You often hear that 3D printing is the future of manufacturing. How true is that exactly? A new infographic from the fine folks at Sculpteo shares some of the finer details of the 3D printing revolution.

Most people are no doubt aware of the manufacturing advantages that 3D printing brings to the table, but it goes beyond simple reductions in the the time required to bring a product to market. 3D printing, and the inherent openness it extols, are opening up new avenues of innovation in markets that normally wouldn’t be performing their own manufacturing like small businesses, hospitals and schools. Industries that do manufacture their own objects, like defense and aerospace, are also seeing changes thanks to 3D printing.

So, where will 3D printing go from here? You can expect more industries to adopt 3D printing as a way to help consumers personalize products. In fact, involving the consumer in the manufacturing process may just lead to more business as more consumers demand to have things created in their own unique style. 3D printing can help businesses achieve this goal and drive consumer demand by working directly with said consumers.