I was struggling to choose a 3D printer when launching a new business.
A factory launching a new business contacted us because they didn't know what equipment they needed.
When launching a new business, there are many situations where it's difficult to determine what equipment or resources are needed.
This time, a sales representative from a machinery manufacturer recommended a high-performance commercial 3D printer to me.
We were almost at the stage where we had decided to implement the system when we came to this consultation.
Maintenance fees were being incurred without any increase in the utilization rate.
When I inquired about the situation after implementation, I learned that the expensive commercial 3D printers were working.
The build size and compatible materials did not match the actual application, limiting the situations in which it could be used.
As a result, the utilization rate remained low, while maintenance fees were incurred every month.
The benefits obtained did not justify the amount of capital investment.
Different methods and materials are better suited to creating different types of sculptures.
3D printers use methods such as melting resin with heat and building up layers, or curing resin with light.
It can be divided into several methods.
Each printing method has different strengths in terms of the types of objects it excels at creating, as well as variations in accuracy and strength.
The required performance characteristics differ depending on whether the application is for prototyping requiring high precision or for mass production.
The former prioritizes dimensional accuracy and surface finish.
The latter tends to prioritize factors such as manufacturing time and material costs.
Sometimes, sales representatives from machinery manufacturers will explain, "This can be used for a variety of things."
Don't take its high versatility at face value.
It's necessary to consider how it applies to your own company's specific needs.
Even expensive machines capable of handling a wide range of applications often have limited practical use cases.
This often leads to a situation where you continue to incur maintenance fees while only utilizing a portion of the system's capabilities.
We will examine the size, precision, quantity, and materials for each process.
Before choosing the equipment, I organized the following four points:
- The size of the part you want to make
- Required accuracy
- Expected production quantity
- Types of materials used
When we break down these four processes, the required performance characteristics change depending on the stage of the process.
In the initial stages of prototyping, simply confirming the shape may be sufficient.
At this stage, the priority is often on quickly creating a tangible product that can be held in the hands of the user, rather than on precision.
When considering mass production, material strength and the reproducibility of the design become crucial factors.
Even within the category of 3D printers, the performance aspects to consider vary depending on the manufacturing process.
If you try to handle all processes with the performance of a single machine,
This makes it easier for problems to arise at some point in the process.
Instead of consolidating everything into one device, we considered using different, cheaper models for different purposes.
Instead of consolidating all processes into one expensive machine, we use separate machines for prototyping, verification, and mass production planning.
We considered a method of combining relatively inexpensive models for each application.
Because the investment amount per unit can be kept low,
This makes it easier to replace the device if the intended use and model don't match.
Based on implementation examples from multiple factories, we have organized the optimal combination of equipment models for each process.
The approach of dividing the process into stages before selecting equipment can also be applied to other capital investments.
When considering capital investment, divide the process you are responsible for into smaller parts,
The idea of selecting a model after confirming the truly necessary performance for each process is,
It can be used with more than just 3D printers.
While it offers high versatility, it can sometimes result in mediocre performance in individual processes.
Defining the required performance for each process beforehand is the starting point for equipment selection.
We handle everything from design to selecting the manufacturing supplier, to the extent relevant to the article.
MACHICOCO is a company based in Higashi-Osaka.
I manage projects to create products in collaboration with engineers at local factories.
We don't own any large-scale facilities in-house.
From the prototype design stage to the consideration of manufacturing methods, including 3D printing,
We also handle the selection of processing partners with mass production in mind.
We don't just stop at development and manufacturing; we're involved all the way through to sales.
You can start a conversation with hand-drawn pictures and photographs.
When you contact us for advice, please send us the following information to help us process your inquiry more quickly.
- Hand-drawn pictures and sketches
- Photo of the actual item
- Approximate dimensions
- Intended usage
- Estimated desired production quantity
- If you have the actual item, then the actual item itself.
Drawings are not required.
Even before the processing method is decided, we can consider the manufacturing method while looking at drawings and actual samples.
First, please tell me about your current situation.
