Here at DeepDish HQ we’ve been using 3D printers for many years. There are several reasons we believe that investing in a 3D printer has had a positive impact on our client deliverables as part of the product development process. Using 3D printing as a method for prototyping has been so fruitful that we wanted to tell you why…
Cost reductions are so important for any business, especially with inflationary pressures impacting the bottom line. One of the key advantages of 3D printing is that it can help to reduce key manufacturing costs including labour, machine and material costs.
3D printing takes complexities out of the manufacturing process allowing parts and products to be made in one step. There are efficiencies gained in reducing the number of steps required during production and saves on time.
The cost of labour is increasing year on year. A positive aspect of 3D printing is that it keeps labour costs low. Someone will need to start the machine however the production process itself is fully automated and does not require supervision unlike other traditional manufacturing methods.
Compared to traditional manufacturing methods, the overall costs are significantly lower. The 3d printer filaments available in the market is growing with the likelihood that this will increase competition and further help to reduce costs over time.
"We cannot stress the importance of testing early and testing quickly. It's been a game changer." - Ahmed Rafiq - Founder
3D printing can allow you to take a complex design created in CAD, transmute into a component or product in a matter of hours. This has revolutionised the way we can test and verify designs quickly. We can test early and test quickly in-house. If we need to make any changes, we can make the CAD modifications and have the revised prototype created that same day. This has changed the way we work and has positively impacted the speed at which we deliver projects to clients.
Traditionally, providing prototypes was a costly enterprise for clients and businesses alike. The savings in time and money have made prototyping more accessible.
3D printing speeds up the prototyping process. We can design, test and prototype in house which means we not only have full control over each stage in the product development process it also means that we can deliver improvements and enhancements in a short period of time. It has helped us to speed up project timelines allowing us to deliver products earlier than expected to our clients.
Traditionally, providing prototypes was a costly enterprise for clients and businesses alike. The savings in time and money have made prototyping more accessible.
3D printing allows people to hold the product and visualise how it will look like, which means clients don’t need to rely on 3D renders. This removes any concerns or potential miscommunications and offers a realistic representation of what the product will actually be like.
3D printing helps to remove risks by enabling designs to be tested, improved and re-verified before launching into production.
Prototyping using traditional manufacturing processes that require many steps can lead to errors which can cost both you and your client time and money. Starting again, means repeating the process and the steps all over again. There’s no guarantee that any errors would be remedied the next time round.
A manufacturing process which only has a single step is preferred. 3D printing is a single step method that can reduce errors with reduced touch points at which errors can occur. Once an operator uploads the design, the manufacturing process is fully automated; this increases the control over the final product as it removes the reliance upon a number of manufacturing processes.
3D printing can also remove risks as designs can be checked, improved and re-verified before launching into production. The quality of prototyping from a 3D printer is of production quality. This increases confidence in the design and process before launching into the next stage of production.
3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing. During the printing process, only the exact amount of material required to produce a prototype is used. This means there is no waste. This is a far more sustainable way to manufacture prototypes when compared to other traditional manufacturing methods.
