Evaluation: 3D printer for small company

[insomnia]

Hello Guys,

I am currently working as an internee in a small german company, which produces medium sieced electrical parts. Think of stuff like this http://www.yinshan.com.sg/Products/M...s/image002.jpg

My cheff asked mee to do an evaluation, wheather it would make sense for the company to get a 3D printer. Now I dont have that much background information, but did my research and narrowed my search down to FDM (Stratasys)/FFF printers. (there is also one DLP printer that I consider: http://www.kudo3d.com/ )

I got some offers from the 3D printed parts that they got earlier from third parties as a servise. The parts have been used for electrical testing (SLS printed) and to produce small series (first a STL print, then a jelly mold and later a series of 30 cases). There is one guy responsible for this, he does lots of testing and inovation of new parts/cases.

From some research I think, that I would not find a printer within the budget that could produce the same quality that we got from industrial STL and SLS printers (I have no benchmark, but I think something around 10k could be realistic, the production of 50 Jelly Mold cases was 7k€ ).

Now I am in a search for a printer. I am looking for something that we could use for:

• testing (I dont know anything about what materials are allowed or requiered)
• producing small series of cases (around 50 parts) here I am uncertain, wheather the quality of FFF printers is good enough for that.
• as models for conventions/customers

I would appriciate any input on this or a feedback if I am moving in the right direction with my search.

I am interested, whethear it is realistically to find a cheap printer that could fit the criterias, that are listet above.

[richardphat]

What is your budget, and how much money you can invest for the materials say for every project.
Give us more details.

Also, do know that 3D printing learning curve consumes a lot of timing and effort. Your boss might be pissed off seeing project holding back because of the learning process, maintenance, repairing. (Unless you can throw 20-50k$ on the table with proprietary printers)

[old man emu]

Question: How are your company's medium sized electrical parts produced now?

Question: Does your company create new designs to suit new applications?

I'm thinking that if your company is producing items with run numbers greater than 10 units, then a 3D printer would be too slow and you should look at high speed production methods (injection molding and such).

If you are creating new designs, then a 3D printer is the most economical way to produce prototypes. The printed objects might come off the printer looking slightly rough, but there are ways and means to post-process them to give a good appearance.

Even the most basic of 3D filament printers would have produced 50 jelly molds for under 50 Euro in materials. Might have taken 48 - 72 hours to print the fifty units (depending on size)

Old Man Emu

[insomnia]

I dont have a budget, but I think something around 10k€ would be realistic. This is also something I should take into my investigation - to calculate if it is cheaper to produce in house or to get it as a service. Now after a week of research I know that the parts that we ordered from a third party (STL & SLS ) were made by professional/industrial machienes (no Idea what the costs are but I guess something around 500k) so I believe it does not make sense to look in this direction, as he also wants something that is plug and play / office size / easy to use.

I talked to the tech guy, who wants the printed parts (not the boss, the boss has no idea about 3d printers). He wants to use it for prototyping. He also gave me some criteria of what to look for:

1. works with solid-works
2. printing should be robust, easy to use, he has not much time to spent dealing with the printer
3. Material should be such, that he could use the parts for electical testing
4. Building size: 230x130x130mm (I believe smaller would also work)
5. price comparison for printing of 30 prototypes with the choosen printer VS getting it as a service (with STL technology)


The feeling I have is that:

1. any printer can print .stl-formats
2. Using DLP would produce fragile parts, I dont know if testing wuold work on them. FFF/FDP printer seem to be plug and play and produce robust parts.
3. after the discussion yesterday I think, testing is not the main criteria, he wants to have prototypes - something to look at and to show customers.

5. I dont know how a comparison vs. industrial/expensive machienes would make sense. But I think its ok if the quality is not that high. (0,4mm would work)

[insomnia]

Question: How are your company's medium sized electrical parts produced now?

We are currently preparing a production line for a new product, we ourselves dont build the cases (just the tech guy, who developes the stuff with solidworks). Once a case is build, we contract people who do it with metallic workpiece an then unsing injection molding (they to thousands of these things).

Question: Does your company create new designs to suit new applications?

Yes. The tech guy is now working on a new case, he has also other projects where he has printed parts for electrical testing (12-24kV).

Sometimes we also need special cases for new aplications, but in very small numbers, like 30 parts.

I'm thinking that if your company is producing items with run numbers greater than 10 units, then a 3D printer would be too slow and you should look at high speed production methods (injection molding and such).

What do you mean with run numbers ? There would be no problem for the printing to take a week to produce 30 prototypes. Main purpouse is prototyping.

If you are creating new designs, then a 3D printer is the most economical way to produce prototypes. The printed objects might come off the printer looking slightly rough, but there are ways and means to post-process them to give a good appearance.

Even the most basic of 3D filament printers would have produced 50 jelly molds for under 50 Euro in materials. Might have taken 48 - 72 hours to print the fifty units (depending on size)
Old Man Emu

I have no idea about the quality of FDP printers. I hold a SLS and STL part in my hands. The SLS is very robust, the STL has very high quality (we paid 250€ to produce one print, to use it for jelly molding later. It also comes with snatches)

My next step is to get a FDP printed part from somewhere, of a case that we are prototyping now.

[richardphat]

1. works with solid-works
2. printing should be robust, easy to use, he has not much time to spent dealing with the printer
3. Material should be such, that he could use the parts for electical testing
4. Building size: 230x130x130mm (I believe smaller would also work)
5. price comparison for printing of 30 prototypes with the choosen printer VS getting it as a service (with STL technology)

I am afraid 10k euro isn't enough in this case. Because point 2, is not realistic. Because you can't just print something right off the bat directly, sometime dimension or geometry makes it impossible even for 3D printers. That alone is a big learning curve about what to design and what not. You will find out during your print that it doesn't work right. That means you will spend a lot of iteration modifying design.

If you don't mind, I would advise your to hire a consultant for 1 days and throw all the questions. He will tell you much more information considering the fact he can go in your company and locate all the needs.