I just read about 3D printers in a recent issue of Chemical and Engineering News (a weekly publication of the American Chemical Society). The parts these are able to produce are awesome. No doubt there will be advances in the materials used, quite interesting.
I can see maybe 10 years down the road (or sooner), its possible that a 3D printer could become an essential (or at leas a very useful) tool. I could see a site such as this where people trade cad files to print out figures, windows, road specific rolling stock, even maybe buildings. You guys already using them are the pioneers.
I believe 3D printing is ready for Model Railroading now. It has limitations that hold it back from mainstream large scale production, such as texture and integrity. However it is the perfect medium to fill a niche void of select models like a telescoping boom forklift or a ventilated boxcar. And for many items like those two the texture is perfectly acceptable and the end user just has to be extra careful with the very delicate model.
-Mark
www.MarkWatson3D.com
3D printing is a common term for about 7 different technological processes. There are about 50 3D printer models marketed by several different manufacturers and more than 100 different materials used in those processes. Presently, none of the '3D printers for the home' are capable of sufficient resolution or surface finish for scale modeling. Even with the professional 3D printers (ranging in price from $30K-$400K+) there are only 2 processes and about 4 materials capable of creating parts with properties familiar to modelers. In addition to process and material, the quality of the finished part depends heavily on part geometry, orientation on the print platform, and post-processing techniques. As far as prices go, in many cases (but not all) 3D printing has already become a cost-competitive way to manufacture niche products including scale model pieces.
Hope this helps,
Chris