Is the 3D Printing Revolution Already Over?

I’ve likened 3D printing and in-home manufacturing in general to the evolution of personal computers in my articles on the subject for various publications and even went so far as to equate what’s happening right now in the 3D printing industry to the Great Videogame Crash/Computer Shakeout of 1984 in a relatively recent tweet lamenting the loss of yet another 3D printer maker. That was in turn followed by my finding out that still another high-profile 3D printer manufacturer stopped producing their printers and is now focused solely on filament (which makes sense, since it’s very good filament).

The typical idyllic 3D printing promotional image from AIO Robotics. The thing is, these machines really are incredible creative and functional tools in the right hands. I’m a fan and participant in this (slow) revolution.

I think the big problem with 3D printing – and in-home manufacturing in general, which includes CNC, laser cutting, etc. – is that we’re still at the early days of the technology on a personal level, and, no matter how user-friendly some of this stuff is made – and there have been some great strides in that area – it’s still well beyond what the average person can handle in terms of maintenance and troubleshooting. Once that problem is licked, making these no more troublesome than your average inkjet or laser printer, I do think there will be a real place for this kind of technology in the typical home. As it is, much like personal computers of the late 1970s to mid 1980s, it’s best left for now to enthusiasts who can and want to take the time to learn all the various ins and outs.

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