This is an awesome page to get you started on what is 3D Printing, the 3D Printers, and everything 3D Printing related. If you want to get a better understanding, keep reading on as we cover the most asked questions.
The FAQ is listed in chronological order.
Thermoplastics are the most commonly used materials, but there are also photopolymers, metals, ceramics, cutting-edge bioinks, or even edible materials like chocolate being used today. Design Freedom Embedded Functionality Streamlined Supply Chains Personalization Cost-efficient manufacturing Life-cycle sustainability Understanding your business priorities will help you open new doors with 3D printing and be more competitive. Manufacturing Tooling Sales and Retail Aftermarket Supply Compared to traditional methods like CNC machining or injection molding, 3D printing is typically much faster and at lower volumes, much less expensive. As the benefits and applications grow, the technology can be scaled appropriately. Apart from time reduction and cost, it also allows designers to get bold with ideas that were not possible with traditional means previously. Highly realistic prototypes printed on full-color multi-material printers look like the final product, cultivating faster and better decisions to gain approval from the higher management. Keep the design process entirely in-house Prototype faster and smarter Create beautiful, highly detailed models The additive nature makes it a fast, low, or mid-volume production solution that doesn’t rely on economies of scale, much like an investment in injection mold tooling does. This opens up new opportunities which were previously uneconomical with lower-volume and/or on-demand production. It also supports distributed manufacturing where parts can be easily printed from anywhere. For instance, an airline manufacturer can print replacement spare parts at its own maintenance facility instead of having to wait for shipping from a 3rd party manufacturer. From the tooling perspective, 3D printing is able to produce jigs, fixtures, end-of-arm tools, and other manufacturing aids in much less time and for less cost than traditional tooling. They can be easily customized for ergonomics and optimized for the operator, rather than designed for how they’re manufactured. Replacing metal tools with strong 3D printed thermoplastic tools means they can be made lighter and easier to use, increasing task efficiency and lower cycle time. For example, 3D printing is able to produce structures that aren’t possible with machining or molding. It also makes low-to-mid-volume production economically viable because there’s no need for tooling investment. It is also much faster to get started because of its on-demand capabilities, which is why GM turned to 3D printing to retool its production line to produce ventilators in view of the COVID pandemic. In short, 3D printing is another tool in the toolbox but is one that offers key benefits over traditional manufacturing when used strategically. Complexity Huge Upfront investment Re-design Customization Low to Mid-Volume Production – Do you want faster prototyping? Another step is by engaging a service printing bureau as it lets you enjoy the technology benefits without the up-front costs. When your use and application of 3D printing grow, you can evaluate bringing the capability in-house. Starting small with one or two printers will allow for familiarisation with the technology and discover its applications and benefits. From there, it can be scaled up for wider implementation to enjoy the corresponding benefits. The 3D printing software typically provides a simple workflow to go quickly from CAD model to printed part. But in general, the more sophisticated the printer and its capabilities are, the more training is required for effective implementation. You will gain the insights and expertise of an applications engineer who can guide you and optimize the technology for your specific application. You also avoid the up-front expense of printer purchase, as you only need to pay for labor and consumables. Typically, service printing companies cater to many types of 3D printing technologies and are beneficial to customers who already own 3D printers, but want something different from what they have. If you need service printing only occasionally or rely on multiple technologies, then going for service printing would make more sense. But if you find value in the technology and it becomes part of your business model or if you want to keep production in-house, purchasing a 3D printer would make more economical sense in the long run. With a broad portfolio of 3D printers and solutions tailored to specific needs, we can help you make the critically important step in matching the right technology to your application. If someone tells you that one technology can address all your needs, we ask that you think twice before proceeding on. Our sales and application engineers can determine what technology is right for your application, or whether a 3D printer or service printing is more appropriate where confidentiality is enforced across the entirety of our discussions. As for after-sales support, our certified service engineers ensure that your 3D printers are kept well-maintained at regular intervals to minimize downtime. If you’re not sure how 3D printing fits, or you’re interested in building a business case but don’t know where to start, we’re here for you. Wherever you are in your 3D printing journey, let us help you be ready.
Optimize parts for the design purpose instead of being limited by traditional manufacturing constraints.
Include added capabilities within a part or assembly such as the insertion of a screw. This eliminates manufacturing steps, lowers cycle time, and reduces costs.
Speed up delivery and reduce inventory costs with the on-demand capabilities of 3D printing that can deliver parts faster than traditional manufacturing.
Go mass-market with the ability to customize every design aspect, allowing for greater market differentiation.
Eliminate one of the largest manufacturing costs – tooling requirements with 3D printing. This makes low-volume production cost-effective.
3D printing yields parts that are lighter and optimized thanks to freedom of design and on-demand production. This reduces fuel usage and environmental impact.
Explore new possibilities for product design and operational improvement with design freedom as well as low-to-mid-volume production. When used in tandem, these two capabilities let you transform decades-old supply chains and business models.
3D printed tooling gives you advantages like on-demand production, customization, digitization of designs, and unrestrained design flexibility, Eliminate costly suppliers, compress lead times, enable digital warehousing, and accelerate manufacturing floor productivity.
Retailers gain the ability to innovate by delivering highly customized on-demand products and new experiences such as “co-designed” items developed in conjunction with customers.
Embrace 3D printing for spare and replacement parts and replace physical warehouses. Parts can be produced on a just-in-time basis instead of keeping physical stock.
Designers gain full control over the design process. Creating models in-house saves the time associated with outsourcing. The timeline flexibility empowers designers to try new ideas and iterate often, resulting in better products that stand out.
Outsourcing is often too expensive and time-consuming to allow iteration of more detailed prototypes, especially models that incorporate CMF (color-material-finish). The speed and streamlined workflow of 3D printing give designers the freedom to create dozens of detailed prototypes while reducing the time it needs to arrive at the optimal design.
With full-color, multi-material printing, designers can create prototypes that look, feel, and even function like the real thing in just a few hours. The ability to assess the color, texture, and ergonomics of a product means better feedback and faster approval from clients.
Parts that are difficult or impossible to machine or mold.
The high initial cost of creating injection molds.
New product design that may be susceptible to changes.
One-off products for custom applications.
Economically produce from 5 to a few hundred parts.
– Are you looking to reduce product development cycle time?
– Do you need to reduce manufacturing costs?
