In-House vs Outsourcing. Should I buy a 3D Printer?
This article is written to inform decision makers about the benefits and drawbacks of owning 3D printing machinery vs outsourcing to a service. You may use additive manufacture as a design tool or as part of your production process, or maybe you simply want to learn more about 3D printing.
There are two ways you can access the technology. Either purchase printers and operate them in-house, or send your designs to be produced by a professional 3D printing service like ours.
Both decisions have their pros and cons, and in this article, we will have a look at both sides of the story. We have found that honest advice has brought us a long way and we have many happy returning customers because of it. We reached out to some of these customers that now own and operate 3D printers in-house, you can read on to hear what they had to say.
In-House | Owning 3D Printers
Having a 3D printer in the office can revolutionise your design process and can even be used to manufacture parts. There are many benefits to your company owning a 3D printer. However, there are also drawbacks. After reading this section you will have a better understanding of the implications that go along with having your own 3D printing department.
+ Pros
The main benefit of having a desktop 3D printer in the office is the ability to validate product ideas and have a tangible product to discuss with your colleagues. When you spend money on a 3D printer you are in fact investing your money in an asset that will provide your company with long-term benefits. It will provide you with a platform to test ideas and produce prototypes that will inform your future design decisions.
In-house 3D printing will help you become an expert in creating 3D print ready models. This will help you to get the best out of a 3D printing service should you exceed your capacity or require a more industrial technology that you do not own.
In addition, you will be providing your team with hands-on experience with 3D printers, knowledge that may prove itself extremely valuable as additive manufacturing becomes more prominent.
If you are using a lot of 3D printing services, having an in-house 3D printer can be extremely beneficial and cost-effective. With proper management, 3D printing in-house will likely provide you with a cost savings in the long run.
In-house 3D printing brings with it the freedom to print whenever, whatever. Some parts don’t take long to produce, so you can have small prototypes ready within a matter of hours. The best lead time a service can offer is usually a next day express service.
- Cons
Owning a 3D printer is beneficial for most companies that are involved with product design and manufacturing (if they use it often enough), but as we mentioned before there are also drawbacks that go along with the benefits.
The most obvious drawback is the initial investment to purchase and install the machinery. You will also have to keep a stock of material which, depending how many options you keep, can add up to a hefty sum.
Having a 3D Printer in your workplace requires management. In our experience, budget 3D printers need constant maintenance and tweaking to keep operational. This is OK if you are a hobbyist however it can be disastrous in an office environment. Premium quality machines tend to be much more reliable however they still require regular maintenance and deteriorate quickly if they are not used properly. Following procedure for printer usage and maintenance is extremely important if you expect to rely on your in-house printers. That usually means training or employing a dedicated staff member, or signing up to a costly maintenance contract.
Another important consideration is the space requirements for your 3D printing machinery. Desktop 3D printers can sit comfortably into most office spaces and plug into the mains supply. However, the noise, air and fire safety requirements are often overlooked. In order to produce large or high quality prints, your machines will have to be left running for tens of hours. In the daytime this can be disruptive for your workplace and overnight it can cause upset with your neighbours or fire warden.
The post processing of 3D prints can be simple and sometimes very satisfying. It can also be a nightmare. For SLA printers, pungent chemicals are required for cleaning the prints and tree like support structures need to be removed by hand. FDM support material can be difficult to remove and achieving a high fidelity product can often require extensive post-processing, which is usually not suitable in an office environment.
Operating the machine will also require some expertise. Checking and repairing the 3D files is a simple step in the printing process but requires some know-how. Most 3D files sent to our printing service need fixing to ensure a high quality print, this is often unseen by our customers as it is included free of charge. Setting up the 3D file in the slicing software is the next challenge. Fortunately, most 3D printing software now includes basic file repair and the auto-settings can make beautiful prints. However, extensive knowledge of advanced settings is often needed to achieve high fidelity models or complex geometries.
In-House | Customer Thoughts
We reached out to our customers that own printers in-house to provide you with a better perspective. The statements below are made by designers working with the machines, so the benefits and drawbacks they perceive are related to their positions. From a business owner or manager perspective, these statements would likely be different.
We asked these customers:
“What is the best and worst thing about having a 3D printer in-house?”
Here’s what they had to say:
In-House | Summary
+ Pros In-House
Print whenever you like
Same day prints
Lower part cost
Gain valuable 3D skills
Invest in an asset
- Cons In-House
Initial investment
Maintenance & Management
Space requirements
Post-processing prints
Operating knowledge
Outsourcing | Use a 3D Printing Service
On the opposite side of the spectrum, you will find many 3D printing services. 3D printing bureaus that specialise in utilising additive manufacturing technology to produce high-quality prototypes as well as end use parts. Making an informed choice necessitates understanding your options, so in this section, we are going to look at the benefits and drawbacks of working with a service such as ours.
+ Pros
When you use our 3D printing service, you are quoted before proceeding with the order. You know exactly how much it is costing you, which makes budgeting your project, or billing your customer straight forward. What's more, you get access to our expertise at no extra cost. Every order undergoes advanced inspection analysis by an expert before being manufactured. We communicate any potential issues with our customers to preemptively eliminate any errors.
3D printing services often have the most advanced 3D printers and premium quality materials available. This means that you can choose from a variety of different technologies and select the best for each component of your project. With no initial investment cost, you can gain access to industrial 3D printing machinery that would never be viable for use in an office environment.
Industrial machines means industrial capacity. Printing a single item may be slower when using a service however rapid, high volume production is within our capabilities. We can deliver thousands of parts within a matter of days, a feat that would take months on a single desktop printer. Whilst this level of volume might not be of interest to you, our capacity might come in handy if you need to produce multiple components for the next day.
Finishing printed parts with professional equipment by skilled technicians means a higher standard or quality is possible when using a service. Our team is less likely to damage prints when removing support material and are equipped to handle the dust and fumes created in post processing.
- Cons
Working with a 3D printing service can be slow in comparison to using in-house machines. A service can still be used for creating prototypes, but not if you need parts on the same day. Additional time is required to process, package and deliver your order. The express delivery option can help, but that comes at an increased cost.
The direct cost of 3D printing the parts will likely be higher. A professional service has access to trade prices for materials and has improved manufacturing efficiencies allowing them to offer competitive prices. However, it is still likely to be more expensive per part to use a printing service.
In addition to being comparatively slow, 3D printing services still require you to deal with the 3D data needed for printing your part/product. If there are problems with the file, you will need to spend time communicating with a technician. If you’ve had some experience with an in-house printer, this will be easier.
Outsourcing | Customer Thoughts
In addition to asking our customers about their experience with owning and operating a 3D printer in-house, we also asked them about using 3D printing services.
“What is the best and worst part about outsourcing to a 3D printing service?”
Below is what they had to say:
Outsourcing | Summary
+ Pros Outsourcing
No investment costs
Clear pricing / cost
Receive expert advice
Access to industrial machinery
Access to premium materials
Short lead times for high volume
Professional finishing services
- Cons Outsourcing
Increased costs for express service
No same-day service
Higher part costs
Delivery logistics & costs
Communication time
Conclusion
There are pros and cons to owning and operating a 3D printer in-house and outsourcing to a 3D printing service. It’s a great asset to have a 3D printer for your business as it will give your team access to fast prototypes for a low part cost.
However, along with the initial investment, operating 3D printing machinery in-house requires suitable site requirements and skilled staff for operation, management, maintenance and post processing.
Outsourcing to a 3D printing service is ideal for producing batches of parts or high-quality prototypes. You will have to wait longer (for the prototype), but that wait is often compensated by the quality of the deliverable and the range of technologies available. Printing in large volumes is always faster with a 3D printing service.
Most importantly, the decision is not definitive. When combined, the two options are complimentary. If you own a printer in-house, your team will be more experienced and produce better quality models for 3D printing. You can still outsource to a printing service for specialist materials or if you max out your capacity.