One can print with just about anything meltable. There’s even 3D printers out there that print wood.
In-game one would melt plastic chunks.
i feel like thats hyperbole, you probably can FORCE a 3d printer to print with anything that melts… but you’d have to work real hard to get it there
i.e. if you stuck wood in some random 3d printer it probably wouldnt print wood stuff, it’ll probably catch fire.
3D Printer stuff should probably go to a new thread and/or a suggestion issue.
That said, 3D printers are totally something that you would find in a large laboratory complex. They are also increasingly in the practical range for hobbyists. When someone’s food processor / lawnmower / whatever breaks a gear or loses a sprocket you can get custom printed replacements off e-bay - often the easier option than trying to extract parts from the original manufacturers.