What are the advantages of 3D printing

A large-scale economy is a hidden power to support the modern industrial economy. High volume production has the character of a large factory and multi-production line with high cost. The factory has to hire specialists and engineers to convert the concept to physical products, calibrate machines and build the corresponding production line. To cover the early investment in design and production, the factory has to sell enough products to earn a profit. Thus, this large-scale production sacrifices the variety of products.

While the 3D printing in low volume production and customize-supported reduces the risk and cost of promoting a new product. No production line and factory are needed, nor do designers and engineers. Compared to the large-scale economy, the 3D printing manufacturer has the following advantages:

Infinite design possibility

Traditional manufacturing technology and craftsman-made design have a limitation on product shape. The ability of the shape design is up to the tool users, such as the wood-made lathe can only make round shape items, the rolling mill can only process parts assembled by a milling cutter and more. However, the 3D printing printer broke these design limitations for manufacturing that can hardly or even cannot be made by traditional crafts.

Improve the design before manufacturing

A prototype is the first draft of the products, which can help designers, engineers, and manufacturers to recheck to experience the exterior and touch-feeling of the products. Traditionally, it is hand-made with foam or clay. If a product has defects after production, it will lead to material waste costs. With 3D printing, you can create a concept model for better communication about products between designers and customers and can adjust, modify and improve the concept model before manufacturing to control cost.

Besides the conceptual model, 3D printing is applied to create the functional prototype because the products printed by 3D printers have the feature of high temperature and corrosion resistance due to the material. Through prototype performance tests, it can improve the final products parameter, which shortens the time from design to production. The 3D printing accelerates the design process and optimizes the products in the safety, reasonability, and ergonomics to get a better product before arranging product production.

Diversified production without increasing cost

For manufacturing, the more complex of shape is, the high-cost is. In 3D printing, the complicated design does not increase the cost. In addition, a machine has limited functions with fewer shapes for products. But a 3D printer can print different shape products like craftsman each time. Various products without increasing cost would change the price setting for manufacturing and the cost structure.

No products assemble

3D printing has integrated production, which is a benefit by reducing the cost of assembling. In tradition, each part is produced on the production line and assembled by the worker. The more part for a product, the longer the supply chain and production line are, and the more costs on product assembly. The integrated production process shortens the supply chain and cuts the cost.

Shorten manufacturing process

According to the demand for manufacturing, the instant production for 3D printing lowers product stock. It changes the mode from product-to-sell to demands-to-production. It will vastly shorten the process, create zero inventory, and fast-delivery if a local 3D printing service is available.

Lower the threshold for manufacturing

Usually, experienced staff is needed for machine operation, and it takes several years to cultivate a specialist. 3D printing demands less skillful workers than a particular machine. Thus it can dramatically lower the threshold for manufacturing to bring more new business models. And it can supply services to customers for remote and inconvenient customers.

Material saving

Usually, metal machining is a process that remove the needless part for products, which leads to material waste, especially in sophisticated products. However, 3D printing is added material according to the shape, which causes no wasting. With the development, the no-waste of 3D printing for production would be more environmentally friendly and cost-saving.

Unlimited combination of material

It is hard for the machine to combine multi-material during the cutting or molding. But 3D printing achieves it by putting different materials together and making the performance and structure meet customers’ demands. For example, the nylon-glass fibers or nylon-Carbon fiber composite improves the mechanical of nylon.

Precise Copy

Like the digital file, which makes the music replay thousands of times without losing the quality, 3D printing is expected to extend the digital precision to the physical world in manufacturing industries. Also, 3D scanning and printing improve the resolution of converting the physical world to digital and narrow their distance.

WKproto is a professional rapid prototyping and low-volume production manufacture specializing in 3D printing, CNC machining, and Vacuum Casting. Our factory and parter factories enable rapid prototyping of designs from our customers and low volume production for market verification.

We have three factories. 3D printing factory meets the demands of most 3D printing services with 100 SLA machines, 10 SLS machines, 10 MJF machines, 10 SLM machines, and 20 FDM machines. CNC machining factories for processing metals, plastic and more materials with more than 200 machines for CNC milling/CNC lathes/EDM / Wire EDM and the Vacuum Casting factory is for low volume production for ABS、PC、PP、PE、PA、POM、PMMA、PVC.