HOW MUCH DOES 3D PRINTING COST?

When choosing a 3D printing service, one of the most important factors for buyers is the cost associated with the manufacturing process. When determining the exact cost, a 3D model from a CAD file must be used. The information from the file is analysed to determine the most cost-effective service suited to your needs. Getting a quote is fast, easy, and free and is based on previous orders so that you can be assured you are getting a high-quality 3D printing service at a competitive price. 

Ultimately, the price of a 3D printing service depends on a range of factors, which are highly variable from order to order. The material used, the model size and complexity, and the labour involved in the manufacturing process are key factors all affecting the cost of the service. 

At Geomiq, we believe online 3D printing services should be simple. That’s why we’re committed to providing an accurate and fast quote upfront. When you use our platform, you’ll be sure that you always know the exact price of the service you choose, without any hidden charges or surprise costs.

Rather than seeking out multiple manufacturers, we focus on connecting engineers with the best partners for the job. Upload your parts, and receive a fast, free quote for a 3D printing service today.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF 3D PRINTING

No matter what your manufacturing requirements, you want to be aware of the pros and cons of using 3D printing for producing your parts. 

Advantages 

• Highly flexible: 3D printing services have come on greatly in recent years and can produce complex and intricate designs. The automation of the process means there is a greater range of manufacturing options compared to traditional methods. 
• Speed of production: 3D printing services can be used to produce complex designs in hours, which is more efficient compared to moulding or machining. The use of CAD files as part of the online 3D printing service also greatly speeds up part production. 
• On-demand production: One of the major advantages of using a 3D printing service is that you are not required to stock an inventory or print in bulk. Designs can be stored and retained virtually, meaning that you can easily optimise your parts and manufacture what you need when you need it. 
• Strong and lightweight results: The service can be optimised for use with a huge range of materials, meaning that you can produce parts suitable for a wide variety of applications. Using a 3D printing service also allows you to tailor materials for lightness, and heat and corrosion resistance. 
• Cost-efficient: Using a 3D printing service is one of the most cost-effective ways of manufacturing complex parts. This is due to the fact that it is a single-step process, as the machines can run unaided without the need for an operator. 

Disadvantages 

• Limited materials: Although the range of materials suitable for 3D printing services is expanding, there are still many metals and plastics that cannot be temperature controlled enough for the manufacturing process. 
• Size limitations: 3D printing services are limited by the dimensions of the chambers used in the machines, meaning there is a size limitation on the designs that can be manufactured. Larger parts must be printed separately and joined together. 
• Less suited to mass production: 3D printing services have a static cost, which is not easily scaled up for mass production. Unlike other manufacturing methods, the process does not benefit from economies of scale with an increased number of units. 
• Scope for structural errors: While largely hugely reliable, the process can give rise to errors. 3D printing services produce parts layer-by-layer, and these layers can, on occasion, delaminate under stress or a change in orientation. 
• Additional post-processing costs: A 3D printing service has the advantage of fast production speeds. However, the production time does not account for post-processing procedures. Parts often require removal of support material and finishing to achieve the final result, which can increase the overall cost of creating the required designs.

HOW DOES 3D PRINTING WORK?

A 3D printing service is a fast and effective way to easily create a physical model or prototype using a machine similar to a traditional inkjet printer. The process works by building up a three-dimensional model from a CAD file designed on a computer. The CAD file specifies the physical details of the model and is then read by the machine. A 3D printing service works by building up the finished product in layers, working from the bottom of the model to the top, and repeating the production of each layer over the same surface. 

This method is known as functional depositional modelling (FDM) and typically takes place entirely automatically over a couple of hours. 3D printing can be thought of as creating lots of multiple two-dimensional layers stacked atop each other. The process uses molten plastic or powder materials to create the model. The materials are repeatedly fused together on top of the existing structure, using either an adhesive or powerful ultraviolet light.

3D printing services can play a role in almost any industry. The main advantage of using a 3D printing service is the design flexibility it allows. Advanced services use carbon fibres and metallic powders to create durable industrial products and components. 

When creating a prototype or other test device, companies commonly look to use a 3D printing service as a fast and accurate method of producing their models. Compared to producing models by hand, it has the advantage of producing a physical part within mere hours. It also avoids labour costs, as the service is entirely automated. Alongside prototyping, 3D printing services are increasingly being employed in rapid manufacturing and are particularly useful for small batches or short runs of custom parts, tools, and devices. 

This method is known as functional depositional modelling (FDM) and typically takes place entirely automatically over a couple of hours. 3D printing can be thought of as creating lots of multiple two-dimensional layers stacked atop each other. The process uses molten plastic or powder materials to create the model. The materials are repeatedly fused together on top of the existing structure, using either an adhesive or powerful ultraviolet light.

3D printing services can play a role in almost any industry. The main advantage of using a 3D printing service is the design flexibility it allows. Advanced services use carbon fibres and metallic powders to create durable industrial products and components.

When creating a prototype or other test device, companies commonly look to use a 3D printing service as a fast and accurate method of producing their models. Compared to producing models by hand, it has the advantage of producing a physical part within mere hours. It also avoids labour costs, as the service is entirely automated. Alongside prototyping, 3D printing services are increasingly being employed in rapid manufacturing and are particularly useful for small batches or short runs of custom parts, tools, and devices.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF 3D PRINTING

Modelling

In order to use a 3D printing service, you must create a model using CAD software. It is then sliced into layers to manufacture the final result. This allows the printer to be instructed on how to move to build up the layers. The slicing process can also tell a printer how to fill an object, which allows internal lattices and columns to be designed to strengthen the final design.

Printing

Once the model has been sliced into layers readable by the 3D printer, it is then manufactured. The resolution used can vary, but the typical thickness of each layer is around 100 micrometres. The duration of the service takes anywhere from a few hours to a few days depending on the model’s size and detail.

Finishing

Often during 3D printing, a slightly oversized model will be produced. This is followed by a higher-resolution subtractive process, which acts as a final finishing of the model. The overall effect of finishing largely depends on the orientation of the part during its manufacture. Some 3D printing services also use internal supports during the initial stages of the process. These are generally then removed as part of finishing.

Materials

Early-stage 3D printing services were largely reliant on polymer materials due to their ease of use. However, nowadays, metallic powders and ceramics are increasingly used to produce stronger parts and components. As a result, the range of applications for 3D printing has significantly grown, and demand across many industries has increased.

Multi-material 3D printing

As they work in layers, 3D printing machines are only capable of printing a single object at a time. This limits many potential applications and the creation of more complex objects manufactured from composite materials. Multi-material services use different materials specified for each 3D printing pixel, allowing complex, heterogeneous objects to be produced. This process is still in the development stage but has already been successfully applied within the medical industry.

4D printing 

4D printing is a type of manufacturing process arising from multi-material services. This is an additive 3D printing service in which the shape of the object changes with either time, temperature, or some other variable. The process is still in its infancy, but it is hoped that the service can eventually be applied to produce advanced components with shape-changing or shape-memory properties.

3D PRINTING APPLICATIONS

A 3D printing service can be used within almost any industry, as demonstrated by its popularity and growth in recent years. Lowered costs, improved technologies, and streamlined manufacturing processes have made what was once a costly and time-consuming service more accessible and widely favoured by engineers around the world. 

Prototyping and manufacturing 

The original application of a 3D printing service was for prototyping models of new designs and components. Before the widespread popularity and accessibility of the process, manufacturers had to rely on injection moulding, which often took weeks to deliver results. The nature of prototypes means that they are frequently subject to design changes and iterations, which is highly impractical without the use of rapid and cost-effective processes. 

Today, 3D printing reduces lead times to mere hours rather than weeks. A prototype model can be produced at a fraction of the cost than when using other traditional manufacturing methods.

Aerospace

3D printing services have been used within the aerospace industry since as the 1980s, and provide manufacturers with both reliable technical production and consistent results, alongside the flexibility for new innovations and design developments. 3D printing is particularly useful for the creation of intricate technical fixtures such as jugs, gauges, and templates, alongside producing high-level prototypes. The technology offers low cost manufacturing of lighter, and more efficient aircraft components, such as engine parts, structural brackets, and interior fixtures such as cockpit dashboards and door handles.  

Robotics 

Industrial robotics is one of the newest and most exciting industries that 3D printing services are helping to grow and transform. Combining 3D printing technologies with robotic manufacturing allows companies to create large components with high accuracy and precision, leading to a higher degree of automation. 

One industrial application is the combination of 3D printing and industrial robots to automate the replacement of a printer’s build plate. This was previously a manual part of the operation process, but combined with robotics, this allows great productivity from the 3D printing service.This kind of manufacturing process is becoming known as ‘smart manufacturing.’ 

Medical and Health Industries

One of the major advantages of using a 3D printing service is the wide range of materials available for producing components. The medical sector is one of the industries where the choice of material used in the manufacturing service is of utmost importance, as it is crucial that the parts produced are compatible with biological tissue. 

3D printing services are particularly invaluable in the creation of medical prosthetics, particularly for juvenile patients who previously had to wait for the creation of devices they would not outgrow. Due to the speed and efficiency of modern manufacturing, it is now possible to design new prosthetics every few months, leading to a great improvement in a patient’s quality of life. 

Construction 

3D printing services are commonly used within the construction industry for producing industrial components or fabricating building parts. The most widespread applications within the industry are extrusion, powder bonding, and additive welding. The main advantages of using the service within the construction industry are the enhanced accuracy, rapid production time, and reduced cost due to the high degree of automation involved in the process. 

Transportation 

The transportation industry is in a state of constant change, and 3D printing has a valuable role to play in its transformation. Using a 3D printing service provides transportation planners with new solutions and innovation opportunities, such as designing and producing facilities and components that had previously been too expensive or complex to manufacture within a realistic timeframe. 

3D printing services could soon be used to design small bridges and bus shelters near their intended locations and in such a way that they better fit into the environment without compromising structural integrity. It could also be used to create composite wraps to strengthen bridge structures and reduce replacement costs. 

Education 

3D printing services are becoming more widely used within schools and other educational environments, as the rapid prototyping they provide allows students to easily produce models they can physically touch and hold. 

Nowadays, it is common for schools, public libraries, and universities to have an in-house 3D printing service. This is particularly beneficial in STEM education, as it allows students to learn about prototyping first-hand and provides low-cost and high-quality manufacture of scientific tools and equipment. Companies are even offering courses on the manufacturing process for both students and educators looking to enhance their education and teaching methods. The fields of study where 3D printing provides the most educational benefits are graphic design, biology, chemistry, engineering, and architecture. 

Food industry 

3D printing services are becoming more widespread within the food industry, particularly for food that is commonly manufactured in bulk and with many repeating units. A 3D printing service best lends itself to a manufacturing method known as additive manufacturing, in which the food is built up into three dimensions from 2D layers. The technique is particularly applicable to chocolate, sweets, pasta, pizza, and crackers. 

The scope for the application of 3D printing services in the food industry is still being developed and investigated. NASA is currently studying the use of the process to produce food within space and is also exploring its ability to reduce food waste.