[nickpinkston]

Actually, FDM, Objet, ProJet, SLA, EnvisionTec, SolidScape, an many more use support material that is consumed during the build / post-processing.

Many lattice structures can still be made using injection molding equipment (far cheaper) or starting with a raw material with such a structure: think of aluminum honeycomb. 

I agree 3DP is exciting, but we need to get real about what we're trying to achieve - traditional manufacturing engineers are pretty clever too. Not every STL should be run through a nozzle... 

FDM is actually one of the worst methods for 3DP manufacturing because it scales linearly - MakerBot et al use this tech because it's the easiest process to build and makes durable parts from common raw materials.

[Kliment]

Indeed, but with clever design you can avoid support material during builds and still get adequate results.

I fully agree that you can get lattice structures in a number of processes, but printing is the only reasonable way to get internal, closed lattice structures. And I believe the article was meant to create awareness of a reasonably unknown process, rather than claim that everything else should step aside. Milling, routing, turning and molding aren't going anywhere. But that doesn't make printing any less impressive in the areas it's good at.

FDM scales linearly, which is a good thing and a bad thing. It means you have no cost savings when you make large quantities of the same object, but it also means you have no additional cost to make a different object every time. That's what I think is most exciting about it.

[nickpinkston]

Yea, I only mention these things because there are so many "OMG 3DP is good at everything!" fanboys out there. The open source FDM machines are very exciting. I still wonder what will happen to Stratasys when MakerBot et al get soluble support and finer nozzle size. Should be interesting.