Like something straight out of a science fiction movie, 3D printers have now made their way into our world. I think that most people would have guessed that they were decades away from moving to a novelty to a serious business device, when they debuted, but today they have become an important tool for many businesses.
3D printers use a digital file to create actual objects rather than just drawings of objects. You can load an image into a 3D printer and it uses materials to make that object. You can then utilize this object for a specific intended purpose.
Today 3D printers can create toys, tools, parts, designs and many other objects. There are instances of people using 3D printers to print parts for artificial limbs, shoes, tools guns and even food. The technology is often crude and cannot create the finest or most technically demanding objects, but each day the technology improves and soon they will probably be able to print nearly any object we can see or even visualize.
The speed of the advances in this technology is also causing the prices for these devices to plummet. The 3D printers of today are one hundred times as fast and powerful yet that cost a mere fraction of what they cost 10 years ago. These price drops have now made the technology available to small companies and even the general public. Accompanying the price drops has been a simplifying of the process to print something 3D. Today novices can begin using simpler 3D printers in less than 15 minutes and start bringing things from their imagination into the real world.
The quality of machines has also risen significantly. 3D printing machines used to be very finicky, had notoriously short life spans, and were difficult to both diagnose problems and repair. As they have come into wider use they are built better and in a way that anticipates where problems will occur and so that they can be repaired easily. The projections for the technology is that in the coming decades they will be as common in the home as a TV or computer and people will print many of the things they purchase or need right in their own homes.
For businesses, those who make products, do designs or work with samples, purchasing a professional 3D printer from a company like Konica Minolta can bring lots of benefits. Here are the most important ones to consider.
Save Time by Doing the Work In-House
Many companies outsource key parts of their product development because it is simpler and cost effect. Having to invest in machines that can create samples, designs prototypes, or even small batch finished products has been out of the financial reach of most companies and setting up an infrastructure to get these valuable parts of their business working smoothly was just too complicated. However, due to dramatic 3D technology advancements in the last decade, there are now more cost-effective options that you have in-house. There are now 3D printers available for every budget and for just about every need. It is definitely time to look into moving operations in-house.
You can set up the process of doing 3D printing easily and your business can skip unnecessary steps and make your product workflow much simpler and effective. No more waiting up to ten business days to get back outsourced parts that will likely then need design modifications costing more time and money. You can do all of this in-house in a fraction of the time and make modifications immediately and on the spot.
Save Money
The cost of 3D printing machines have dropped considerably. Additionally there are now machines produced for exact usages that will fit your specific needs. There is no cost for setup and learning to run the machine is very easy. Finally, the cost of the materials to produce the 3D parts is nominal. For these reasons t is much cheaper to purchase a 3D printer as compared to sending your parts out to be manufactured. In addition, you can contract your timelines for a product which will save your company money.
When you look at the reasons to purchase a professional 3D printer for your business, they are quite compelling. If your business has the need to manufacture prototypes, do design work, or make limited runs of certain products, you should seriously consider purchasing one today.