The US toy industry is largely underrated. The market analysts often forget to refer to it and keep it sidelined for no justified reasons. The latest retail sales data, however, implies it has a bright prospect.

The data gathered by the NPD Group shows in 2014, the toy industry garnered $18.08 billion, an increase of 4% from 2013. While that’s promising, the toy industry alone is not the subject of today’s discussion. Our discussion will center around its marriage with 3D printing.

What the marriage spells out?

3D printing seems to be polygamous. It already tied the knot with several other industries such as hydrographic printing, aeronautical engineering, etc. The toy industry was hitherto left out, but not anymore. 3D is having a smooth time making inroads into it for reasons below:

  • Toys are plastic made and small, it’s easy to 3D print them.
  • Kids can present their ideas and 3D printing can implement them.
  • Mass production of 3D printed toys is cost-effective.

An estimate by McKinsey shows consumer products constitute nearly 44-54% of all technological contributions, and toys make up a sizable percentage of those consumer products. Hence, the marriage will anticipatedly last.

Fear of 3D printing

Many toy companies have a fear towards 3D printing. Bear in mind all of them are big companies. They know pretty well if 3D printed toys become mainstream, small companies that are operating in the same line of business will give them a run for their money.

Hence, they are afraid for obvious reasons. But the good news is, despite those companies hesitant to import the latest 3D techniques, many others are doing this already, and courtesy to them, we can reasonably expect intelligent and better-equipped 3D printed toys hitting the consumer electronic stores.

The toy industry’s transformation

Earlier, toys were manufactured with the use of bare hands, and the materials used were plastic and clay. The arrival of handheld 3D scanners hasn’t changed much of these, but made the process of imitating the real world objects super easy.

The software tools that account for the imitation, operate in a fascinating way. They either create from the scratch or download and modify a three-dimensional design. Next, with the help of hardware tools, the design is printed on a plastic-made object to manufacture a toy. Albeit this model has its root in industrial model-making, the toy industry is getting benefited from it too.

The USP – customization

When it comes to toys, customization is the USP. 3D printing doesn’t have to add anything new to it, it only needs to take it to a new level. Since 3D printing can account for more customized toys, many toy makers have already started to take its help. One of them is a Spanish toymaker called Imaginarium.

The company used advanced hardware. The printer that’s used is a result of a partnership between Imaginarium and a Spanish 3D printer manufacturing company called BQ. Looking at the success of their products, Felix Tena, the company’s CEO said, “We at Imaginarium are very proud to be pioneers in introducing 3D technologies in the toy sector. We are doing it in a very simple, intuitive and accessible way.”

A similar partnership took place between Hasbro and 3D System. The partnership aims at manufacturing toys that’d offer an immersive and creative playing experience. A toymaker called Makies is offering something that’s even more progressive; the company is making the manufacturing process interactive by letting children design their dolls.

The future

Two things are clearly on the cards:

  • 3D scanners that are more advanced.
  • Interactive toys with a decent degree of customization.

The more sophisticated printers will probably rely on rapid prototyping because the mass-production of hyper-local and customized products largely depends on prototype life-cycles.

Another significant change will be making customers a part of the manufacturing process. The toys won’t be designed and sold separately, rather a kid will access a prototype through the internet and suggest the changes that he wants to see in it.

The role of venture capitalists

The VC firms can play a key role in the future development of the 3D printed toy industry. Those firms can invest in startups that are working on such toys, and thereby squeeze profit and bolster the industry’s growth.