Amazon patent outlines plans for 3D printers inside delivery trucks

Amazon is very serious about getting the items that customers purchase on the website into their hands as fast as possible. The faster items get to the customers, the more people are likely to buy from the online giant. In the past Amazon had big plans to deliver goods via drone aircraft to get items into buyer's hands in 30 minutes, but the FAA may have killed those plans with regulations.

Several patent applications have surfaced from Amazon that outlines a different method for getting items into the hands of customers quickly. The patent apps show Amazon is thinking of placing 3D printers inside delivery vehicles that will be able to print goods on demand to get them to customers faster.

The 3D printer plan sounds like an interesting one. It would allow Amazon to print the goods on delivery vehicles as they go to the buyer's home and Amazon wouldn't have to have a large inventory of the parts in a warehouse somewhere.

Obviously, the idea of 3D printing items on demand would only work for a limited number of product types. This is Amazon's latest look at making delivery faster. Patent apps in the past have also looked at something called anticipatory delivery where Amazon would ship an item to a customer even before the customer clicks the order button.

SOURCE: WSJ