Will every home have a 3D printer? A critical analysis
3DP War Journal #58
Last week, I published an article in which I shared my thoughts on the existence of three eras in the development of the AM industry and the end of the last one. In a short prelude to what could become the fourth era of the AM industry, I mentioned a vision of a world where desktop FFF 3D printers become part of home equipment — and where this would be fairly common.
This statement was met with considerable criticism.
But as the criticism was fairly substantive (greetings to Jan Homola, Kevin Hall, and especially Dennis Ash, among others), so I decided to continue this thread and break it down into parts.
Last Wednesday, I described the software changes that must take place in order to even think about making this concept a reality. Among other things, I addressed one of the main counterarguments to my vision — the barrier related to modeling your own objects:
Today, I will focus on market conditions — consumers and solving their problems and needs.
Before we go further, I will repeat what I wrote in Wednesday’s article:
To be clear — when I say that FFF 3D printers will be as popular as paper printers, I don’t mean that they’ll reach identical numbers one-to-one from year 2025. What I’m referring to is more about general perception and adoption rate.
Today, a 3D printer in the home is still viewed as an eccentricity. In my opinion, within 3 to 5 years it will be seen as just another piece of home equipment — something like an exercise bike: while not everyone has one, owning one isn’t perceived as anything special or unusual.
So then, what’s stopping people from starting to use 3D printers en masse between 2028 and 2030?
I’ll answer with another question: what would they actually use them for first and foremost?
Lack of a universal need for a home 3D printer
Most everyday items that home users could print themselves are available in stores or online at prices and delivery times that compete with 3D printing.
The average consumer therefore sees no added value in printing something themselves — especially since ready-made products often have better durability (an injection-molded plastic object vs. a layered print).
One could say that until 3D printing offers a clear benefit (e.g., immediate availability or radically lower costs compared to mass production), it will remain a solution for specific use cases (e.g., custom spare parts).
What’s also missing is a so-called “killer app” — a single, universal application that would convince the mass market to buy 3D printers and start producing things themselves.
There’s no trend around owning a 3D printer — no “cool” product everyone would want to print. What 3D printers currently offer is too general and scattered. If there were a popular and easy-to-produce application, things would change.
Right now — there isn’t one.
But for the claim that 3D printers won't be coming to homes to be true, we have to assume that a „killer app” won't appear within the next five years.
We have to assume this is impossible.
That no matter what, no product will emerge that suddenly makes people start buying 3D printers for their homes en masse.
Unless… it does appear.
You know — something like colorful-filament snakes and dragon eggs, which two years ago led a certain group of people to set up massive 3D printing farms with hundreds of printers to produce them at scale.
So everything boils down to one point – it will either happen or it won't. We’ll see...
Time-consuming process vs. instant gratification
Even with full automation of a 3D printer, the process of printing any serious application still takes hours, and often even days. This applies to either “full-color” prints or complex assemblies.
In the era of “next-day” delivery and a culture of instant gratification, the need to plan ahead (“print today to have it tomorrow”) can be a serious psychological barrier. For comparison: buying the same item from Amazon or another local e-commerce store might take about the same amount of time as printing it.
Thus, we return to the classic “3D printing is slow” problem, which has existed since the early 2010s.
Except that it’s no longer true. Longer production times are now due to improved quality (color) or larger size and complexity. Today, if something takes more than a day to print, it’s either big or complex — and therefore incomparably more appealing.
A longer print time is rewarded by the attractiveness of the final model. We’re no longer talking about the single-color, porous shapes that came out of 3D printers like the da Vinci, Robo 3D, or Solidoodle.
Today, many useful and functional items can be printed “in minutes,” and 4–5 hours is enough to produce most typical things (i.e., parts fitting within a 10 × 10 × 10 cm volume).
So the “3D printing time” concept is now highly relative.
Low consumer awareness of what 3D printing can do
But even if we accept that desktop-grade FFF technology is now mature enough, most people still don’t know how to use a 3D printer at home.
On social media, there are thousands of videos showing the printing of practical items — from mounts and organizers to repair parts for home appliances. Yet these rarely go viral.
Most viewers see 3D printing mainly in the context of complex figurine models or gadget prototypes — visually attractive but detached from everyday needs.
For the mass audience, simple and functional examples are far more convincing. The problem is that such content is scarce, and the ones that do exist are rarely presented in an engaging, easy-to-replicate way.
I think an interesting solution would be “starter packs” — libraries of 30–50 universal 3D models that would be included with a 3D printer or available for download from the manufacturer’s own 3D model platform (since today, everyone already has their own “Thingiverse”).
Interestingly, this practice was known 10 years ago, except that the SD cards included with 3D printers usually contained some useless crap. Here, I’m thinking about something more serious.
It’s also undeniable that in 3D printing, we still don’t see advertising campaigns typical for other consumer electronics sectors.
The ads we do have are still targeted at people already looking for a 3D printer.
Meanwhile, we need to go far beyond the 3D printing bubble and start creating application-driven communication aimed at a completely different audience.
In my view, all of this will happen within the next three years. I think we’re just before a tipping point — crossing a certain critical mass and breaking out of the 3D printing bubble.
What’s missing is “that” reason. Which might turn out to be as surprising as it is trivial.
Like when DOOM was released in 1993, making everyone rush to buy a home PC — just to play games...
#7. Zortrax CEO resigns amid company crisis
Mariusz Babula, the long-time CEO of Zortrax, has resigned (effective August 18, 2025) as the once-leading 3D printer company struggles to survive. He will be replaced by Angelina Stokłosa, a lawyer and former Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board—an unusual choice for a tech firm in crisis.
Zortrax, which dominated the desktop 3D printing market in the mid-2010s, has faced years of decline. Just recently the company missed financial reporting deadlines (leading to stock suspension), and attempted a desperate blockchain token sale. Babula had fought to keep the company afloat, but with competitors like Bambu Lab and Creality dominating the market, Zortrax’s future looks bleak. A missed acquisition opportunity in 2019 may have sealed its fate.
READ MORE: www.3dprintingjournal.com
#6. Xioneer Systems announced 3D printing PEEK on Bambu Lab H2D
Xioneer Systems successfully 3D printed a PEEK part using Victrex AM 200 filament on a Bambu Lab H2D printer, despite its 350°C nozzle limit (below PEEK’s typical 400°C+ requirement). Their secret? Printing slowly (25-50 mm/s) with zero fan, using their soluble VXL 111 support. Post-print annealing ensured crystallization.
Xioneer aims to adapt PEEK for Bambu’s AMS system and explore small functional parts like gears. This achievement hints at affordable high-performance 3D printing, potentially expanding industrial applications.
READ MORE: www.3dprint.com
#5. Haddy selected for 2025 Disney Accelerator Program
Haddy, a large-format 3D printing startup, has been chosen for Disney’s prestigious 2025 Accelerator program, joining just three other global innovators. The AI-powered microfactory platform, which has already 3D printed furniture for a Florida ice cream parlor, could revolutionize theme park prop production with its fast, recyclable manufacturing.
The program offers mentorship, funding, and collaboration opportunities with Disney. Haddy’s inclusion highlights its potential to transform large-scale fabrication for entertainment, retail, and hospitality. The company will showcase its tech at Disney’s November Demo Day.
READ MORE: www.voxelmatters.com
#4. Velo3D shows recovery signs in Q2 2025 earnings report
Velo3D reported improved Q2 results with $13.6M revenue (+32% YoY) and reduced losses, signaling recovery after a turbulent 2024. The company’s Rapid Production Services (RPS) bookings surged 79% QoQ, driven by space (50%) and defense (33%) sectors. New partnerships, including a $15M deal with Momentus and a NAVAIR CRADA, boosted its $17.8M backlog.
Despite negative gross margins (-11.7%) and tight liquidity ($854K cash), Velo3D reaffirmed its path to EBITDA profitability by H1 2026. Shares remain volatile, down 68% in six months.
READ MORE: www.3dprint.com
#3. Axtra3D reported strong growth in H1 2025
Axtra3D saw significant growth in sales, customer retention, and global expansion in H1 2025, driven by its Hi-Speed SLA technology and Lumia X1 system. Demand rose in industrial manufacturing, dental, automotive, and service sectors, with repeat customers like Protolabs adopting additional systems. The company expanded its global distribution network by 40%, emphasizing reliability (only six service calls across all machines).
READ MORE: www.3druck.com
#2. AMCM delivered 150th metal 3D printing system
AMCM, an EOS Group company, has shipped its 150th industrial 3D printer—an M 4K system with four 1kW lasers—to a California-based space manufacturer for copper-chromium combustion chamber production. AMCM's latest M 8K model, featuring eight lasers, enables 820x820x1200mm builds in challenging materials like copper, with clients including Sintavia and ArianeGroup for rocket engine production.
READ MORE: www.tctmagazine.com
#1. Xometry reported record Q2 2025 results
Xometry achieved record quarterly revenue ($163M, +23% YoY) and profitability (40.1% gross margin) in Q2 2025, driven by its AI-powered manufacturing marketplace. Active buyers grew 22% to 75,000, with 98% revenue from repeat customers. The company expanded instant quoting for additive materials and launched AI tools for faster technical drawing processing.
READ MORE: www.3dprint.com