Shenzhen Alu Rapid Prototype Precision Co., Ltd.

3D printing (more formally called additive manufacturing) has grown enormously since the mid-2010s, but it still feels “under-hyped” or under-used in everyday consumer life. Here are the main reasons why it hasn’t become as ubiquitous as many people expected 10–15 years ago:

1. Speed is still terrible for anything beyond prototypes or very small runs

a.A consumer $300 printer takes 4–12 hours to print a phone case or a figurine.

b.Industrial metal printers (DLMS, binder jet, etc.) can take 20–100+ hours for a single complex part.

c.Injection molding or CNC machining makes thousands of parts in the time one 3D printer makes one.

2. Cost per part is usually higher than traditional methods once you go beyond 1–500 units

a.Material cost: FDM filaments are cheap ($20–50/kg), but high-performance plastics and metals are $100–$1,000/kg.

b.Labor: Designs still need skilled CAD work; supports have to be removed; parts often need post-processing (sanding, vapor smoothing, heat treatment).

c.At scale, a plastic injection-molded part costs pennies; the same part 3D printed might cost $5–50.

3. Material properties are still inferior in many cases

a.Most 3D-printed plastics are anisotropic (weaker between layers).

b.Metal parts often have porosity or residual stress unless you use very expensive machines and processes.

c.Regulatory approval (aerospace, medical, automotive) is slow because long-term fatigue and durability data is still catching up.

4. Public perception got ahead of reality in 2012–2015

a.Media hyped “print your own house/gun/car/organs” stories.

b.The “maker” boom made it seem like everyone would own a RepRap and print everything.

c.In reality, most consumers discovered that downloading and printing a low-quality Yoda head wasn’t that life-changing.

5. It’s actually being used a lot — just not where the public sees it

Where it quietly took over:

a.Dental aligners (Invisalign and competitors print millions of custom molds)

b.Hearing aid shells (almost 100% 3D printed now)

c.Aerospace (GE LEAP fuel nozzles, SpaceX rocket parts, Boeing 787 ducting)

d.Custom orthopedic implants and surgical guides

e.Tooling, jigs, and fixtures in almost every automotive factory

f.Luxury footwear midsoles (Adidas, Nike)

g.Spare parts for vintage cars, military logistics, and remote locations

6. Supply-chain and intellectual-property issues

a.Companies don’t want customers printing official replacement parts (John Deere, car manufacturers, etc., fight right-to-repair).

b.Luxury brands sue sites that host 3D models of their products.

7. It’s a victim of its own success in niche areas   

Once a part justifies 3D printing (e.g., Invisalign molds), the company builds a dedicated high-speed printing farm. The public never sees it because it’s B2B and hidden inside factories.