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I think we are moving to a such world, albeit slowly.

3D printers are a movement in that direction, that ends with mini factories or replicators.

Replicators will be the death kneel of the factories.

"Death knell", please. While I see why one would confuse "knell" with "kneel", this is incorrect and the words have vastly different meanings.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_knell

http://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/knell

Given time, they'll mean the same. Like ironic meaning funnily or alot meaning lots of stuff.

Funnily I thought it means a final blow, that breaks a back of something over the knee.

Having read Alastair Reynold's stuff, I thought the idea of replicators was awesome. My current thinking is that 3d printers, if they master multiple materials, will kill off mundane manufacturing. I can't see it being a bad thing, albeit an industrial revolution style shift.

I find it hard to see them as a threat to industrial manufacturing. Is there anything that a 3D printer can produce for cheaper and/or creating less pollution, if we account for the shipping of raw materials to a person's house and give any value to his or her time assembling things?

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