Is 3D Printing the Next Big Thing?

[Squilly]

I'm just starting to do a little research into 3D printing companies, specifically to invest in. More specifically, 3D Systems and Stratasys. As companies and as a niche, what do you members think of it?

[eric/]

3D printing has been around a long time, actually. What you're probably thinking of is plastic injection molding. It's got a future, but the real revolution will come from nanoscale manufacturing. Essentially, printing and assembling things from the molecular level.

[Aeolius]

3D Printed House
3D Printed (in vitro) Meat
3D Printed Human Veins

[needfx]

interesting topic. subscribing

[Aeolius]

Oddly enough the Cube, a 3D printer that seems quite "Mac-like", does not yet support the Mac platform, with its software offerings.

[Jessica Lares]

Yeah, because we all have a dream about living in houses made of plastic? Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of being able to make my own stuff, but why out of all things plastic? I mean most of us here are attracted to our Macs these days because they're not made of the stuff that everyone else tends to use - plastic. And the same thing with phones.

This, at this point, is only a race to the bottom. That Cube printer is proof of that. The only thing that will happen is that people will buy this junk, struggle to make it work correctly, and there goes a $2,000 investment. The ones who do make it work, will only flood Etsy/Kickstarter with their creations, and bring outrageous pricing to something that can easy be imported from China for less than $1.

And yes, people will also use this technology to make replicas of popular fashions and toys. And there will be horrible showcase videos of stuff people make, and they'll be saying how "beautiful" and "elegant" their molded plastic is.

It's good for research, yeah, but it's going to quickly turn into what the self-published space is right now when it comes to the average person being able to use these machines. A few will do well with it, a couple will be professionals, most will do it just because they can make money.

[Squilly]

Originally Posted by Aeolius

3D Printed House
3D Printed (in vitro) Meat
3D Printed Human Veins

That meat sounds disgusting. The other too look cool though (I read the articles).

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Originally Posted by GermanyChris

I think you already missed the boat on that one..but that's just me

On what? Too high of a share price?

[APlotdevice]

Originally Posted by Squilly

That meat sounds disgusting. The other too look cool though (I read the articles).

it may sound disguising now, but I guarantee you that's a glimpse of the future of food. Not the near future... it could take a couple centuries in fact... but eventually food will no longer be grown, but instead built molecule by molecule. And when that happens the people of that time will look back on us as savages. ALL of us, since a plant is after all a living thing too...

Just food for thought.

[GermanyChris]

Originally Posted by eric/

3D printing has been around a long time, actually. What you're probably thinking of is plastic injection molding. It's got a future, but the real revolution will come from nanoscale manufacturing. Essentially, printing and assembling things from the molecular level.

Plastic injection molding has been around since the 40's, 3d Printing since the 80's..

3d printers are just now becoming mainstream.

@OP yes, it's going to be the next big thing for geeks along with the software create the object.

[eric/]

Originally Posted by GermanyChris

Plastic injection molding has been around since the 40's, 3d Printing since the 80's..

3d printers are just now becoming mainstream.

Well yeah, I guess I could have been more specific and mentioned home use. But the method of 3d printing that's popping up at a more affordable level is still plastic injection molding, it's just called 3d printing.

Either way, I don't really see a future in plastic molding for home use. It's a novelty, not a new break through industry.