like UPS or Home Depot — enormous opportunity or grave disruption or both?

How far along is this technology? Farther than you may think. See how local companies are using 3D printing already, and watch our video of the process in action.

About the Author

As business team lead, Kelly Yamanouchi edits and writes business stories. She graduated from Harvard and has a master's degree from Northwestern.

Follow Kelly Yamanouchi on facebookFollow Kelly Yamanouchi on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Stellantis plans to open a 422,000-square-foot Mopar Parts Distribution Center in Forsyth, about 60 miles south of Atlanta. (Courtesy of Stellantis)

Credit: Courtesy of Stellantis

Stellantis car parts facility planned for Georgia could mean quicker repairs

A new Stellantis auto parts distribution center planned for Forsyth could mean faster parts availability and shorter repair times.

Craig Miller, pioneer of Georgia’s film industry, dies at 69

Craig Miller had been a mainstay in Georgia’s film industry for four decades.

Inside the team that transforms State Farm Arena overnight, from games to concerts

State Farm Arena's conversion team assembles and reassembles the basketball court, constructs and deconstructs stages, arranges and rearranges floor seating for each event.

The Latest

Stellantis plans to open a 422,000-square-foot Mopar Parts Distribution Center in Forsyth, about 60 miles south of Atlanta. (Courtesy of Stellantis)

Credit: Courtesy of Stellantis

Stellantis car parts facility planned for Georgia could mean quicker repairs

Why are Subarus so popular?

OPINION

Is this the Corvette of the future?

Featured

Members of the conversion crew take a break as the main scoreboard is lowered to the floor to be worked on as the arena gets ready for the next concert at State Farm Arena, Thursday, October 2, 2025, in Atlanta. The crew was working on creating a stage for the Friday, Oct. 3 Maxwell concert. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Inside the team that transforms State Farm Arena overnight, from games to concerts

State Farm Arena's conversion team assembles and reassembles the basketball court, constructs and deconstructs stages, arranges and rearranges floor seating for each event.

Some ‘No Kings’ protests may snarl traffic Saturday. Here’s how to get around.

"No Kings" protests are scheduled within metro Atlanta Saturday, and some have the potential to tie up traffic. Here's how to get around some of the larger ones.

Georgia students still outpacing national average on ACT. See results by school.

Find out how your child's school and district performed on the college entrance exam.