Now that 3D printing has swept the industry, there is a lot of confusion about how this technology works and how it can be effectively leveraged for your business. The good news is that there are only a handful of rules you need to follow in order to get your company off on the right foot with 3D printing.
If you’re new to 3D printing, this article will hopefully clear things up. Keep reading if you want to know why following these five simple rules will make you an expert at using 3D printers in your company.
Don’t think of 3D Printing as a replacement for manufacturing
If you’re expecting to replace all of your manufacturing processes with 3D printing, you’re going to be disappointed. 3D printing is a fantastic tool for prototyping new designs, creating custom parts for your customers, and even for internal communications. It’s not a viable replacement for your most crucial manufacturing processes. The price of 3D printing is too high to use it as your primary production process.
Plan your printing process up front
By planning upfront how you will use each 3D printer in your company, you’ll make sure that you don’t get caught in a situation like most companies do. You’ll be printing parts in your company’s 3D printers without any idea what they are used for. You may find that one printer is used to create prototypes for new designs while another one prints spare parts for specific projects.
While it’s true that these printers are all being used simultaneously, there is no way to know what part each printer is printing and when it will be finished with its print job. Planning your printing process upfront will save you a lot of headaches down the road. You can use each 3D printer in your company to print specific types of parts depending on what the printer is used for.
Be cautious when you talk to printers
Most people who want to get a 3D printer in their company will call manufacturers and talk to salespeople about it. But we all know that these calls usually go terribly wrong. If you’re calling a 3D printer manufacturer to talk about purchasing a printer for your business, be cautious.
Most companies selling printers know that a lot of people want to get 3D printers into their companies but are afraid of the costs involved. If you’re calling a printer manufacturer to discuss purchasing a printer for your business, be cautious. Most companies selling printers know that a lot of people want to get 3D printers into their companies but are afraid of the costs involved.
Test your printed parts as much as you can before the final assembly
The parts you print on your 3D printers are fragile. Not only are they fragile, but they’re also expensive. One mistake during the printing process can ruin a part you just spent hours printing. So you want to make sure that the parts you’re printing are built to last. The best way to do this is to test a lot of your printed parts before the final assembly.
Start by printing one or two parts on each printer and see how they turn out. You can even print parts out of the same material so that you can see how the quality and finish compare between printers. If you have the budget and the space, you can start printing parts on a large scale. Printing parts on an industrial 3D printer will give you a chance to test them before the final assembly.
Keep on learning and experimenting
You can’t become an expert at 3D printing overnight. It will take a while to become comfortable with the technology. But with time, you’ll learn which 3D printers to use and what settings are best for each printer. You’ll also start to see patterns in how parts are printed and what types of parts are most commonly printed. This knowledge can be used to create better-printed parts with less effort.
As you experiment with 3D printing and your company’s printers, you’ll also see how other companies are printing. You can learn a lot from other companies printing 3D parts. Try looking at different companies’ websites to see how they’re printing and what types of parts they’re printing.
Bottom Line
3D printing is an incredible tool that can be used for many different applications. However, you must know how to use it effectively in order to be successful. Follow these five rules to make sure your company is off to a great start with 3D printing.
