[glasseye]

I have been using 3D printing in my business for 3 years now.

We can create complex shapes in a CAD program out of a nylon type plastic that a customer buys from the printer and we get back a small fee for the design work. We never see or touch the part.

Fantastic results. The company we use is shapeways.

Waiting for the price of 3d scanners to come down. And they are starting to.

[Sir Lurks Alot]

The inexpensive scanner is here already, go here:

http://www.david-laserscanner.com/

Cheers!

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Makerbot is working on one

http://store.makerbot.com/digitizer.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=2&utm_campaign=Digitizer&utm_term=3d%20scanner

[Mad Dawgg]

"Waiting for the price of 3d scanners to come down. And they are starting to."

When the manufacturers can get both units down under the $299 price point the tech will snowball.

The cheap Chinese Plastic Housewares market will be the first to implode.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Waiting for the price of 3d scanners to come down. And they are starting to."

Check out the QU-BD "printer". It is set up to do both extrusion AND milling. Assembled....$1699.

http://store.qu-bd.com/category.php?id_category=23