3D printers - the future

[viruskbs]

recently in the state of the Union address, Barack Obama talked about 3d printing technologies.
There are a few companies like 3D corp (DDD) & Stratasys Systems ( SSYS) which are leading manufacturers.
Any views on these companies.

The valuations are very high at the moment but growth potential can be huge.

Any Ideas, views, advise.

[Spidey]

Both are industry leaders and are good bets if you believe in 3D printing to become the manufacturing trend of future.

3D printing trend is definitely getting stronger as the more applications are being imagined. Things like body parts, stradivarius violin, are getting printed. In the near future, you will hear from your kids, hey, lets download this nice chair.

There is also a smaller listed company ONVO that prints human organ.

There is a local company in Singapore, 3D matters, that does 3D photography if you want to make a nice figurine of yourself.

(vested in all since a year ago)

[godjira1]

Nice work spidey. I am going to look at these in earnest.

[hkl]

For a different view to 3D printing. By Citron Research.

http://www.citronresearch.com/wp-content...final1.pdf

[ikur1]

There is another one I heard is Dassault System, pink in US as well

[sgd]

I'm thinking this technology would be suitable for building models for proof of concept like building architecture or manufacturing.

example you want to find the replacement for your broken tail lights on a rare old volkswagen beetle assuming it's obsolete and they don't make it anymore.

If you manage to find the exact dimensions or schematics of the parts from the internet I would imagine you can "print" it out using a 3d printer.

Then take this 3d model to an injection mould maker and get him to produce a mould, and from that mould inject resin and coloring to re-produce the part that you need. You can even re-produce old toys.

[smallcaps]

3d apartment models for property launches!