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The results would be disappointing. If he copied the tire designs of the big
tire retailers, his 3D printed tires that would remain just as dull and soulless,
but be more expensive. Eventually, my mechanic would learn the hard way
that economies of scale are unforgiving. 3D printed tires would cost customers
more to purchase (not cheap). Custom, 3D printed tires would take longer to
make on the spot than just rolling out four new tires from his inventory of mass
produced, name-brand tires (not fast). True, the 3D printed tires would be of
excellent design and quality, but just quality, alone, can't sustain a business.
Finally, after a near brush with bankruptcy, my car mechanic would sit
down and re-think things. His revised business model would no longer rely on
the eficiencies of mass production. Instead, his new 3D printed tire business
would offer custom-designed tires made for customers willing to pay more.
Compared to ordering a set of custom tires made by a Formula 1 tire spe-
cialist, his 3D printed tires would be cheap and produced relatively quickly.
Compared to the one-size-its-all brand name tires in his on-site, inventory,
his 3D printed tires could have superior features.
Unlike their bland brethren, custom-printed tires could be made in small
batches. These made-to-order tires could perhaps proudly bear a mirrored
imprint of their owner's name that would leave personalized tire tracks in
sand or snow. Like the market for vanity license plates, some customers would
pay more for vanity tires. Imagine the marketing and branding possibilities.
An afluent university could sell tires branded with its iconic bell tower to its
loyal alumni.
Since, the local market in a small town isn't large enough to provide suf-
icient walk-in customers to sustain such a business, my mechanic would sell
his wares to a global market using a web storefront. Customers could browse
tire designs or even upload their own design for a vanity tire. To save on ship-
ping costs, he could strike deals with car mechanics in different locations
who would get a commission for printing my mechanic's custom tires locally.
Decoration aside, custom tires could harness the power of 3D printing
to improve product quality. Each 3D printed tire could be designed using
computer algorithms to afford the best traction tailored to the local climate.
Owners of speciic car models (or aggressive drivers) could order custom tires
to improve their car's performance and reduce their chances of an accident.
Some future designers would likely come up with radical new tire designs that
would improve a tire's rolling eficiency or wear resistance.
