Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
If you have access to or have purchased an open source hardware 3D printer, you have
likely seen available modifications that can be done to your printer. In some cases, you
can print upgrades or add-ons for your printer. While you're at it, you could also print
parts for a second printer. In a number of RepRap design 3D printers, large portions of the
design are made from printable parts. Buy a reel of plastic and the additional hardware,
and you can print twice as many parts.
Research and Production
The roots of 3D printing are found in research and development. Specifically, 3D printing
has a long history as a highly useful tool for prototyping. With the drop in cost of 3D print-
ing, research and development has become less expensive and more accessible to many
more people and organizations. If you have an idea, it can be quickly designed and printed,
even sitting on your desk that afternoon. The turnaround time when using a 3D printer in
development is blazingly fast.
A new trend that is rapidly evolving is manufacturing using 3D printers. Previously, if
you wanted to create a product, you would likely resort to high-cost machining or high-
upfront-cost injection molding. Compared to machined prototypes, 3D printers are cheap-
er in terms of both equipment and materials costs.
Injection molding is more complex, but the materials cost associated with an injection-
molded part makes this generally the cheapest option. However, the upfront cost of having
the molds produced is very high. That upfront cost is spread across the high volume of
low-cost parts produced. Unless you want to incur additional costs to modify or produce a
new mold, however, you are stuck with that design until the end of life of the project, the
product version, or the mold. If you plan to make a small volume of your product, injec-
tion molding is out of the question.
In manufacturing, 3D printers offer the advantage of being an expandable production
system. You can start with a few printers, printing parts while you begin building up your
product, business, and/or brand. If you need to ramp up production, simply add more
printers (
Figure 8.7
). Many of the 3D printer manufacturers that use 3D printed parts in
their printers have large clusters of 3D printers, or bot farms, that are constantly churning
out parts to build more 3D printers. This kind of manufacturing system could be used to
produce many other products.
