Before the advent of 3D printing technology, manufacturing companies had no option but to trade design freedom in return for manufacturability. A good design that can’t be brought to life is, after all, useless, right?
But as 3D printing and materials technology continues to evolve, this limitation is being challenged, and in some in instances, even disregarded—as is the case for thermoplastics manufacturers.
Although the efficacy of 3D printing as a production method varies from one application to another, it undoubtedly offers a better value proposition when it comes to cost, time-to-market, and quality than most other methods of production.
3D Printing: The Advantages It Offers Over Other Methods Of Production
3D printing provides thermoplastic manufacturers freedom from certain limitations. These not only include production timelines and part volumes, but also design capabilities. The constraints it frees you from include:
- Requirement of constant wall thickness
- Tooling and static final designs
- Restricted rib geometries
The plethora of new manufacturing and design options provided by 3D printing open the door to new designs, better products, new markets, and new business models.
The Ability To Manufacture Customized Goods
While injection molding remains an efficient and economical option for thermoplastic manufacturers, it does have design constraints. However, with 3D printing, manufacturers get the opportunity to directly manufacturer customized products. It allows manufacturers to jump directly from CAD renderings to the final finished product, with no tooling costs in between.
It also allows manufacturers to reshape the assembling process and consolidate parts so they become monolithic functional components that not only accelerate production and slash costs, but provide performance-related advantages as well. Such capabilities are truly unprecedented and unique to 3D print manufacturing. They’re inspiring new markets for mass tailored products and new business models as we speak.
Accessing Performance With 3D Printed Thermoplastics
The fact that you can produce geometries with 3D printing that would otherwise be impossible is an amazing prospect. However, if you want to turn that theory into a reality, you need to have the right materials for your application. This is perhaps the best thing about 3D print-manufactured thermoplastics; their material properties can be compared with traditionally manufactured products, but with limitless design freedom.
If you’re looking for 3D printing services in Grass Valley and Auburn, you can get in touch with the experts at Connekt. LLC. We offer mechanical and engineering design services, custom injection molding, custom plastic parts, finite element analysis and consulting services among others.
