Professional metal 3D printers can cost from $100,000 and $500,000 and up, which is significantly higher than plastic 3D printers. Not to mention, there are other costs like material expenses, expertise, maintenance, and post-processing equipment that should be factored into the overall investment.

“A 3D material is basically what you layer on top of a 3D object, to control the way the object is perceived when rendered. It behaves much the way a material does in the real world - whether that's the way light interacts with its surface, or the nuances of colour, texture, transparency and reflectivity.

Titanium, steel, stainless steel, aluminium, copper, cobalt chrome, titanium, tungsten and nickel-based alloys are all available in powdered form for 3D printing, as are precious metals like gold, platinum, palladium and silver.