Low-cost 3D printer for shop operations

Service bureaus have 3D-printed prototypes and cores for investment castings since the introduction of commercial stereolithography machines in the mid-1980s. It wasn’t long before product-design firms and large manufacturers began using these machines as well, speeding time to market and reducing development costs.

The MakerBot is a desktop 3D printer suitable for hobbyists and product designers alike. Image courtesy Stratasys.

Recently, though, a new breed of 3D printers has begun producing parts made of engineering-grade plastics and fully dense metals suitable for long-term use in a variety of applications. These include jet engine components, engine mounts, medical implants and a host of other products that were once machined or fabricated by conventional means. And, compared to earlier-generation machines, the new additive-manufacturing equipment offers enhanced part accuracy and has lower processing times and acquisition costs.

The latter points have piqued the interest of some job shops. Even though many don’t plan to ever 3D-print parts for customers, there are still plenty of reasons to own a machine: to build low-cost fixtures, part-specific robotic part grippers, hands-on models for program prove-out and, that old standby, prototype parts.

With 3D-printer costs coming down, Ryan Sybrant, director of the manufacturing channel at Stratasys Corp., thinks it’s time to take a look at them. The Eden Prairie, Minn., provider of 3D-printing equipment and services offers a range of systems, many suitable for one-off and low-volume production work.