I don't know if we'll ever reach the "in every home" mark, or even say 90% of homes. This is different from computers for a lot of reasons. However the prevalence and wide-spread availability of 3d printing makes perfect sense.
Look at it logistically - if the cost of transporting bulk finished goods rises to a certain point, it makes more sense to just ship containers of plastic pellets, via slow and less reliable methods. Then local caches of the pellets are used in local printing facilities to make whatever. I can order a part, widget, or doo-dad and pick it up anywhere, or delivery by guy on bicycle happens, or whatever.
3d printing just has less waste and shipping overhead than making goods and sending them to a destination half way around the world.
There are price points where 3d printing makes more sense logistically than injection molding. I don't know what they are, but basic logistics suggests it is true.
Look at it logistically - if the cost of transporting bulk finished goods rises to a certain point, it makes more sense to just ship containers of plastic pellets, via slow and less reliable methods. Then local caches of the pellets are used in local printing facilities to make whatever. I can order a part, widget, or doo-dad and pick it up anywhere, or delivery by guy on bicycle happens, or whatever.
3d printing just has less waste and shipping overhead than making goods and sending them to a destination half way around the world.
There are price points where 3d printing makes more sense logistically than injection molding. I don't know what they are, but basic logistics suggests it is true.