Author: Tomasz Garniec, Global Export Manager Omni3D

Professional 3D printing – size matters!

One of the major difficulties and objections that have been raised since the inception of 3D printing was limited (rather small) workspace (printing area). Each producer who will increase printing surface for a further 50mm-100mm – boasted that – showing this as a next threshold breaker. Today, we are at a stage when printers that can print even 2000mm (yes 2metry) in one of the axes – the space has been maximally optimized and fulfilled. However, the belief remained that 3D printers can only print something small.

Along with the growing awareness of users about the possibilities of 3D printing, we will notice an increasing willingness of manufacturers of smaller printers to blur the line between desktop devices and fully professional ones. Already today, there is a tendency to provide information about product focusing only on the type of filament that can be used. In this way, “desktop manufacturers” try to bend the reality to their needs – while blocking the distribution of the correct knowledge that should be obtained by anyone who is considering a 3D printer in a larger, industrial dimension.

Size matters – and in the case of printouts and the printing itself – it is not only physical – but also significantly changes the approach to the print itself.

By crossing the size limit – we enter a different dimension – design, process control, but also obtain strength properties on the entire surface that are unattainable for small printers and “folded” or glued printouts. Anyone who is considering the professional application of 3D printing should have full and adequate knowledge that will help him to make the right decision. Why less knowledge or the intention to create only “own” reality should be a dominant trend in the world of 3D printing. There is a time to say stop – time to show that industrial 3D printing is printing really big things – larger than 100l or 100 dm3 and not something then has only 400x400x400mm.

Not only the type of filament

If we will take a shorter look on what the desktop printers’ manufacturers operate and what message they send to the world – most of us will pay attention to the number of filaments from which a given printer “prints”. Are the standards of these printouts unified? Many have already tried to define a certain print pattern – which, however, over time, became part of a game for those whose main goal was to play with the client. What would happen if producers had only one standard reference printout in terms of size and dimensions? On this basis, they would have to determine the actual capabilities of their devices and communicate it to the world. However, most manufacturers do not care about such standardization. They are based on disinformation, lack of knowledge or manipulation that they can use and sell something they have as standard and will fit customer to this, not a device that responds to the needs of the future user. Unfortunately force of the manufacturers of desktop printers is their number, the number of entities is so large that it can freely create a vision that they need. The broadly understood distribution of knowledge is not a distinctive feature or goal for them. A customer who remains unaware that 3D printing has already entered the industry on a much larger scale than just prototyping and modeling is easier to manipulate. How simple it would be if every future user of the printer would know, that printing with PEEK is not a simple operation and for proper ongoing with it and to make fully useful part, and to obtain the desired printout properties is needed not only printing head warming up to 420C but also the closed chamber with circulating hot air (140C) and additionally a special, high-temperature platform surface. What would happen to manufacturers who now write widely that they can print from PEEK – without meeting most or all of the above requirements? When printing PEEK we must not only have knowledge of printing and meet the basic parameters, but the user must have an above-average knowledge of technology, to keep in frames all the difficulties that may be encountered, such as e.g. Gluing of the layers. Producers of desktops and semi-professional printers, who “can” print with PEEK, do not want to transfer this knowledge, they do not want to teach, they only want to sell the standard.

Geometry, Size, Process…each element is essential in industrial printers

Another element that distinguishes industrial printing from amateur and semi-professional printing is the aspect of geometry and the importance of the entire process. What has not been a major concern for most users so far, comes out in the first place in industrial printing. The awareness that our printout will behave differently than in small printers determines the change of philosophy not only in the printing process itself, but also in everything that is around it, from designing, preparing the project, filament and ending with a controlled drying process.

It’s a bit like the driver of a passenger car moving suddenly to the big truck. We have a steering wheel, pedals and it also drives, but the first attempts to park with a large trailer will probably end in failure. It is similar with industrial 3D printing – we can do more, much more, we can get much higher accuracy, printouts can be more durable and more complicated. We can use a countless range of filaments, but how we do it depends on the knowledge we receive, have and use skillfully. When you enter the world of industrial and engineering 3D printing, the geometry, size, type of filament, the process itself, as well as its preparation and proper completion give us a sense of real influence on what we get. Working with industrial devices that are equipped with a double or multiple printhead system, we gain the ability to print from multiple filaments together. In combination with the often-occurring system of automatic lifting of inactive heads, we gain the possibility of entering the next level of creating printouts. People who have had a chance to acquire knowledge and see in action the industrial 3D printer are surprised of the of level having no limitations in the design and comparing it to his previous experience with desktop, small, semi-professional printers say that is the milestone and a huge different. For many, even the best 3D printing specialists who did not dealing with professional printers the surprise is the difficulty of their control. However, the possibilities offered by devices of this type many times exceed the initial inconvenience, providing a multitude of functions and sensitivity of settings.

So, what is the difference between industrial 3D printing and desktop printers?

Size, strength, geometry…. PROPERTIES – Physical, chemical … way of working with, thinking of… the level of creativity, difficulty, accuracy … briefly everything. Professional 3D printers are trucks that provide a chance for development to those who want more. In order for them to exist on a larger scale and really contribute to the industrial transformation, we only need the right, targeted distribution of knowledge that will explain every aspect of 3D printing in an open, clear way. Knowledge is good, if it is broad, it poses a threat only to those who want to manipulate it.

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Contact:

LinkedIn: Tomasz Garniec

m. +48 886 618 588

e-mail: tg@omni3d.com