Four Reasons to Buy a 3D Printer and Increase Productivity in the Office
A lot of small engineering and architectural firms are hesitant to invest on a 3D printer of their own. This hesitation is understandable, though, given that not all these firms have an actual need to have their very own 3D printer. Add to that the average cost of a 3D printer. Entry level units can set back a small firm around $15,000 for the printer alone and not counting the accessories and resins that it may require. Not all companies have the capital to invest on such a piece of equipment.
Nonetheless, if the need is there and the capital for investing in such a machine is available, these companies would do well to have their own 3D printer in the office. That is because the 3D printer can do a lot in increasing productivity and sales for the company. Here are just four benefits that a company can gain out of having its own 3D printer.
1. Reduced time in producing scale models. Scale models are necessities in the engineering field. Before there were 3D printers and rapid prototyping machines, these scale models are constructed by hand and with the use of tools. However, it can take weeks to create scale models the old-fashioned way and the models themselves can be inaccurate. With 3D printing, companies can reduce the time in producing these models from weeks to a matter of hours. This will allow the company to take on more projects without engaging additional manpower.
2. Reduces time devoted to paperwork. When the company orders its scale models from an external service provider, there is the inevitable paperwork that needs to be done to place the orders, to requisition materials and to manage receipts. The administrative assistants that the company employs will also have to keep track of all that paperwork. This load of paperwork can be greatly reduced if the 3D printing is done in-house instead of outsourced.
3. Marketing completed at a faster rate. The firm can impress their clients by producing the scale models required for their project earlier than expected. While this does not assure that the actual project can be completed earlier, the clients can at least have an idea of what the finished output will be ahead of time.
4. Higher rate of flexibility. With 3D printers, it is easier to implement changes in the design without having to go through weeks of preparing new scale models based on these design changes. This gives the company a greater ability to become more flexible and adjust more quickly when changes need to be put into the design. Greater flexibility can also allow for a higher degree of accuracy and quality in the final output.
In the long run, having its own 3D printer can lead to cost savings for the company because it does not have to deal with outrageous costs that print service providers sometimes charge for producing scale models.
John C Arkin from printcountry the contributor of PrintCountry Articles. More information on the subject is at Four Reasons to Buy a 3D Printer and Increase Productivity in the Office, and related resources can be found at HP Printer Cartridges.
