I see this all the time in the consumer 3D printing space. Sometimes high tech people act like laggards. "I can't make a metal part on my desk, so it's useless!" "okay, we're almost there, but how about you look at the progress in this industry and all the other applications that we CAN do right now!"
I'm probably somewhat the person you are complaining about here. The current desktop 3D printers are pretty useless for anything functional (but fine for initial aesthetic models). All these people have grand ideas of being able to print functional products at their desk and there are some significant technical challenges that need to be solved yet. I don't believe that any of the current printing methods are ever going to get to the point where typical consumers will truly be happy with them, especially when compared to injection molded parts. I think the technology that may eventually accomplish what I consider to be fully functional will not look at all like we have today and it at least 15-20 years away.
On the contrary, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a continuous path from the current 3D printing technology to the eventual mass market technology.
I see strong parallels to the early history of inkjet printers. From the 1976 IBM 4640 "ink jet" to the Thinkjet took 8 years, but the technology shows a clear lineage. Inkjet printers struggled with many of the same teething issues. See this 1985 article explaining the challenges: http://www.hpl.hp.com/hpjournal/pdfs/IssuePDFs/1985-05.pdf
I recently mounted a 3D printer, because I had a need for it. Now, some parts for my design are stopped at customs, so I still didn't use it (except for a small fixing at home), but I already have a new project that will need the printer.
I hear this all the time as well, Tom. Most people don't understand at all how things are made, and that most of the things around us are made from plastics, not metal.
Even then, 3D printing is just weird enough, outside the scope of the experience of most people, that unless you've done hand-on work in it, it's hard to see the value.
James Burke (BBC presenter and historian) said in his "Connections" series that around the late 1960's, things made of plastic became their "own things".
Previously, items made of plastic had to imitate some other existing thing for them to be accepted. Notebook covers had to imitate leather, complete with fake stitching. Telephones had to look like the older ones made of Phenol resin. And so on.
3D printing is at that stage right now. We're using it to imitate items made in traditional ways, and not treating it as a new process in it's own right. But given time, people will adopt it as something totally distinct from subtractive manufacturing.
Absolutely. This will be another big year for 3D printing coverage in the media so hopefully educating the public continues. And it almost seems like schools are the best place for 3D printers because there isn't the barrier of expectations and criticisms from adults.
While 3D printing is a cool thing, the hype it's received has been entirely out of proportion with what has been delivered (so far). So I think it's reasonable to be a bit negative.
For sure, there are a bunch of industrial grade metal printers.
On the desktop, the Vader printer seems pretty dangerous to have in a home (plus, possibly being vaporware). Then there's the Mini Metal Maker which uses clay, but you need a kiln. And actually there is an arc welding RepRap now, but the parts are low quality and again dangerous.
