How Large Can The 3D Printing Industry Be | Shopify FAQs | 3D Printing News

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17:30 How Much Can the 3D Printing Industry Grow
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About Slant 3D

🏭 High-Volume 3D Printing: Scalability Meets Flexibility
Slant 3D's Large-Scale 3D Print Farms utilize 1000's of FDM 3D printers working 24/7 to offer limitless scalability and unparalleled flexibility. Whether it's 100 or 100,000 parts, our system can handle it reliably, while still allowing for real-time design updates, ensuring products evolve with the times. This adaptability is key in today's fast-paced world.

🌿 Sustainable Manufacturing: Eco-Friendly Efficiency
Embrace a system that drastically reduces carbon emissions by eliminating carbon-intensive steps in the supply chain, such as global shipping and warehousing. Our approach minimizes this footprint, offering a more sustainable manufacturing option.

⚙️ Digital Warehouses: Parts On-Demand
Think of print farms as a "Digital Warehouse", meaning we can store your parts digitally on a server rather than physically on a shelf. parts are available on-demand, reducing the need for extensive physical inventory.

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Produced by Geometry Media

[MattFromAmerica]

I am presenting PET recycling and 3d printing to the mayor of Tabuk in the Philippines. When I am at my fiance's village, I am the only one with a computer, so I thought, let's give them an advantage. I am the president of a 501c3 and since our mission is basically community development, USAID grants are amazing - I am going to make it happen. I'll build a 3d printing manufacturing industry and supplement that by building a Pet1 recycling infrastructure as well.

[mikereliford]

You may want to take a page from Bambu's book with "Maker's Supply" where they have created project kits and a range of "individual" parts that can be purchased reliably and give designers a catalogue of standardized hardware that they can use in their designs and anyone can easily purchase without having to source random screws, bearings, motors, belts, etc, etc. It's a welcome change to having to buy 82 different magnets because of a random choice any given model designer made.

[TheSuburban]

this is anecdotal, but I think it will shed a little light on the growth of 3D printing industry
I work for an automotive supplier (among other things), and in the building we might have 2 dozen 3D printers. The injection molding department has them. The assembly department has them. The maintenance department has them. The engineers have them. The printers make prototypes, "nests" to hold parts stationary for whatever fastening process, organizational widgets of all sorts, temporary replacement parts, soft jaws. . .
The plant manager, who is tight with money, keeps approving requests for new printers because going from an idea to a part in a matter of hours is really valuable when the alternative is waiting 9 days for a replacement part, waiting days for a machine shop to cut parts from metal, or getting charged thousands of dollars for shutting down a customer's production line or paying someone doubletime to drive a van full of late parts 800 miles and back on a holiday because a machine went down.
To be clear, I doubt we've ever SOLD a 3D printed part. Maybe someday that will change. Probably it will.

I think there will be a day when just about every machine shop has at least one 3D printer, maybe sometimes to make parts, but more often to make tools. Being able to print vise jaws to hold odd shapes, making custom gages and one-off angle blocks is so much easier and cheaper than it used to be.

[davydatwood]

When you go "international" you should open a store in Canada. Specifically, in Edmonton. So that I can have a chance to try and work with Slant3D. :D

(In all honesty, I have no idea if YEG is a good place to put a regional print farm/warehouse, I just feel inspired by Slant's vision but will never, ever, ever, ever, ever get myself tangled in the US tax system. So since I'm unwilling to go to you, I'm trying to persuade you to come to me. :D )

[didohristozov]

Why do you not endorce home 3D printing? Did I get something wrong here?

[mrdlgu]

You may have have covered this, but why don't you print your spools? That could solve the AMS issue...

[tarnisd]

What is the ideal spool holder for the 3K spool? I made a TUSH spool years ago when I last bought a KVP 3KG spool, but it's having a harder time unwinding my Tangled 3KG spool. Also did you stop insterting chachkas as soon as you announced it? Was looking forward to some sort of junky toy in mine.

[AerialWaviator]

Shipping comment: One of the simplest packing inserts to introduce might be a "note card" with custom info from the designer, or store. This could be helpful with gifts, where person ordering may differ from the receiver, or if purchase has multiple parts (separate accessory kit, etc) shipped separately. It could be as simple as link (barcode) to provide a better customer experience, a thank you note, or a marketing opportunity. A single note for all orders from a particular store, or offer options to customize based on product SKU.

[fpvbuilds]

Do you guys want empty spools? I have like 15 of them, you should start a program for people to donate spools and get rewards or a discount

[richiebricker]

Tangled is the only company that inspires me and I can feel good about using them. Im sure there are others out there that do good and dont commit crimes against me like all the large corporations do. So thanks again for Fighting the Good Fight and doing the right thing

[AerialWaviator]

With plastic products being a multi-trillion dollar market and 70 to 80 percent of of current plastic products able be produced with the current state-of-the-art of 3d printing it sounds like a major opportunity for designers and engineers. Skills to (re)design traditional plastic products for additive 3d printed manufacturing should be increasing in demand. From how a new product is segmented into parts for assembly to material considerations.
I see biggest opportunity with new product designs, where savings in product development and scaling are a significant advantage, with upfront risk reduction. Ability to prototype, test and iterate before scaling production, without need to change process to scale. 
Another key opportunity area is legacy products, where key replacement plastic components are required to maintain an existing user base. Redesigned part, or the part production process has been discontinued.
ie: opportunities at both ends of consumer product lifecycles

[unzensiert-ungeschnitten]

is your print quality of your printing serivce, higher, equal or lower to bambu parts on high quality profile?

[kronosaurelius]

Have you published a Prusa slicer profile for tangled filament ?
I just use generic PLA profile most of the time.

[fabulouz]

So you have to make another printfarm to get your spools :D

[platin]

Do i still get a sample if i use the shopify thingy? And what is the biggest size?
Engineering wise i'd still keep a printer from that print farm around so that i can already make sure it can print it and make it tuned for it. To verify it's good.
How is it with multi material i guess right now a not go?
It sounds to a part that pellet printing would be easier for a print farm if there was a hotend for it.

[RSGEProductions]

SpaceX has a bunch of 3D printed parts on their rockets and engines

[mrJety]

There are certain sports out there, where you need to guard your cleat. Like female boxing.

[dropbear]

I'm not sure that 'infinite selection' is a good thing if you follow the science. The 'world changing' bit of 3d printing is really for plastic parts that you might purchase that no one would ever be able to economically keep in inventory (E.g. spare parts, especially ones that don't have high requirements for material strength, tolerance, appearance, etc.). Imagine being able to get a set of clips to fix a fridge that no one has had parts in stock for since 1970?!
Home (including home office, small office, etc.) printing DOES has a future as the technology gets safer, faster and easier. Engineering (especially try-it-and-iterate pseudo-engineering) is becoming increasingly democratized. While home printing at scale is unlikely to take off, it's VERY unlikely that these hobbyists are going to wait a week to get their prototype so they can iterate...especially for small items. Even if I needed a metal product, I'd still opt for iterating on a plastic design at home before submitting that to be produced externally. Just sayin.

(edit) On custom packaging, an 'easier' first step (that also puts you in full control) would be to laser cut/label the boxes. I know you're not into laser cutting/printing, but the process of people uploading packaging files is comparable to what you're already doing ... especially if you have standard box templates to add graphics to (assuming you can order big piles of cut boxes cheaper than cutting them out yourself). Lots of options here....and I have faith that you already have the skills that you require to get a PoC/MVP across the line (with minor investment) ...if packaging is worth that much to people. :)

Finally, I'm GLAD that you guys are operating profitably. The industry needs 3d printed plastic to keep the ecosystem relevant for investment. Thank you.

[baconporkchop]

Please ship to Hawaii. If you have to sell in larger bulk size, so be it. I'll buy in larger size. else i have to keep supporting Chinese companies..

[btwnder]

who knows? maybe it worth 9 trillion. aka. 3x injection molding. doctor who would know lol.