Somebody needs to change this perception soon.

These printers aren’t about mass production, but mass customization. They are about opening up the design of items in a collaboration with the end users. They are about changing people’s thoughts from consumption to production. They may not have economic value to his business, but they have a unique economic and utility value to their users.

They may not be about mass production, but the design could be adjusted for it or you could make tools for it using the printers. Prototyping is also very important.

+Ibrahim re:automation putting people out of work - read Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut.

Thanks for your suggestion @Clint_O_Connor . I’ll check it out. It’s got a good review on Amazon.