Just where do low-cost desktop 3D printers fit? Are they industrial tools for individual engineers? Can they really find application in the home? Are they best suited to the education market, training future engineers?

Until vendors of low-cost desktop 3D printers answer this question, these devices will never reach their full potential, even at lower purchase prices.

I still see too many stock analyst reports downgrading 3D printers because the “home market” is not taking off. And I don’t see enough reports about the B2B use of additive manufacturing machines, despite the solid growth in medical and aerospace industries.

It seems that the entire industry is being judged on a few desktop 3D printers, such as MakerBot. Once the top producer of the low-cost desktop market, MakerBot has laid off most of its factory workers and outsourced manufacturing.

The drop in sales the company experienced was partly due to the poor reputation of the Smart Extruder on the 5th generation machines. According to the CEO of MakerBot, Jonathon Jaglom, 86% of all failures of 5th gen MakerBots were with the extruder.

But just because MakerBot has had difficulties, it does not mean that low-cost desktop 3D printers have failed. For most desktop 3D printers, their print quality as well as their reliability has improved.

Notes an IDTechEx report, 3D Printing 2016-2026, more than 375,000 desktop thermoplastic extrusion printers were sold during 2015.

Notes the Wohlers Report 2016, more than 65% of companies that initially focused on the home market are moving to business customers. “Engineering departments and designers have been the largest users,” says the report.

While the manufacturing of many desktop 3D printers may be shifting from the U.S. to Asia to lower sale prices even further, overall unit sales of most brands of desktop 3D printers will grow. But the question still remains; where do low-cost 3D printers fit in the range of possible applications?

Leslie Langnau
llangnau@wtwhmedia.com