A lot of in-house prototyping of things, as well as making certain shapes that conventional molds can’t or have a very hard time doing. It’s a fantastic technology who’s uses are quite limited for most people who aren’t big-time hobbyists or working in manufacturing. I’ve done prototyping projects in the past, being able to create a close approximation of a part/product (especially housings) that allowed me to test certain facets of a design without getting the part made in a more expensive way, especially if a part goes through a lot of iterations.
A lot of in-house prototyping of things, as well as making certain shapes that conventional molds can’t or have a very hard time doing. It’s a fantastic technology who’s uses are quite limited for most people who aren’t big-time hobbyists or working in manufacturing. I’ve done prototyping projects in the past, being able to create a close approximation of a part/product (especially housings) that allowed me to test certain facets of a design without getting the part made in a more expensive way, especially if a part goes through a lot of iterations.
Its also useful when you need to have something that only you would want
Good for replacing niche things as well. Would I anchor my bookcase with 3d printed anchors? No.
Would I repair the casing on my dishwasher, or replace my gear shift handle? Yeah sure.