I believe almost everyone has heard something about 3D Printing. This new technology can be considered to be one of the breakthroughs of this century even though it was initially created in the 1980s. It started popping up in the news several years ago. Usually, there were reports on 3D printed parts, 3D model objects, 3D printing in medicine, and even 3D printed houses. Nowadays, there is no doubt that the technology is growing rapidly and bringing a lot to manufacturing process and medicine. However, predictions about having at least one 3D printer in every household are still far away from the truth.
One of the main reasons 3D printers will hardly become as popular as ordinary printers in the next few years is a large variety of companies that create 3D printers. I am not against competition and believe it to be very good for the entire industry but if someone who is not very familiar with all the terminology (such as "extruders", "heating bed", "nozzle", and etc.) decides to buy a 3D printer, this person will be lost and after 5-10 minutes of reading endless reviews will simply close the browser and return to watching TV or - that much better - reading a book.
Another reason is the price of the 3D printers. You may say that someone somewhere has created a 3D printer using an ordinary projector and spent $50 on the other parts but this is not really the case I want to discuss here. Most of the good 3D printers cost a lot of money and many people cannot afford them (of course, there is always the option of applying for another loan). The good thing is that it is not necessary to buy a 3D printer, you can just type "3D printing service" into Google and see a list of websites where you can choose a 3D model and order to print it. I like 3D Hubs the most. Sometimes you may literally find another 3D hub right next door.
Even if a 3D printer is chosen, the next step would be to find a good filament for it. Believe me, it would be even more interesting than choosing a printer. Thank God that we have professional communities where experienced people can advise on what to buy and provide a good explanation of why they suggest this particular filament. Another thing is to browse catalogues where at least you can compare the prices of 3D filaments which is also not the last thing to consider.
Most likely, once the big sharks like HP enter the 3D game, they will help spread the technology everywhere. Still, one of the main questions is how can 3D printing become useful for ordinary people. If you look at different marketplaces, all you can find are different mini sculptures like the shark model from Katy Perry's performance during the last Super Bowl. Once again, there is no doubt that this technology is a real breakthrough for medical research, especially bioprinting but I suspect that it is highly unlikely that everyone will be able to 3D print a new ear or another body part at home. And there is no need to do it at home anyway, since we have hospitals.
You have also probably heard about food 3D printers. First time I read about it, I recalled a scene from The Fifth Element where Leeloo puts something in a microwave and pulls out a big juicy and crispy chicken in a few seconds. Who knows, maybe it was a bag with different 3D printer food filaments and the microwave had a built-in 3D printer in it. Looking at current printer models, it is hard to believe that it will somehow replace the well-known process of cooking.
Finalizing everything that was said above, I would add that I still believe in 3D printing technologies despite of 3D printers price and the other factors. Hopefully, this technology will make our world better, especially in the field of medicine.
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