„We have several FFF printers in my hackerspace, the best one being an Ultimaker. We even have a working Makerbot Cupcake, the original one, we have been at this for a while.

The printers need constant maintenance and tinkering. Every single time they print something, parameters need to be modified, hotends get clogged, calibration is off, filament doesn’t retract, filament gets chewed up, software crashes, slices are wrong, it doesn’t end.

Someone brought in a B9 (SLA printer). The resin stinks and is toxic. Leftover resin can’t be reused so every print is 10-30$. After several failed prints (calibration issues ? software issues ? who knows) it went back to where it came from.

Where is desktop 3D printing going ? Is it like Nano Technology, AI or reliable voice recognition ? Forever 10 years in the future ? Is 3D printing falling into the Trough of Disillusionment ?

What do you think ?“