3-D Printing as Precursor to Replication?

[Platonian]

Here's an interesting (well, to me at least! ) article: The Future Of Flight: 3-D Printed Planes.

I wonder if such 3-D printing might be a functional, if not actual, forerunner of industrial replicators?

FYI, I did re-read the DITL entry on replicators before posting this. The following passage from the DITL entry is echoed in the 3-D printing article:

However, these replicator systems are limited in their abilities - the main such limit being the size of the object produced. For larger manufactured items, it is necessary to replicate smaller components and assemble them via traditional methods. Unfortunately the dream of the replicated skyscraper or starship remains a long way off!

[Teaos]

From what I see, in 5 or so years most middle class homes will have a standard 3D printer able to print basic designes ect. Then there will be a much more advanced (and expensive one) down at the local supermarket/hardware store, that you email an order into in the morning and pick it up at night.

[Tiberius]

Seems to me that the only difference (in principle) between today's 3D printers and Star Trek's replicators is that today we use a print head to assemble the item particle by particle, and in Trek they use little transporters.

[Platonian]

Interesting observation.

Thanks, Tiberius!

[McAvoy]

I wonder if someone out there is creating and gathering plans for 3D printing to sell once it becomes common place.

Me, I would love to be able to print scale parts of model warships.