3D Printers are fun, useful and great to use, but that's only because I'm an architecture graduate. Making architecture models is kind of what early 3-D printers were designed to do, so no surprise there.

I've got a Prusa Reprap (low end, very basic) 3D printer.  http://www.3dstuffmaker.com/buy-prusa/

It is fun to be able to print other people's designs, but I lack the time or commitment to learn CAD design myself.

The upside is the materials (polylactic acid, PLA) are fairly cheap.  About $25 a pound.

As for the future, I see 3D printing becoming very common for most industries.  Working in the medical research field, the ability to create small parts to either repair or enhance hardware, or create a low end alternative for a special technique, greatly expands the type of experiments I can do.

Even more so, the research being done on tissue printing and drug printing could potentially alter both medical and pharmaceutical fields.

The best case I've seen for 3D is in space exploration....3D printers would allow a crew to create tools or parts as needed as opposed to having full sets and multiple spare parts...

Sure, it's expensive, but so is everything when we're talking about space travel...of course you can't build everything with a 3D printer but the potential advantages as far as saving space or independence from supply chains is hard to ignore...

Basically, I agree with what other people have said: 3D printers are going to make manufacturing simpler and easier for existing manufacturing-sector companies/projects, but because the technology is expensive (and will be for some time, even if not quite as expensive) and making the models is hard work that isn't easily automated, they won't be revolutionary.

The university I work/study at has a few various models, exactly which I'm not sure (us CS majors tend to steer clear of the shops when we can), and they seem to be being used alongside conventional fabrication machines, as opposed to either being useless or replacing all other technology. I do know that some parts on our experimental robots are 3D printed by the lab's resident ME- mostly little plastic doodads to hold a circuit board in place or prop up an antenna. For most of the work, though, he uses various types of computerized cutting machine.

I deal with this on a daily basis in engineering land.

Also ... a mid-range 3D printer for metal (metal dust laser-sintered together with the power of a standard TIG weld) is equivalent in cost to a low-to-mid-range 4-axis CNC center these days and can hold increasingly tight tolerances ±.002". It is very exciting and useful stuff that often allows for the manufacture of otherwise difficult to create geometry.

To answer the OP: I have no problems with 3D printers in the homes of every day people or in the offices of corporations.

Hell ya.......can't wait till I can print my own AK and UZI and actually BE just as badass as my avatar claims me to be!     

I was thinking the same thing, creating custom tools for the job at hand. It's going to be very handy for space exploration and medical.

Just a quick note on the gun making, if it's the case then the technology might not be accessible to some. There are a lot of countries which has restrictions on weapon availability and making, can't see them allowing their people full access to 3D printers. Which would be a shame ...  was looking forward for the prices to come down and create some 3D jigsaw puzzles, I might not be able to have one down the track ...

I don't think I'll be buying one for myself unless the cost comes down and it becomes very simple to use. Maybe if my kids get into miniature gaming, then I think it'd be very useful. I see it as a hobbyist thing to have in your home, anything you really want can realistically be ordered off the internet anyway. My opinion is that this would be true for >99% of the people, the way 3d printing is right now.

Although it would be neat to print out some 3d models I have made.

from my own research on 3d printing, there are many choices (kit ones starting from $200 with all parts eg makibot (http://makibox.com/makibox-a6)) (built up ready to use from approx $1300) then there is the more 'professional' ones with more complete enclosures staring at $4000

as far as the msterials most of the cheaper units use either PLA (price range seen is $45 to $70/lb), ABS (lego type plastic) ($50-80/lb), PVA (water soluable very new to market only seen ing last couple of months) ($50-$80/lb), and typically print by extruding  the melted plastic with  the relitive accuracy of print improving with the increase of price (the cheaper printers only claim to use .3mm layers with the higher price ones getting down to .1mm

 and in the 'profeessional' types the printers can use a fair variety of materials although one of the more frequently mentioned material types is the light setting resins which can be set either by a laser OR a projected light path with a DLP type operation, but as other replies have mentioned there are even metal dust welding 3d printers that use high power lasers to do the welding.

and yes I am seriously looking at buying a lower price dual head plastic extruding 3d printer like this one http://www.3dprintersuperstore.com.au/collections/3d-printers/products/flashforge-creator-3d-printer-replicator-g#content

harpo

I think it will be a while before more than a few enthusiasts will have machines like this at home. But I do think that in the near future you will start seeing little print shops pop up where you could just walk in with your file, hire a printer for a few hours, and walk out with your object. There is a company near where I live that prints and delivers designs that you send them, but a walk-in shop would have a lower threshold I think.

I have no doubt I'll be getting one eventually, but I'm still waiting for the technology to mature a bit more. I'm probably going to wait for some models with 2-3 print heads with different materials, and preferably the filament producing machines for recycling plastics back into usable materials.

As for that printable firearm... There's cheaper ways of producing much more reliable firearms... They're not a particularly advanced technology. A CNC machine would be a much better tool to use for such things, for example. A Lathe and CNC combined with a heavy duty press of some sort would give you pretty much all you need to produce much more useful firearms for similar prices to the high end 3d printers they're using for these things.

      I want a puppy, a cubic zirconia, peace on earth, and an interview with Santa.   Can't wait. 

But....but...but...the 3D printer makes firearms in 3D......

lol    Yeah, but not in color....      And where's my holideck... merry christmas indeed.     

{I want one... incredible stuff.}

I'm surprised nobody's done this yet... 3-D print phalli, I mean.