3D printing technology includes many important innovations, among others the ability to easily manufacture geometrically complex parts. It is difficult and sometimes even impossible to do it using conventional methods.
It offers companies many new opportunities to produce the parts they need. The popularity of this technology is growing every year and it is used in various industries.
Increasingly, companies decide to manufacture parts in 3D printing technology instead of using popular injection molding methods. 3D printing enables the production of both single parts as well as a series of products with several hundred pieces. Therefore, companies can place orders for the necessary products on an ongoing basis, depending on the demand at a given time. This means a considerable saving of funds once allocated to product storage when using other forms of production.
Despite the numerous applications of 3D printing, this technology also has its limitations. One of them is the production volume. In this article, you will learn in what quantities and what types of products can be produced using 3D printing.
One of the first questions for manufacturers who think about using 3D printing technology in their projects is to find out in what quantities parts can be produced. When is it profitable?
In practice, 3D printing is mostly used to produce a series consisting of several hundred pieces. This quantity is too small to be applied in injection molding.
Unlike injection molding, 3D printing allows you to create individual pieces without major production costs. Therefore, it is an ideal solution to test different design variants. Manufacturers who require the possibility of frequent and quick changes to the design are increasingly using 3D printing technology.
The production of parts in 3D printing at Cubic Inch takes 3 to 5 working days, which allows our customers to quickly create prototypes before going into mass production.
The average production volume in 3D printing technology is a series of several hundred pieces. For production on this scale, choosing 3D printing is a cost-effective solution. Importantly, even with such quantities, the order fulfillment takes only a few working days.
In case of greater demand in some factories, a conventional injection molding may be a better solution. Then the cost of producing one part will be lower than in the case of 3D printing technology.
However, the flexibility of orders is a big advantage of 3D printing. Thanks to the short production time, companies can order series depending on the demand, which allows them to minimize the costs of storing unused products. In addition to that, each series can be modified, which is impossible with injection technology.
In conclusion, if your manufacturing company has a demand of several hundred pieces in one batch and values flexibility, 3D printing technology is a great solution for you.
There are cases where even the largest manufacturers choose 3D printing technology over injection molding. 3D printing allows you to create very complex geometric forms as a whole, produced in one part.
In the case of injection molding, geometrically complex products are divided into several parts, which are produced separately and then assembled. It is a much more expensive and time-consuming solution. Therefore, more and more factories are purchasing their own 3D printers, which they use to produce complex parts right on the spot.
An alternative to investing in your own 3D printer is to use our services. Thanks to our work, companies save on costs such as professional equipment maintenance, machine servicing and allocating the space necessary for drying products.
As with prototyping, many companies use 3D printing technology to produce customer-specific parts.
One of the industries in which 3D printing has more and more applications is the medical sector. Companies specializing in medical or rehabilitation equipment, thanks to 3D technology, can quickly produce durable prostheses, etc. that meet the requirements of a specific patient.
If your company provides similar services, 3D printing is a technology that can greatly help in the development of your business. The best solution for you is to establish permanent cooperation with a company like ours so that personalized projects quickly become reality thanks to 3D printing technology.
One of the basic limitations of 3D printing technology is the size of the parts it can produce. You have to remember about this when deciding to use this technology.
At Cubic Inch, we have professional 3D printers in the Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology, which are among the top devices in the industry. The dimensions of the manufactured parts must not exceed the size of the printer’s working chamber, which in our devices has dimensions of 380 x 280 x 380 mm. In practice, most orders do not exceed 200 mm.
In summary, 3D printing technology offers many practical solutions and is a great alternative to traditional production techniques such as injection molding.
Below are some key information related to this method to keep in mind:3D printing technology is widely used to create prototypes by allowing easy changes and fast realization of projects. The volumes in which parts can be produced in 3D printing technology range from single pieces to several hundred in one series. In 3D printing technology, the geometric complexity of the form does not matter, which is why it is often used for the production of complex parts. More and more industries recognize the potential of using 3D printing to create personalized elements. The size of 3D printing is not the only limitation of this technology. You should also be mindful of the size of the project as well as the specific characteristics that the products should have, such as resistance to chemicals. In most cases, an efficient solution is to use the services of an external company specializing in 3D printing rather than investing in your own equipment and know-how. You can get detailed information about our experience and an estimation of your project by contacting our specialists.
It offers companies many new opportunities to produce the parts they need. The popularity of this technology is growing every year and it is used in various industries.
Increasingly, companies decide to manufacture parts in 3D printing technology instead of using popular injection molding methods. 3D printing enables the production of both single parts as well as a series of products with several hundred pieces. Therefore, companies can place orders for the necessary products on an ongoing basis, depending on the demand at a given time. This means a considerable saving of funds once allocated to product storage when using other forms of production.
Despite the numerous applications of 3D printing, this technology also has its limitations. One of them is the production volume. In this article, you will learn in what quantities and what types of products can be produced using 3D printing.
Volumes in which parts can be 3D printed in MJF technology
One of the first questions for manufacturers who think about using 3D printing technology in their projects is to find out in what quantities parts can be produced. When is it profitable?
In practice, 3D printing is mostly used to produce a series consisting of several hundred pieces. This quantity is too small to be applied in injection molding.
Prototyping
Unlike injection molding, 3D printing allows you to create individual pieces without major production costs. Therefore, it is an ideal solution to test different design variants. Manufacturers who require the possibility of frequent and quick changes to the design are increasingly using 3D printing technology.
The production of parts in 3D printing at Cubic Inch takes 3 to 5 working days, which allows our customers to quickly create prototypes before going into mass production.
Mass production
The average production volume in 3D printing technology is a series of several hundred pieces. For production on this scale, choosing 3D printing is a cost-effective solution. Importantly, even with such quantities, the order fulfillment takes only a few working days.
In case of greater demand in some factories, a conventional injection molding may be a better solution. Then the cost of producing one part will be lower than in the case of 3D printing technology.
However, the flexibility of orders is a big advantage of 3D printing. Thanks to the short production time, companies can order series depending on the demand, which allows them to minimize the costs of storing unused products. In addition to that, each series can be modified, which is impossible with injection technology.
In conclusion, if your manufacturing company has a demand of several hundred pieces in one batch and values flexibility, 3D printing technology is a great solution for you.
Geometrically complex products
There are cases where even the largest manufacturers choose 3D printing technology over injection molding. 3D printing allows you to create very complex geometric forms as a whole, produced in one part.
In the case of injection molding, geometrically complex products are divided into several parts, which are produced separately and then assembled. It is a much more expensive and time-consuming solution. Therefore, more and more factories are purchasing their own 3D printers, which they use to produce complex parts right on the spot.
An alternative to investing in your own 3D printer is to use our services. Thanks to our work, companies save on costs such as professional equipment maintenance, machine servicing and allocating the space necessary for drying products.
Customized products
As with prototyping, many companies use 3D printing technology to produce customer-specific parts.
One of the industries in which 3D printing has more and more applications is the medical sector. Companies specializing in medical or rehabilitation equipment, thanks to 3D technology, can quickly produce durable prostheses, etc. that meet the requirements of a specific patient.
If your company provides similar services, 3D printing is a technology that can greatly help in the development of your business. The best solution for you is to establish permanent cooperation with a company like ours so that personalized projects quickly become reality thanks to 3D printing technology.
Dimensional constraints
One of the basic limitations of 3D printing technology is the size of the parts it can produce. You have to remember about this when deciding to use this technology.
At Cubic Inch, we have professional 3D printers in the Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology, which are among the top devices in the industry. The dimensions of the manufactured parts must not exceed the size of the printer’s working chamber, which in our devices has dimensions of 380 x 280 x 380 mm. In practice, most orders do not exceed 200 mm.
Information at a glance
In summary, 3D printing technology offers many practical solutions and is a great alternative to traditional production techniques such as injection molding.
Below are some key information related to this method to keep in mind: