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3D THROWDOWN! Why 3D Printers Will Go Mainstream

by Josh on March 19, 2009 · View Comments

OOOOOhhhhh, it is ON. SolidSmack has been challenged… and when I say challenged, I mean we are pickin’ fights with anything or anyone.

Mr. Joseph ‘Mass Customization’ Flaherty over at Replicator Blog recently wrote about Why 3D Printers Won’t Go Mainstream. That’s just yelling to have an opposing view thrown at it. So that’s what were about to do. A friendly throwdown in the field of the interweb to avoid any type of debilitating physical damage.

We’ll take on Joseph’s viewpoint and look at just how 3D Printers will go mainstream. FIGHT ON BABY.

Mr. Flaherty’s 5 reason
So why does Joseph think this crazy technology will not go mainstream? Well, because…

  1. Publishing on Demand didn’t
  2. Plastics Are Complex
  3. 3D Printers and plastics are expensive
  4. Plastics are large and intricate
  5. Designing is hard, designing in 3D is REALLY hard


Some of those seem pretty valid huh? So, were gonna try to tear it apart with 5 reasons of our own. :) While he takes a present day look at the tech and why it isn’t going mainstream, We’ll take more of a ‘present to future’ look at why it indeed will.

5 Reasons 3D Printing will Go Mainstream

  1. More access to 3D Printers

    So currently, you have companies like EA,  creators of SPORE, teaming up with ZCorp to create and print your own personal creature. Well, forget about 3D Print on demand. Oh, it’ll certainly be around, but the one you have will be nearly as good for what you need – just like the ink, laser jet or photo printer you have now. Not everyone will have a need for one, but this won’t keep it from the mainstream markets.
  2. Cheaper Materials

    Plastics are actually pretty cheap as far as material goes. Desktop Factory puts the cost for their (yet to be released) desktop printer at $1.00/cubic inch. Generic plastics can start well below that, depending on quantity and the whole supply-demand thing. While it’s not as cheap as paper, it’s readily available. But there’s more types of material available for printing that just plastic. There’s silicone, starch, wax, plaster, epoxy, metal and even Playdoh and chocloate [Fab@home]. Who knows what other materials will be cheap and available. From Trash to Fab? Maybe.
  3. Smaller machines

    The first commercial laser printer available in 1976 was the IBM 3800. It was slow, expensive and nearly the size of a small village. 30 years later and we can pay a little over $100 to shoot out 40+ pages per minute. To have something printed in 3D, it takes a big machine and many hours depending on the size. That won’t always be the case. Desktop Factory’s printer is down to 20×20/25. That reduces build volume, but not mainstream possibilities.
  4. More applications
    image via <a href="http://www.thinglab.co.uk/scanning_product.php?URL_=product_rapid_3dsystems_invision_hr&SubCatID_=85">ThingLabUK</a>
    We limit the applications of 3D printed objects to components developed in engineering and design fields. While the idea of creating quick, cheaper protoypes lends itself well to these fields, they’re hardly the only industry that can use and benefit from the ability to quickly fab something. Gaming, as seen above, is using it. Jewelry designers like Anthony Tammaro are creating art. That hardly begins to touch the applications it will have once it hits the worldwide, billions of dollars per year craft industry.
  5. Convenience
    image via <a href="http://renaware.portal.acrosonic.com/Our+Products/Juicer/default.aspx">RenaWare</a>
    A juicer is not the most convenient way of getting juice, but for those that want fresh-squeezed goodness, it’s wonderful and an extremely convenient alternative. It fulfills a need, solves a problem and has many options depending on the application. 3D printers have the same potential with the same scales of magnitude. Perhaps even one day, disposable, recyclable cups will be instantly ‘printed’ and some oranges juiced in the same machine. why not huh?

    6. So there Mr Joe. Take that. ;) even though you probably know more than I’ll ever know about 3D printing and all that goes along with it, I think that’s a pretty good stab at why we can look forward to 3D printers in the mainstream. Oh and check this out…

Other reasons why 3D Printing will go mainstream in the consumer markets:

  • It will happen in the background, unknown to consumer
  • It will solve more problems than it creates
  • Sites like Replicator will make it all the craze
  • It will be marketed as gift item on talk radio during the holidays
  • Kids breakfast cereal will contain 3D printing decoder rings

Which side are you on? 3D printer mainstream or not?
Think about it. Even now, ink jet printer material is not cheap, or rather the devices that hold the material. I recently bought a new printer because it cost less that getting new print cartridges. Will we get to that point with 3D Printers? Disposable 3D Printers? :) – I’m convinced we’ll have some sort of device in the future. What do you think?

Tagged as: 3d printing, crafts, Design Fabrication, hobbies, jewelry, manufacturing

  • Digging solidsmack
  • We caught that same article and wrote a response as well - it's pretty easy to shoot things down today, but there are so many people pursuing so many inventive approaches in the space it is hard to imagine 3D printing not being mainstream in a few years. You can read our response here: http://www.fabbaloo.com/2009/03/five-reasons-why.html
  • Hey Fabby, yeah, saw your post. good stuff too. It's just amazing to me how fast software and hardware seem to be leap frogging each other. It's exciting. I can't remember when there was so much news so close together on GPU and online services.
  • 3D printing is yet to find the right product type. Once it does, it will fly. For now only Figureprints has figured out a niche and we have found the other - gift ware. See what we did with it last Christmas on http://blog.jujups.com/2008/11/print-yourself-i... - people loved it.

    Some of those brands - will wake up one day. Currently they are run by agents who cant figure out what we have to offer - it is a product or is it a digital product ? and in any case can we have 300K$ upfront fees pls to get started ?

    When these jokers find out they are missing the bus - 3D printing will get started.
  • It wouldn't surprise me to see some down-market options come out that may lack the sophisticated finish but make up for it by putting the ability to build into the hands of everyday folks. I think you can get away with far less polish if you are going to deliver something tailored and customized.
  • SivamK
    Hi Tom, Agreed.

    But I would add tailored, customized and meaningful. So far only figure prints has crossed this barrier, those 3d printouts whatever the quality level are deeply meaningful for the world of war craft fanatics. Those who do not build meaning into the product do not seem to be succeeding.

    We have had some success last Christmas creating 3d figurines of people http://blog.jujups.com/2008/11/print-yourself-i... those who received it loved it.
  • the magic word - meaningful. Having a 3d printer at home does not necessarily mean that we can do meaningful things with it.

    Go even one step further, Sivam. tailoring and customization alone is not the holy grail. Allowing people to customize every single detail often leads to the "paradox of choice"..tailored and customized items become really meaningful when people can fuse their emotions, their personality, their memories with real objects...

    Why not bringing this very tech-based discussion to the level where designer come into play? What does customization require from (product)designers? i think they will play a major role!
  • Andreas, great point. I think you guys are doing a great job making custom fabrication tools a background process and focusing on the value to the customer e.g. the topography fruit bowls. Part of a mainstream cross over will need to be a focus on that strategy. There is a core subset who are passionate about he tech for the tech's sake, but most will want it to do something really cool for them. Best of luck!
  • Hey Tom. this is the idea behind the Desktop Factory printer. well, at least the low price. from what I've seen the finish is a little rough, but those images have been up for a while. I'm hoping they've improved the resolution a bit.... if it ever comes out.
  • Lets hope it does. I met the CEO of Desktop Factory at an event last year and she was really cool/passionate about printing. She had even been experimenting with ways to improve the surface finish. She said a Creme Brulee torch used judiciously could smooth out some of the imperfactions. I don't think DF will supplant any of he big players in the industry, but could certainly be an option for schools all around the country.
  • As you say tom, if it ever comes out. at they moment they seem to stuck a little bit in the financing hassle...we where already looking forward to see the finishing quality of Desktop Factories printer...
  • Kevin Quigley
    Well you need to define mainstream here. Technically they are already mainstream in the design/development corporate market (name a company that doesn't have one?).

    I think I've said before that £5000 is the mainstream kick off price - like black and white lasers, like colour lasers. If Desktop factory ever actually make anything (and the latest newsletter is a bit worrying as it was a request for funding help), and be profitable, then that will kick off the market and I can see prices start to drop.

    Material price is a non issue. It costs me £300 for a complete set of new colour toners for my latest laser printer - the printer was £200! Fact is if you can get your bought in RP cost down from say £100 per part size to £10 per part size material cost are insignificant for commercial users.

    So I can see mainstream mass market use (by this I mean every design business, every school, every hospital, every corporate engineering department, maybe even high street service bureau copy shops) within 5 years provided the entry level cost is below £5000 within 2 years. Are these machines really any more complex than a colour photocopier? No. Volume=lower cost.

    For the kind of stuff Matt is talking about - part replication or spares - no that is a long way off - at least 30-40 years, and to be honest I don;t think it will be a process we know now. The problem with additive technologies is the surface finish and the materials are not uniform. I think the solution will be a combination of additive, subtractive and material technology.

    But before that I can see a new breed of office machines - 3D copiers. 3D scan and 3D print in one.
  • Great points! I think you hit it on the head. This notion will go mainstream, its almost inevitable, but it won't be in the format we currently know, it will be some combination of processes. I could imagine a build a bear style retail concept for action figures that create your special character by printing out a 3D rough, refining the surface with a CNC mill and finally is painted up using some other technology.
  • Yeah Joseph, but man, I totally imagining all these processes combined. The build-a-bear is a good example true. The process is great to see, interesting, but I think the 'insta-fab' crowd is going to be looking for speed and quality. yeah?
  • Hey Kevin, some great thoughts as usual. basically mainstream is just that - the majority. not within industries or sub-industries. I still think many design/development companies don't have one, the ones I know of anyway, but that's not to say it's not common within our field.

    Like you point out, I think the prices are coming down and some are nearly in the range of what the fancy laser printers are. for many it does come down to volume, and that's a perfect argument for why they will go mainstream. The demand and volume, created either by necessity or convenience will drive it right into our culture.

    I'm so ready for htat new breed you mention too. I can't believe there hasn't been a concept put out. no doubt the big 3d print companies are considering it.
  • I think he needed to qualify his statement by adding... in the NEAR future. But it's GOING to happen. My guess is within 15 years.

    Great rebuttal article, Josh. All technology, like computers, printers, cell phones, were out of reach for much of mainstream for a long time. But eventually, it just kept getting better and cheaper to the point that it did make it mainstream.

    You're probably right, the naysayers will eventually be the ones cheerleading when it becomes popular to say so.
  • Hi Bruce,

    I think the qualifier that was needed was more along the lines of "won't go mainstream in the home". I don't think this is as much a "time will take care of it" situation. Plastics and the myriad finishes that are applied to them would be hard to reproduce in a home. Desktop printing uses 4 colors or relatively stable inks and people still take their photos to digital processing labs! In any case, I hope I am wrong!
  • I remember the first laser printer my family had when we were kids. it was beast, slow, but hey, it printed NICE. I imagine the home style printers, if they happen :) will be pretty rough at first too, or at least expensive. The wall I come up against is trying to explain the purpose for print at home. I've come up with some ideas of replacement parts, product visualization and interactive kid products, but for some reason I feel liek it will go beyond that limited view.
  • “Tea, Earl grey, hot” from the replicator, please.
  • Matt Lombard
    I think it will happen, but not in the next 5-10 years. Maybe 50 years out out. I think replacement parts for stuff and even complete simple products will be sold as models and built in your home instead of physically FedExed to you. Want new handles for your cabinets? Buy a model on the TV and print them out.

    I don't think cheaper materials are going to be the way of the future. To make printing mainstream, stuff has to get more lifelike instead of less, so we're gonna see this go more into metal/plastic alloys, or even substrates with a finish coat of shiny stuff. The lower cost will come from immense volumes sold to end consumers.

    Circuitry could be easily printed by one of these devices, and not be limited to flat circuit boards the way we are now, even flex circuitry. Why are we limited to mechanical parts?

    You might come to a point where you can have a 3D printer machine be printed out from a 3D printer machine.
  • Hey Matt, thanks for the comment, has taken me a bit to get to some. I hope it's not 50 years out, but yeah, the dream of it being so automated even the dumbest person could use it seems much further out.

    I'm so anxious to see better quality in the prints. It's just not cuttin' it. I'd almost rather carve wood. It's improving though and I'd be much more interested in paying a little bit more for more lifelike stuff.

    Have you seen the RepRap machine? self-replicating 3D printer. not very good res though - http://reprap.org
  • The new Objet 3D printers seem to be making major improvements in resolution. It might just be photoshoped to look smoother, but if it is even close to the images they provide that argument will go out the window soon. Once you get into some of the fancier machines it is certainly possible to get a nice finish, and if you are willing to work the parts you can get an amazing finish. A friend and I sanded a lens for a medical device that was nearly glass clear.
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