Before diving into which printer to buy, nail down why you want one. What business need will 3D printing solve, what strategic goal will 3D printing help your company achieve, or what new opportunities does 3D printing offer your business? If possible, link these needs to your company’s overall strategic plan and detail them clearly in a 3D printing proposal that is designed to get company management on board. To clarify your printer purchasing objectives, consider these questions.

Do you want a 3D printer:

• to lower costs of prototyping or tooling?
• to speed up prototyping iterations or production part prints?
• to manufacture spare parts on-demand?
• to gain efficiencies in your overall production process?
• to gain a competitive edge by getting new products to market faster?
• to print unique parts with attributes that can’t be manufactured in any other way?
• to save on material costs or material waste?
• to keep your design developments or intellectual property production in-house?

Knowing what business need your printer will satisfy is key to establishing your printer selection criteria. But keep an open mind; along the way you may find printers and materials that can help you with problems you didn’t know you had.

Here’s How Companies are Profiting from 3D Printing Today

To further define your needs, it’s useful to find companies that faced the same printer purchasing challenges you face now. Case studies are a great way to learn how similar companies made the purchasing decision. A good place to find case studies is on manufacturer websites, although they can be a bit one-sided. Here are a few All3DP case studies that were not sponsored by manufacturers.

• Digital Metal: Ground-Breaking 3D Printed Jewelry
• Delta WASP: 3D Printed Furniture With Beauty & Form
• Markforged X7 Case Study: 3D Printing Stronger Material
• Case Study: Better Research Prototypes with 3D Printing

Hire a 3D Printing Consultant

Of course, you don’t have to do this on your own. There’s a growing market of 3D printing consultants, in addition to the printer resellers, who offer expertise to guide you through assessing your needs and evaluating options.

Major printer manufacturers have launched consulting subsidiaries, such as Additive Minds 3D Printing Consulting by EOS and AddWorks by GE. Plus, the usual suspects in business consulting, such as Deloitte, PwC, and EY, offer experts in additive manufacturing, as well as some useful industry research and summits.

A host of smaller, independent consulting firms staffed by former 3D printing industry veterans are also carving out their own niches in additive manufacturing consulting by specializing in sectors (from healthcare to automotive) or applications (prototypes, metal spare parts, etc.).

The technology, materials, and software behind professional 3D printing are constantly evolving. Even if you have solid base knowledge, brush up on the latest developments.

1. Types of 3D Printers

You may not yet know which kind is right for you, so get of an overview of the different types of 3D printing technologies with these articles:

• The 7 Main Types of Additive Manufacturing
• Stereolithography / SLA 3D Printing – Simply Explained
• FDM 3D Printing – Simply Explained
• SLS 3D Printing: Selective Laser Sintering Simply Explained
• Selective Laser Melting (SLM) – 3D Printing Simply Explained
• What Is Binder Jetting? – 3D Printing Simply Explained
• What Is Material Jetting? – 3D Printing Simply Explained
• Electron Beam Melting (EBM) – 3D Printing Simply Explained

2. Types of Materials

From titanium to paper and everything in between, the range of materials you can 3D print is huge and growing every day. Browse these articles to get a sense of what things are most commonly printed in which material. Also, familiarize yourself with the general costs of materials, which can vary widely, and whether you’ll want a printer that accepts third-party materials or only prints with manufacturer-specific materials.

• 3D Printing Materials Guide
• What Is PLA? – 3D Printing Materials Simply Explained
• PLA Plastic/Material: All You Need to Know
• 3D Printer Metal Filament: The Basics & Best Brands
• Guide to Industrial Carbon Fiber 3D Printing

3. Types of Software for Digital Design & Printing

You may already be familiar with the range of software used for digital design, from Autodesk to SolidWorks, but 3D printing has a few unique applications and file formats to become acquainted with if you want to get the most out of your prints. These expert articles below cover the basics all the way to head-to-head feature comparisons.

• What software do I need for 3D printing?
• What Is CAD Software? – Simply Explained
• Best CAD Software for Professionals
• CAM Software – What Is It and What Does It Do?
• Best CAM Software for SolidWorks, AutoCAD & Co.
• Best 3D Printer Slicer Software 2021
• SolidWorks vs Inventor: CAD Software Compared

4. The Top Professional & Industrial 3D Printer Brands

It’s not as easy as it used to be to distinguish a consumer 3D printer from one used in a business or manufacturing environment. Many printer manufacturers popular with consumers, including Ultimaker and Formlabs, have introduced what they call professional printers. At the same time, large companies report success with these lower-cost, desktop machines, further confusing the market. Plus, advances in technology have enabled powerful printers to take up less space. So the bottom line is: keep your options open.

Some industry reports draw a line at $5,000 with anything below that not qualifying as an “industrial” machine, but that can be misleading. Labels such as industrial or professional, do not reflect actual industry standards, capabilities, or feature levels, so feel free to be skeptical about their application.

If you narrow your printer search using detailed criteria of what you need, you’re likely to find a wide range of printer price points from a long list of manufacturers.

Browse Hundreds of Printers at a Trade Show

You’ll find all the major brands of 3D printers on display at key additive manufacturing trade shows in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Our event list includes links to all of the important conventions. The largest event, Formnext, in Frankfurt, Germany, offers a downloadable excel file of its manufacturer exhibitors.

Brand Resources Here at All3DP

In this article on the best professional 3D printers for small businesses, we feature the best selling desktop-sized “professional” (although not “industrial”) 3D printers on the market, separated into categories (FDM, SLA/DLP, SLS) and sorted by price.

In our guide to metal 3D printers, we spotlight the top brands as well as the latest metal technology developments.

Our guide to the best large-format printers spans the top-selling printers in the pro-consumer and professional markets.

You may not always be able to see a large industrial machine in action without visiting the manufacturer, one of its customers, or a trade show, but you can always request sample prints.

Ask manufacturers to print a sample of a part that represents your typical printing needs, and resist manufacturers who want to dictate your sample print. You may be limited in the size, but be sure to request a print sample that accurately reflects the complexity of the parts you intend to print, and the desired final material and finish. If you’re considering different models from the same manufacturer, ask for the same print from both machines (where possible).

If you already have a digital version of your part as a CAD model, you’re all set. If your part doesn’t exist digitally, you may need to hire an industrial design firm to scan your part then create a digital file.

In the end, the manufacturer should provide you with a report to accompany your sample print that details exactly how long the part took to complete, what post-processing was involved (if any), and how much material was used. This information will help you estimate 1) how many printers you will need to meet your output goals, 2) how much material costs you should budget for, and 3) what additional equipment you may need to invest in.

Put Your Sample Part to the Test

Review your prints’ functionality, weight, feel, strength, and any other feature that is critical to your needs. Share it with staff who would be working with it for their feedback, as well.

If you have sample parts from several vendors, compare them side-by-side and subject them to the same tests and evaluations.

Documenting your business case for 3D printing and presenting it to management is a time consuming but essential task if you want to secure funding and support from decision makers. If your company owners aren’t on board with your printer purchase decision, it could end up as a waisted investment.

Your business case report or presentation should include:

• The problem or opportunity 3D printing will address at your company.
• The short- and long-term benefits, such as faster time-to-market for new products, improved products and customer satisfaction, shorter supply chain, inventory reduction, etc.
• Total costs, including initial equipment, training, software, maintenance, materials, etc.
• A timeline of how long it will take to get up and running, and the date of the expected return on investment

Real-life examples strengthen your business case (see examples above) and make it more relatable to management not familiar with the technology. Also, cite industry research, such as this report from the business consulting firm PWC, “Beyond prototyping: accelerating the business case for 3D printing.” Here you’ll find useful figures on the growth of the industry and more interesting use cases.

If upper management is skeptical about the viability of 3D printing in general, point them to this Harvard Business Review report that says: “Additive (manufacturing) has the potential to shake up not just individual industries but the manufacturing sector as a whole. Eventually a technology that engineers once mocked for its slowness may become a dominant force in the economy. Now is the time to take it seriously as an option for large-scale commercial production.”

Because the price of a 3D printer is a major determining factor in your purchase decision, it’s important to know how to accurately calculate the total cost. Keep in mind that the sticker price of your machine is only part of the equation.

When it comes to estimating the amount of your final investment, consider the costs of:

• the printer
• required equipment, such as a furnace or personal protective gear to protect operators from metal powders
• optional equipment, such as a print monitoring system
• a production space, which may require special ventilation, sinks, tables, etc.
• software in addition to standard design and slicing programs, which may include simulation software
• training staff, including designers, engineers, and machinists
• instillation and maintenance, which may include travel expenses if the reseller is far away
• materials, including whether or not you’re locked in to buying materials from the manufacturer

Materials can significantly balloon your 3D-printing budget. It’s common to underestimate the amount of prints you’ll conduct for a number of reasons. First, it will take a lot of experimenting to achieve a final satisfactory print. Additive manufacturing is a complex process involving many variables. Even if your digital design is optimal and you’ve tested it with simulation software, small inconsistencies in surface finish or materials, can effect the final print. Plus, unpredictable effects can always occur during the printing process.

Talk to printer manufacturers about their machine’s failure rate.

The other reason you may underestimate your material costs is you may discover that 3D printing is useful for more applications than you originally thought. It’s not uncommon for companies to purchase a 3D printer for prototypes and then realize its benefits for end-use parts, such as tools and fixtures, or even production parts.

Fortunately, industrial 3D printer prices are going down as more companies enter the market. Plus, keep in mind that prize and size are not always a reflection of quality, so evaluate a broad range of machines.

In your printer decision journey, you’ve most likely been working directly with the manufacturers. But at some point, they will point you to their local reseller who will be your point of contact for purchase, installation, training, maintenance, supplies, etc. Alternatively, for machines that bridge the consumer and professional categories, and need no installation or service, you have your pick of a wide range of resellers and online outlets, including Dynamism, iMakr, and MatterHackers.

For larger machines, you may have little choice of resellers, so it’s important to know what to expect from them. For example:

• What is their expertise with the machine?
• How long will you wait for the initial installation?
• Do they offer training?
• How fast can they get someone to you for repairs?
• Will they bundle other items with the printer (software, post-process equipment, training) to offer a better deal?
• In many cases, a printer manufacturer will have different resellers that specialize in a specific industry, such as higher education, dental, or hospitals, which require special knowledge.

If your company or government procurement office requires multiple bids on major equipment, a printer manufacturer will have several of its resellers bid on the same proposal. Although manufacturers give their resellers the same price, the resellers can choose to lower their profit margin or bundle other items or services to make their offer better.

In addition to financing, leasing instead of buying is also an option from many manufacturers today.

Don't Miss

Brands