Many customers keep asking me about the best features to
check when selecting the right 3D printer for their specific needs, and the answers
I give always vary, because when choosing the 3D Printer and it’s respective 3D
products, you have to take into consideration several factors:
ü
Why do you want to buy a 3D
printer? (work / personal use)
ü
What application are you
going to be using the 3D printer for?
ü
What’s your initial budget?
And planned on-going budget for the 3D products?
From my experience there are six major factors that one
should consider before purchasing a 3D printer:
Ease of use – If you are using a 3D printer for
recreational purposes, as a hobby, at home or for your degree, then ease of use
is a very important criterion to consider. Professional users will handle
complex processes without too many complaints; however, I’ve noticed that the
request for ease-of-use, all over the world, seems to be more prominent from
more users – even professional home users.
Accuracy / model
resolution – This feature determines how many details you will find
in your final printed 3D model and how close it will be to the original
engineering model. In my opinion accuracy is a given, a must – especially if
you are a professional users. I mean, if this is your business and you want to
succeed, how can you expect anything less than accurate? Your customers are not paying you for an idea
of what the engineered model will look like – they want the real deal,
so, in order to give it to them, do NOT buy a printer with low resolution.
Specifically check the resolution of the Z axis – this value determines
the thinness of each layer, the smaller the number the better.
Volume / Footprint - The term defines the maximum volume that can
be printed in one run without using glue. Most 3D printers today have enough footprint
area to print most standard models and there are exceptionally large printers
that can print large products. Ask yourself – what are you printing? If you are
making a piece of jewelry or an ear aid you probably don’t need to
have a large footprint, but if you want to print a piece of furniture, like a chair,
table, or bookshelf then you should probably consider the investment.
Speed – They say time is money, so if you’ve got projects
with deadlines that have to be met – more commonly found in professional usage
– then you should consider buying a 3D printer that can keep up with your
demands. Interestingly enough, I’ve also found that home users aren’t that
patient either, this generation wants it now, fast, here… So – bottom line, get a printer that can
process quickly.
Post processing – huh… what’s that you ask? You
finished the job; it’s printed what’s this about. Post processing is a VERY important
criterion for all users; it falls into the SPEED category. Most 3D printers try
to minimize or hide how long the 3D printer has to process the
job AFTER it has completed building the model. The post processing can involve liquid,
chemical, peeling or other curing process. Post process is part of the
production time and should seriously be taken into consideration when choosing
the right 3D printer for you.
Cost – Most of home users start with the cost
factor… but I want to end on this criterion because it’s only one of the six important
factors and not the most important. If you just buy a cheap printer, how will
you know if you really did get the quality for your money?
I see the budget comprising of 3 cost
considerations:
1.
The actual 3D printer cost and necessary accessories
that you will need on an on-going basis
2.
The model material cost (the
type of the material you are using to print, measured in cubic inch or cm) this includes the waste
rate too (all printers use materials, and most waste some, so aside from being
friendly to the environment you are paying for stuff that is going to the garbage
too)
3.
Maintenance costs – 3D printers
are cutting edge, they are highly sophisticated and they will need annual
tuning and cleaning. Don’t forget that when you build your budget.
If I was to categorize /
stereotype what most often happens - I’d say that recreational and home users
are looking at the actual 3D printer costs, before the materials, while
companies calculate the materials as main criteria, and budget the 3D printer
as a capital expense.
Be smart, try and figure out your TCO (total cost of
ownership) using these 3 main considerations before buyin. If you know how many
models you are going to print, you could take all costs and make your calculations
to figure out your ROI (return on investment).
Well, I hope this article has helped you to figure out which
new 3D printer you are going to buy. Always,
always , always learn from your peers – check your references, see what your
colleagues bought, look at companies like yours and see what works for them. If
you’d like to learn more, here is my blog on 3D products for resellers and you can
read my next blog about “Fitting the right the right 3D printer for your application”
at: https://twitter.com/EldadSayada, http://widetech-ltd.blogspot.co.il/
No comments:
Post a Comment