Read the following case study on 3D-Printing Technology and make a Technology Assessment following STIP methodology.

3D printing is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file. The creation of a 3D printed object is achieved using additive processes. 3D printing is unlike subtractive manufacturing which is cutting out or hollowing out a piece of metal or plastic with for instance a milling machine. 3D printing requires fewer or even no intermediate products, which are now often imported from other countries. 3D printers are a new generation of machines that can make everyday things. They are remarkable because they can produce different kinds of objects, in different materials, all from the same machine. 3D printers can create moving parts like hinges and wheels as part of the same object. You could print a whole bike - handlebars, saddle, frame, wheels, brakes, pedals and chain - ready assembled, without using any tools. A 3D printer can make pretty much anything from ceramic cups to plastic toys, metal machine parts, stoneware vases, fancy chocolate cakes or even (one day soon) human body parts. They replace traditional factory production lines with a single machine, just like home inkjet printers replaced bottles of ink, a printing press, hot metal type and a drying rack. Although buying a 3D printer is much cheaper than setting up a factory, the cost per item you produce is higher, so the economics of 3D printing do not stack-up against traditional mass production yet. In addition, it can neither match the smooth finish of industrial machines nor offer the variety of materials or range of sizes available through industrial processes. However, like so many household technologies, the prices will come down and 3D printer capabilities will improve over time.