Why Use a 3D Printer?

Abstract

3D printing has been around since the 1980s. It has exploded in popularity since key patents began to run out in the 2000s, and by the mid-2010s low-cost 3D printers were everywhere. In the ensuing excitement, there was a lot of hype and a sense that soon everyone would have a 3D printer at home and would manufacture some large part of their consumer goods.