3D printing is a standard production method for quick prototyping. 3D printing can only be used as a secondary production technique. However, it has taken on the position of the primary production method in more recent years.
A 3D printer farm is a collection of 3D printers that are operated simultaneously and as often as possible to improve the output rates of created components.
To function at peak efficiency, a print farm must minimize printer downtime.
Factors that Limit Print Farm Efficacy
The lack of printer automation and printer dependability are two factors that limit print farm productivity. The machines must operate for long periods without breakdown or loss in part quality, and the transitions between prints should be as smooth as possible.
Controlling many printers might be difficult and time-consuming without these crucial automation and dependability elements.
A well-administered print farm can be a valuable addition to your current operation or even stand alone as a company. 3D printing cell construction might improve manufacturing capacity by building a network of multiple 3D printers.
As a result, a 3D printer’s ability to create several materials enables you to sell 3D printing as a commercial service while offering free service to customers.
A print farm or a multi-machine 3D printing unit is a setup of several 3D printers used to manufacture things. These spaces are unquestionably the most basic form of direct digital manufacturing (DDM).
3D printers are the finest examples of production equipment that go from a CAD design to a completed item without using intermediate steps.
We’ll walk you through some of the reasons why you should consider purchasing two or more 3D printers for your business in this post.
Would you want to explore other sorts of rooms that might be used for DDM? While being aware of the various types of spaces that support DDM is crucial, even more so is understanding what factors make each one distinctive.
Distinctive factors
- Print farms: 3D printer farm is a centre that focuses on producing 3D printed goods from various manufacturers.
- Localized Factories: tiny spaces with a small footprint specialising in offering a broad range of fabrication services to a limited number of clients.
- Makerspaces: Open, collaborative community spaces usually include membership or class structure. It has various fabrication equipment and training available to everyone who visits.
Why Construct a Print Farm?
A well-run print farm may be a valuable addition to your existing company. It’s able to stand on its own as a standalone business.
You may use a 3D printer building kit to construct a cell of multiple 3D printers. This increases the production capacity and allows you to produce several materials simultaneously.
You could also offer 3D printing as a paid service to clients if you build a cell of multiple 3D printers.
Support a Larger Team Within Your Organization
Managing printer usage and maintenance might be challenging for a large design or engineering staff.
In some cases, such as when you’re deploying a printer to a remote location for the first time. It’s worth noting that most technicians are more likely than not to possess experience in this area and want your organization to succeed.
A print farm unifies printer maintenance responsibilities into a single department. This allows engineers and designers to work on different prints simultaneously.
Boost Production Capacity
Whether you’re making prints for your own business or supplying plastic production as a service to clients, a variety of 3D printers makes it simple to offer mass printing.
The founder of MotoMinded, Chris Vestal, created his dirt bike accessory business in three days with a bank of 3D printers. He then went from prototype to volume on his workbench without mold making.
He’s created components as needed and maintained a decent back stock.
The Formlabs form farm, with around 50 3D printers, produces 650 parts per week in various materials and is run by about seven employees.
If you have a lot of printers, you don’t need to hire someone per printer; all you need are handy with their hands, technical wizards, and know the fundamentals of CAD to troubleshoot 3D models.
The Formlabs print production team produces hundreds of sample parts every week in various materials.
variously print on multiple materials
The cost-cutting potential of multi-material printing is limited by the capability to print in only one material at a time. If you have a single 3D printer and require stagger tasks for different components, the additional time needed to create multi-material assemblies might slow down production.
Multiple printers may be used to simultaneously print numerous materials, allowing you to go from design to pack in a fraction of the time.
3D Printing as a Service Offers
Due to technological advances, 3D printing service bureaus have emerged, allowing entrepreneurs to cash in on unused print space by taking third-party orders.
Users who aren’t generating enough to justify purchasing a 3D printer can use these sites to submit their work.
But unlike most 3D printing services, it’s not possible to go online and order a printer for your entire project. Instead, machine owners need to upload STL or.OBJ files of their components and pick a manufacturer who will print them and ship them.
Many of these companies have their print facilities.
Because of the availability of low-cost desktop 3D printing technology, it is typically preferable to start modest and build up gradually if you want to pursue this line of work.
Reliability and Redundancy
With the most dependable, durable 3D printers, a single machine might go down at any moment due to user error or basic upkeep.
If you have one 3D printer, it implies your company’s full 3D printing capability has gone missing. This will force you to deal with service bureaus which might cause delays in production. There’s always a backup plan, even if one 3D printer fails when you add multiple 3D printers.
The above is a guide of 3d printer farm.
