Think it over properly
Tough times are the strongest argument for investing in 3D printing and the opportunities it provides. The money spent on a 3D printer will bring strategic benefits not only in the long term: it will increase development efficiency, accelerate new products to market, and this will immediately lead to lower costs. The prevailing trend in 3D CAD technology is the use of an increasing number of models early in development: this increases the level of collaboration on the project, and errors are eliminated long before production begins. In large-scale developments that require gradual refinement (so-called "iterative development"), 3D printers can reduce the overall cost of the model at a reasonable cost.
Where 3D printers appear, they revolutionize the world. Designers can translate their concepts into full-color, lifelike designs. Marketers start promoting a product even before it starts production. In some cases, 3D modeling technology can be used for small-scale production of samples. But, in order not to be mistaken in the choice, the decision-maker must assess not only the direct costs of purchasing a 3D printer, but also all the others - often they can decide the fate of the purchase. It is even more important to find out in advance how 3D printers differ from each other and by what parameters it is possible to compare devices from different manufacturers.
Start-up costs
Factors to consider include the cost of the device, maintenance during the first year of operation, the cost of post-processing equipment, and possible additional equipment. Add to the list a starter kit for consumables, installation and training costs, and maintenance for the second year of operation and beyond.
These costs are not always obvious. Beware of "basic" kits. What does such a kit really include? Some manufacturers limit it to the main device, and in order to get a fully functional system (or, in some cases, implement certain functions), you will have to spend money on additional equipment for preprocessing or post-processing. Moreover, the devices of some manufacturers have increased requirements for energy consumption and working conditions (for example, their operation is associated with the release of toxic fumes and the formation of chemical waste).
Some kind of post-processing is necessary for the production of any of the 3D printers, but the methods of this processing are extremely diverse - including in terms of complexity. It is one thing when a product is enough, for example, to blow it with compressed air or immerse it in water to wash away dust, and quite another when it comes to special devices and special cutters for removing mechanical supports. Depending on the manufacturer of the machine and its features, you may need additional ventilation equipment or special stands just to set up the 3D printer in a comfortable working position.
Consumable costs
Another factor is the cost of consumables. It varies greatly depending on the type of processing, the specific geometry of the components and the specific application. For example, using a 3D printer in conceptual modeling requires creating many parts in a short time as a new product is being finalized. Since some materials are objectively more expensive than others, the use of expensive materials will be too costly. In addition to the costs of materials, others may arise - related to the manufacturing process and at first do not appear in any way. Some machines use simple, commercially available replaceable printheads. Others require essential components only from the manufacturer. Moreover, in this case, additional materials are used for structures supporting the protruding elements and containers with solvents. A starter kit is often supplied with the device, and the size and composition of the kit significantly affects costs during the first year of operation.
When estimating the cost of consumables, identify the various components of these costs. The objective comparison parameter is the cost per unit volume of the modeled part - it is more reliable than comparing the cost per unit weight of the product produced. Evaluate future work realistically: The consumable requirements for simulating mobile phone components may be different than when simulating an exhaust manifold or pump housing.
All types of 3D printers use a larger amount of material during work than that which remains in the finished part - the material is taken with a margin. Some systems provide for the reuse of some or all of the consumables, while others do not allow any reuse. Such differences in the organization of the processing process can lead to significant differences in material costs over time.
Some of the used consumables are difficult to dispose of or reuse, while others can be dangerous. All these are additional costs.
Operating costs and savings
The time factor makes a big contribution to the overall cost picture. On different devices, the execution time of the same process may differ by more than five times. The same applies to individual operations - some operations require more actions from the operator than others (including setting parameters, which affects the scheduling of tasks and the need to attract qualified personnel).
Similar printers from two different manufacturers can produce comparable products, but differ significantly in terms of speed and cost of production. For example, let's take a 6-inch model of a pulley (see illustration). The average cost of making a multi-color part on a machine from manufacturer A is $ 3.41 per cubic inch of output, while for a single-color part on a printer from manufacturer B, it is $ 5.56 per cubic inch, nearly double the cost. Printer of manufacturer A takes (including even setup time) 5.17 hours to produce one part; material costs less than $ 47. Manufacturer B's printer spends 21.63 hours on the same job at a consumable cost of $ 80, and the manufactured model will subsequently need to be painted.
The next article on potential savings in time and money is device performance. This term is understood as the total volume of products that can be produced in a certain time. Using the example of reference parts with different geometries (see graph), manufacturer A's printer achieves 120-220 cubic inches of output in 24 hours, and manufacturer B's printer only 15-25 cubic inches in the same time, so in terms of overall productivity, the first device is almost ten times better.
Some printers can make multiple copies from a sample (or multiple samples) in a single pass, providing multiple users. Thus, productivity can also be calculated based on the number of copies of reference samples that can be made in a given time. This factor is critical when an entire engineering department or a group of students is sharing a single 3D printer. What kind of time saving and productive work can we talk about, for example, in the case when an engineer is tenth in line and waits for a week to manufacture a part according to his project …
Considering all the factors involved, including purchase, service, and shipping costs, and the performance that comparable 3D printers can provide, there is a significant difference in part cost and lead time. Some of the comparison results for printers from the two leading companies are shown in the graphs.
Service and maintenance costs
Finally, you need to assess how much general and ongoing maintenance will cost, whether there is a warranty and how long it will be, what exactly is covered and what is not.
findings
In short - just as when choosing a car, you look not only at its cost, but also at convenience, appearance, assess reliability, take into account fuel consumption, so buying a 3D printer requires an equally careful approach. Investing wisely in a 3D printer can help you lower your product development costs and get your product to market faster, which is a huge advantage in a highly competitive environment.
