3d printing has been around since the 90s, but just recently did the public start to hear about it. It didn&#x27;t change everything, but now 3d printers are affordable for hobbyists. Aviation companies are using it to make weird ultra-light parts for that can&#x27;t be made any other way, but save huge money on fuel costs. Various companies are using it to make low production runs of widgets directly because it&#x27;s not worth the cost of injection molding&#x2F;CNC machining.<p>The whole industry is about to be disrupted though. HP has a new machine coming out in 2016 that does the same thing as industrial 3d printers except faster, cheaper, and in color. They have probably made a bunch of 3d printing processes obsolete. These machines might be fast and cheap enough to put in every kinkos in the country to locally produce moderate value plastic stuff(action figures, keychains, overpriced as seen on TV products), offer customized products(3d selfies, your face on an action figure), or consumer 3d printing.<p>In short, big companies are starting to get into the 3d printing game. The days of kickstarter 3d printers and 3d printers made by a bunch of guys in a garage are over.