What i mean about 3D printers is, you cannot use a 3D plastic layer deposition machine to make something like a spatula. (although everyone thinks it is one of its uses) The layers just do not align correctly to make a strong enough spatula. (but i am sure you could make it flat, and then heat in the oven and make it spatula shaped and then it would work.)

So, when i hear people, who do not 3D print, they talk about pie in the sky stuff. That, will probably be doable with more ingenuity, or in other words, a couple 3D printer generations from now.

We have metal sintering machines, but they are no where near as strong as billet machined parts.

So, the capabilities that are usually talked about is by people who do not really know, who only listened to the salesman spiel / advertisment, and think we are far ahead of where we are.

And yes, i could build a fridge in a workshop (if i had a workshop) and maybe start selling them within a year. It is doable now. It will be almost easily be doable given a bit more innovation in these tools.