Aren't you saying exactly the same as the comment you reply to? (great for business use, not all that useful for private use)
and a few years back there were a lot of printer makers proclaiming loudly that everybody would want to have a 3D printer at home and home printing would be "next big thing". Reality is a lot slower (there is some uptake in hobbies outside "tinkering with technology", and they are sold in mainstream-y sales channels now)
Re:The Tech Bubble Didn’t Burst This Year
by grosbisou on Friday October 21, 2016 @09:30AM
(#12760220)
Not sure if that's what you're implying but the quality of 3d printed objects for mass consumers (toys, games, ...) is still too bad and the price way too high to be successful anytime soon.
Re:The Tech Bubble Didn’t Burst This Year
by arca_vorago on Friday October 21, 2016 @10:07AM
(#12760515)
Does anyone know if there is a better tech than 3d laser sintering for metal models? Titanium poured into molds for some of those titanium hammers is also interesting.
Is there a cost efficient alternative that would "just do"?
I don't know of many people using 3d printing as exclusively for self-use. Most are people making toys, games, or components for machines which they sell to other people. So, I don't see how 3d printing has been a failure of anything other than idiotic futurists that think it's the ST:TNG replicator (it's not). If anything, I think 3d printing has taken off like gangbusters with small manufacturers and small businesses. They reap the benefits of having a small plastics manufacturing machine that doesn't need vacuum mold dies swapped out or machined by specialized tools. Just because VCs can't turn it into an firm with a successful IPO doesn't mean it's a failure is all I'm saying.