Quote Originally Posted by JillFranke View Post
I think the disadvantage of 3d printing is there are limited materials and questionable accuracy.
We have to keep it in perspective. I don't see that as a disadvantage. It's just what it is. We know that going in as with any tool, some do things that others don't. For instance, you can't say that the disadvantage of a screw driver is that it won't turn bolts. It's not meant to, that's what wrenches are for.

So in regards to 3d printing (and I'm assuming FDM printers here because commercial printers can use a ton of materials all the way up to metals) it does exactly what the technology allows it to. As a fast way to prototype objects, it has few disadvantages. Only a few years ago you had to pay a "model maker" 1000's of dollars to make prototype models out of plex, wood, putty, paint, etc.

I don't think there is any question to the accuracy I get with my Makerfarm printer. I know its limits and it hits those limits and is consistent from print to print to print.

It's all perspective. And when you talk about "disadvantages" you always have to assume "in comparison to what?" So in discussing the disadvantages of anything, you have to think about it that way. "In comparison to WHAT?" So yes, compared to dozens of other manufacturing processes, 3d printing is limited to the materials and precision that it has by design. You could say that injection molding has a disadvantage. It has to be injected into a metal or solid mold. That's a disadvantage, "in comparison to 3d printing."

I think the advantages and options that 3d printers off us as an alternate tool in our tool boxes far outweigh any disadvantages when compared to other manufacturing processes. The trick is to know when to use 3d printing and when not to. It's not going to replace the 1000s or other manufacturing processes that we already have. It just gives us another choice.