[crote]

Cheap 3D printers are actually really useful for prototyping. There isn't really an equivalent to hand-assembling a PCB in the 3D world. At best you're going to have a machinist spend a few dozen hours milling your object, that's going to set you back thousands.

With 3D printing, any company can just get one for a one-off $1000 and have a physical representation of their design in a few hours. That kind of innovation radically alters the entire industry.