The creation of 3D printers has totally transformed the product manufacture and development process. Additive technology is one of the main benefits of 3D printing. It created a whole new way to create products faster and efficiently compared to the traditional manufacturing methods. 3D printers, such as Formlabs 3D printers, have become a popular choice among many manufacturers due to their benefits. This article will learn the essential benefits of using a 3D printer.
1. Confidentiality
Continuous prototyping and manufacturing in-house with a 3D printer ensure that designs never leave the company premises, safeguarding your intellectual property. It is rare for third parties to claim your innovation for themselves. It will only be possible if someone leaks it. Every innovative design is kept in-house, so there is no need to worry about it being used inappropriately or without your proper consent.
2. Test the market
Understanding whether a product will succeed requires much research, especially where traditional manufacturing methods are concerned. However, creating a prototype through 3D printing will make it possible for businesses to obtain feedback from potential buyers and investors in a way that could never be achieved before. When you design a prototype using Formlabs desktop 3D printer, you can customised and changed it frequently, which traditional manufacturing methods cannot provide. This means 3D printing offers a unique and valuable way of identifying whether a product has the potential to make it to market and be successful at the same time.
3. Less waste, more sustainable
The traditional manufacturing process is mostly a subtractive process, where the raw material gets wasted and reused repeatedly. This results in high costs and waste. An advantage of 3D printing is the unique way it builds the product with very little waste, called additive manufacturing. While traditional methods will have waste that can be reused or recycled, it still takes time and effort to determine just how and when the waste will be used. This means that choosing Formlabs 3D is an alternative sustainable solution you can use.
4. Easier production of new shapes and structure
The traditional manufacturing method relies on mould and cutting technologies to produce the shapes they desired. Before adding holes that change direction, unrealistic overhangs or square interior cavities are difficult to achieve.
However, when you use Formlabs 3D, you can turn these outputs into reality easier and quicker. The 3D printer's nozzle can build infinite shapes and complex figures, giving the machine a much higher structural integrity compared to traditional ones.
In fact, 3D printing has been used to produce implants that resemble bones, skulls, aerodynamic parts, and unique-shaped furniture and jewellery.
5. Environmentally friendly
One of the things that the industries should consider is sustainability, and 3D printing is energy-efficient and produces lesser waste.
For instance, aircraft makers junked 90% of their materials that are no longer useful. However, when using a 3D printing technology, the energy and materials used are fewer, resulting in a lesser impact on the environment.
The 3D printed object is 60% lighter than traditionally printed materials but has almost the same sturdiness—the lesser the waste, the lower the industry's negative impact on the environment.
6. Simpler customisation
Industries use mass-production equipment and tools to manufacture their products. This means that all products use the same mould and will come out with similar shapes and designs from the assembly line, making it difficult for each one to be unique.
However, with Formlabs 3D printers, you can personalise anything by tweaking even certain parts of the prototype, allowing you to modify it according to your needs and preferences. For instance, medical and dental industries utilise customised 3D prints for their products.
Every idea is unique and often needs new solutions. 3D printing gives you exactly that. It allows you to design complicated structures for your proof of concept, to develop your ideas even further. Additive manufacturing improves your proof of concept by giving you the opportunity to produce highly personalised models that will fit your design needs.
7. A new level of design freedom
Some of your ideas might be complex, and despite being an early stage as proof of concept, you still need to prove that they will work. With a Formlabs desktop 3D printer, you can create complex structures, interlocking parts, and even enclosed parts. Additive manufacturing gives you absolutely new design solutions, which are often impossible with traditional manufacturing methods.
8. Different characteristics
Different materials also mean different characteristics. As mentioned above, your proof of concept might have to showcase some level of elasticity or last for a long time to be presented to potential investors or engineers.
Since materials have different characteristics, you can explore new possibilities for your proof of concept. In the end, it's the representation of your idea and has to prove that the final product is worth it. Your proof of concept should verify the value of the idea, and that can be achieved by using the properties of 3D printing materials to exhibit the benefits of your product and prepare your manufacturing strategies.
In industrial production, 3D printers like Formlabs 3D printers have changed the way how they manufacture their products. From inefficient production processes using the traditional method, 3D printers have revolutionised manufacturing and gained widespread popularity. And after reading this article, it is clear to see that there are numerous benefits of using 3D printers. Hopefully, if you have a business that can use the benefits of 3D printers, you take advantage of it.