Print More Than Money

3D printers have existed for quite some time, but over the past few decades, the technology has become increasingly accessible and affordable. It is now at a point where hobbyists and small business owners can enter the space without a huge financial investment. 3D printing has unique potential to transform a small business in ways you would never imagine. From prototyping to mould making and more, 3D printing can be an efficient and cost-effective tool. Innovation is no longer a rich person’s games. 

In product design and development, prototyping is an essential step in the R&D department. In the past, creating a prototype was a time-consuming, expensive and often an inaccessible process. In a lot of cases prototyping is still done by hand, by a specialist, artist or engineer. It could take weeks, months or maybe even years to get things right. 3D printing has revolutionised this process, as it allows efficient and affordable prototyping options. 

With 3D printing, designers, artists and engineers can create a model of a product within hours or even minutes, depending on the design’s complexity. This allows testing and refinement much more quickly than ever before, and make tweaks to the design before committing to the final product. The ability to iterate designs quickly and efficiently can save inconceivably amounts of time and money in the product development process.

Mould making is another thing that 3D printing has rapidly accelerated. Whether it’s for baked goods, tools, toys or any other product that could use a mould, the process has become accessible for businesses of any size. Mould making was another process that had been done by hand and other machinery in the past. Now 3D printing technology has simplified this process by allowing manufacturers to create moulds or negatives for mould pouring quickly and at a lower cost.

3D printing can be used to create high-quality moulds with complex geometries and intricate details, which were previously difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional mould-making methods. This has now opened up the market for high-quality products to be accessible to people and businesses of all sizes. 

In some industries, small batch production is common. In the past, small batch manufacturing was both expensive and time-consuming. I mean, put yourself in the shoes of manufacturers. Would you take an order for 100 keychains when a big business is willing to order 10,000 units at a time? 3D printing has made it possible to produce small batches of products quickly and at a lower cost.

With 3D printing, small batch products can be produced on demand, without the need for expensive tooling or setup. This can be extremely beneficial for businesses wanting promotional items or customised giveaways. Now they’re not waiting 8-10 weeks for the freebies they want to give to customers. 

3D printing is a versatile and cost-effective tool that can help businesses of all industries save time and money. From prototyping to mould making and small batch production, 3D printing technology has revolutionised the way businesses approach product design and manufacturing. By incorporating 3D printing into your business processes, you can increase efficiency and reduce costs, ultimately leading to greater profitability and success.