speed
One of the main advantages of 3D printing is that parts can be produced more efficiently compared to traditional manufacturing methods. Models with complex designs can be exported from the software and produced on a 3D printer in just a few hours. The advantage of this is that design ideas can be quickly verified and iterated.
In the past, manufacturing prototypes through traditional processing methods could take days or even weeks, while 3D printing can get models to designers within hours. Although more industrial 3D printing machines take longer to print and post-process parts, the ability to produce functional final parts in small to medium-sized batches offers significant time-saving advantages compared to traditional manufacturing techniques (often delivery Delivery time is ahead of schedule, whereas individual injection molds can take weeks).
Integrated manufacturing and molding
One of the biggest concerns for designers is how to manufacture parts as efficiently as possible. Most parts require a large number of parts to be manufactured using traditional techniques and then assembled later. These operations affect the quality and reliability of the design.
Custom steel brackets made through traditional manufacturing methods start with a CAD model. After the design is completed, manufacturing begins by cutting the steel profiles to size. The profiles are then clamped in place and welded one at a time to form the brackets. Sometimes custom jigs will need to be made to ensure all components are aligned correctly. The welds are then ground to provide a good surface finish. The next step is to drill holes for mounting the brackets to the wall. Finally, the bracket is sandblasted, primed and painted to improve its appearance.
With a 3D printer, construction can be completed in just one step, with no machine operator intervention required during the construction phase. Once the CAD design is complete, it can be uploaded to a machine and printed in one step, within a few hours.
The ability to produce parts in one piece greatly reduces reliance on different manufacturing processes (machining, welding, painting) and gives designers greater control over final product quality.
3D printing process (red) compared to traditional manufacturing process (black) process manufacturing process
spend
Manufacturing costs can be divided into three categories: machine operating costs, material costs and labor costs.
Machine operating costs: Most desktop 3D printers consume the same amount of power as a computer. Industrial 3D printing technology consumes large amounts of electricity and may consume more electricity to produce a single part. However, the ability to generate complex geometries in just one step leads to greater efficiency and turnaround. Machine operating costs are usually the lowest contributor to total manufacturing costs.
Material costs: Material costs for 3D printing vary depending on the technology. Desktop FDM printers use filament coils and cost about $25 per kilogram, while SLA printing requires resin, which retails for about $150 per liter. The range of materials available for 3D printing makes it difficult to quantify comparisons with traditional manufacturing. Nylon powder used in SLS costs about $70 per kilogram, while nylon pellets used in injection molding cost only $2 to $5 per kilogram. Material costs are the largest source of cost for 3D printed parts. This is also an important reason that restricts many companies from purchasing 3D printers.
Labor costs: One of the main advantages of 3D printing is lower labor costs. In addition to post-processing, most 3D printers only require one or two operators. The machine then follows a fully automated process to produce the parts. Compared with traditional manufacturing, which often requires skilled machinists and operators, the labor cost of 3D printers is almost zero.
Compared with traditional manufacturing processes, 3D printing costs for small batches are extremely competitive. For the production of prototypes that verify shape and fit, it is much cheaper than other alternative manufacturing methods (such as injection molding) and is often competitive in manufacturing one-off functional parts. As production volumes increase, traditional manufacturing techniques become more cost-effective, so 3D printing is an important supplement to traditional manufacturing.
Reduce potential risks
Accidentally creating defective prototypes can waste designers time and money. Using traditional mold processing and manufacturing methods, even small changes may result in huge financial expenditures (high mold opening costs).
The ability to verify a design by printing a production-ready prototype before purchasing expensive manufacturing equipment such as molds or tooling and fixtures removes risk from the prototyping process. This helps to verify the feasibility of the project through low-cost trial and error of 3D printing before committing to the large investment required for mass production.
Complexity and design freedom
Traditional manufacturing methods have higher restrictions on the products that can be manufactured. Design requirements such as draft angle, undercut and tool entry are not suitable.
For 3D printing, there may be some limitations on the smallest size features that can be accurately printed, but in most cases the main limitations revolve around how to optimize the printing direction to reduce support dependence and the possibility of printing failure. This gives the designer a great deal of design freedom and allows the creation of very complex geometries with ease.
Customization
Not only does 3D printing offer greater design freedom, it also allows for completely customizable designs. Since current 3D printing technology can only produce a small number of parts at a time, it is very suitable for low-volume customized production. This customization concept has been embraced by the medical and dental industries for the production of customized prostheses, implants, and dental aids, among others. From premium sports gear tailored to fit athletes perfectly to custom sunglasses and fashion accessories, 3D printing can cost-effectively produce custom parts in one go.
sustainable development
Traditional manufacturing methods, such as CNC milling or turning, remove large amounts of excess material from the starting material, resulting in large amounts of scrap. 3D printing, on the other hand, typically uses only the necessary amount of material needed to make the part. Most processes use raw materials that can be recycled and reused in multiple projects. So the 3D printing process produces almost no waste.