3D Printer mini factory startup - help

[khaledma]

Dear friends,

Kindly i need your support and help i would like to start mini factory with 3D printers,
but I read a lot of articles about this technology and I want to set up a small factory to produce plastic toys.
could you please support/help me with location size, best model of 3D printer, best materials,
also do I need a graphic designer or products designer?

Thanks in advance

[Sebastian Finke]

So basically you want us to do the work? Sorry but you will have to decide what you want to do, how much you want to spend, etc. If you're gonna start a business you will need to do the homework.

[LambdaFF]

If you've never used a 3D printer before AND you can't do 3D design ... I seriously advise you to start by teaching yourself some before going further.

1/ try and make a few designs of your own
2/ buy a a few designs fopr comparison
3/ have them made on 3D hubs or buy a <1000$ printer and make them yourself.

Give yourself 1 month to do all this and see the result. You can't make proper investment decisions if you haven't gone through all that at least once.

[Christina Jackson]

If you don't have enough background in 3d printing and really can't do the designing, I think I can help you with the designing phase. However, you need to do the rest of the work. You need to find your niche and targeted industry and we can start from there. PM me if you're still interested.

[majortee]

I'm sorry i thought the forum was to help I'm new i have got a 3d printer but not that good design i just need this object thank you for your reply

[LambdaFF]

... It's not that we don't want to help, but you have to understand : there are at least 1 "noob lol" post a day, requesting exactly the same kind of information. Most of these posts have this in common :
- little to no information on the project and end use
- no timetable,
- no budget,
- no overall picture of all the requirements involved.

May I also point out that you now say you have a 3D printer but don't even mention which model ?

So, I will assume you have done your due diligence, which should include all of the below :
- you have downloaded a free slicer (CURA ?) and read the manual,
- you have downloaded a free model on the internet,
- you have tried to slice it and make a gcode file (or x3g depending on that printer of yours)
- you have tried to calibrate your printer and made an attempt to print using the gcode file.

If for some reason you DONT have a printer you have still done this :
- you have downloaded a free slicer (CURA ?) and read the manual,
- you have downloaded a free model on the internet,
- you have tried to slice it and make a gcode file (or x3g depending on that printer of yours)
- you have gone to 3Dhubs and ordered a few prints of the same model from different people/machines and somehow managed to talk some of them into letting you in while doing your print.

From all of that, you probably gathered the following :
- you need a place that has a good ventilation system
- you need at least one good computer for 3D design and slicing
- you need printers that can print from an sd card to make them independent from your computer.
- you need a dry place to store your filament
- you need printers that are self calibrating and robust to avoid fiddling with them every 2 prints
- you need a separate place to do some sanding / acetone bath / sandblasting / paint job ... whatever you decide your signature finish will be.
- while you may need printers of different size to have a versatile workshop, you also need some homogeneity to make your spares manageable and lean and decrease your learning curve

If you've paid attention, you probably also took some hints on what kind of designs will work and what WILL NOT work.

Now, considering all of the above taken care of, what is your question please ?