3D printing Reality check...thoughts and an article on Yahoo

Relevant article on 3d printing. Right now there's A LOT of excitement about it, and "isn't it cool". In fact, yes, I AM EXCITED by it! It's like it's saying to me as a designer, "I'll make (almost)anything you can design, work 24/7, and make it accessible to anyone around the world. You concentrate on the design and I'll make it and distribute it (Shapeways, iMaterialize, Ponoko, Cube3D, Sculpteo) for you." What?!!! I'm on it!!

Of course, everything that glitters is not gold and there are some things you need to be careful of: the fidelity/part finish/surface quality (dependent on process and material, sla, sls, fdm, the cost(small objects, OK, big objects, big cost), material limitations and time to receive object (days to weeks).

OK, yes, it's pretty amazing what you can do with it, a person's head, a tool...but, those are just things. Yes, it's cool you can print that, but that wears quickly. What's not readily apparent is "What is the scenario, what program, what object TYPE, so that it becomes necessary or common place"? I've been thinking about this, and this article caught my eye because it's the same question I'm trying to answer. What's needed is a new program, a new object type that captilizes on 3d printing's form creation strength, yet also realistically deals with its weakness of cost, speed, limited materials, surface details, fidelity, or makes it these issues irrelevant. A new technology should yield a new type of form/application, it shouldn't just try to copy other objects. Which is THE problem right now when shown some samples, those things are things that already exist and I can buy it cheaper and stronger than that print. To be fair, there are other examples shown that cannot be made traditionally (crazy gears) but to be fair, they also don't show an application for that either. One or the other (already known object that has function or crazy cool only can be 3d printed but has no program, unfortunately, you need BOTH (amazing form/object, that is functional).

One industry that has fully embraced it is hearing aids. Apparently, 90% are 3d printed. 3d printing makes sense AND is profitable. I'm all wild eyed about it, but it's really critical and necessary to discipline the "isn't this cool" with, this is how it will be realistically possible and sustainable.