Yup. Mold making. From my youngest son who ran a lab a decade ago when this
process was new:

 Rapid Prototyping is the general term used to describe the industry...
Stereolithography is one of the technologies commonly used.  Also, 3-D
Printing, Fused Deposition Modeling, and Selective Layer Sintering.

Google any of those terms and you'll have a better idea of the application
for the mature technology.

Jim

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Karl Wolz" <wolzphoto@Q.COM>
Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 3:50 PM
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Subject:      Re: [VANAGON] Print your parts

> I understood one of them to say that from the plastic part, a mold could
> be
> created.
>
> Karl Wolz
>
> |-----Original Message-----
> |From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of
> |Zolly
> |Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 3:19 PM
> |To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> |Subject: Re: Print your parts
> |
> |Not only that.  That machine only makes that white plastic model.  It's
> the
> |same as the one they copied.  So what's the gain?  Really nothing.