@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 it would be an interesting technical challenge to come up with a process that was better at producing consumable / fragile pieces in a more cost-effective, lower-impact manner

I think you'd have to choose your applications carefully. E.g., the HVAC recirc switch that snapped due to plastic fatigue in my WRX a while back. That's exactly the sort of thing that I don't need a mint replacement for and also can't be bothered to order from a parts dealer. I can get by with the allen wrench that I stick in there and work around, but it is tacky

@BobCross - The thing about 3d printing is, in most cases it's great for a mock up, but usually fails in the long term if used in replacement of production parts created through injection molding or what have you. The reason for this is, the lines in the additive manufacturing process give the part natural stress risers, made worse if the part isn't printed in the right way. There are some materials which work better than others, such as nylon, however they are harder to print with.

For low production runs (ie: one), the 3d printing process is pretty awesome. I printed a cup holder for Dave Lively's Solstice of Sorrow (SoS). I used higher grade filament to create it, but the part didn't last that long. We were working out a better design for it, however, I believe he's sold the SoS and his replacement for it is soon to be sold as well, so the final solution for it was never finalized.