Ultimate 3d-Changing how we price lower quantity part runs!
At Ultimate 3D we excel at large production runs. As a result, we compete with injection molding prices when you amortize the tooling into the mix.
We have come to realize that our pricing structure is inhibitive to the onesie, twosie quantities. Hence, we have restructured how we price your parts.
That said, if you have sent us parts to quote for small quantity runs and prototypes and found our price to be slightly too high, give us another shot at your projects!
With 1 week or less lead times, you have your parts in hand very fast. Put us to the test and see why we are an industry leader when it comes to customer service and competitive pricing.
Email us your files, tell us how many parts you want pricing for and which material you prefer. Include your contact info so we can give you a call to discuss how we can best serve your project needs!
Giving you something to Dance about!
Our mission is to provide 3D printing customers with extraordinary products and services from a team that loves doing their job. We want people to be excited about 3D printing with us.
WHAT WE DO
Rapid Prototyping: Once your CAD file is ready, we will usually print your parts in 1 week or less.
(Higher volume orders may require extra time).
We specialize in high quantity production parts and are very competitive with injection molding on lower volumes. Consequently, it is possible to make thousands a part faster and lower priced than injection molding.
We print parts that are impossible to injection mold.
We gladly review all models for printability and cost effectiveness and give constructive feedback for your benefit.
Comparing SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) with injection molding
Before you manufacture anything, you need to decide two major things:
- What material(s) your product will be made of.
- How to manufacture it.
This post will contrast injection molding and 3D printing, specifically looking at the costs associated with each. As a common 3D production method, we're using selective laser sintering as our example.
If you want to build something out of nylon, there are a couple of popular options.
Injection molding is the process of filling the cavity of a mold with molten nylon or other material. The nylon comes in the form of beads that are typically a couple millimeters in diameter. The beads are poured into a hopper that feeds them into a heating chamber that uses an auger to move the heating beads, which are in the process of melting, to the injector(s). The injectors fill the mold. When the mold is cool enough it is split open to remove the product.
The costs involved with injection molding are based on the material and equipment used, along with the creation of the mold. The largest chunk of the cost comes from producing the mold. This is because the mold needs to be milled, typically with expensive CNC equipment to get the most accurate result. Because of the large initial cost of injection molding there is also a high cost associated with a product that is not going to be produced in mass quantities. Typically, you’ll need quantities in the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, to offset molding costs and have a good return on investment.
3D printing with SLS (selective laser sintering), on the other hand, involves using a CAD file to communicate with the 3D printer software, then adding the required material to the tool. The material, in powder form, is evenly spread across the print bed. The laser sinters, or melts, the powder for the designated cross section of a thin layer and then another layer is added. This process is repeated until the entire volume of the build is completed. The build can include many separate parts. Whatever we can fit in the build area, we will, in order to maximize volume efficiency.
3D printing costs are based on the material used, the volume of the part to be printed, and finishing. If a large quantity is requested, such as a few hundred parts, then a discount is applied. Finishing costs are all about labor and materials. For example, if you want it painted, how much does the paint cost and how much time does it take to paint all the parts?
A part with a specific volume that is manufactured with a quantity of 1,000 units to be shipped in less than 5 days will cost approximately $23 per unit using injection molding.
The same part, done by Ultimate 3D using SLS, would cost approximately $3 per unit.
3D Printing with Nylon: Why we love it, and you should too
As many of you may already know, nylon is a thermoplastic. If you're 3D printing with nylon materials, you're either using a powder that hardens into durable plastic when melted by a laser, or you're using a plastic filament that's extruded through a nozzle. Nylon has unique properties that make it a preferable material to print with in many cases.
 |
Why should you print with nylon?
Compared to other common 3D printing materials, nylon has quite a few advantages, which we will discuss in this post. Whether you’re considering printing your own products, or you want to order products from a third party, this should give you an introductory understanding of 3D printing with nylon.
Nylon is a thermoplastic, which allows it to be reused—whether printing via FDM or SLS. In an FDM context, the plastic can be melted and re-melted. However, the properties will change with heat and begin to break down. Most of the excess powder from SLS can be reused. Reusing nylon in the context of selective laser sintering means recycling the unaffected powder and mixing it proportionately with virgin powder to ensure that the materials continually perform their best during the build process.
We’ve made a basic list of the benefits of nylon in 3D printing. If you have any questions about these benefits or other properties of nylon, feel free to call or email us with your questions.
Benefits of 3D printing with nylon:
- 3D printing with nylon makes a much stronger part, if your other variables are correct.
- You’ll get better pliability with nylon, which can make for a more functional part.
- Typical nylon parts can be drilled, tapped, and tumbled without risking breaking or scratching the parts (unless they have incredibly thin details or appendages, in which case you want to handle parts carefully). This allows you to explore different finishing and assembly options with a low risk of breaking or damaging parts.
- Nylon is lightweight compared to many other traditional materials.
- Nylon is relatively absorbent, so dying parts printed with nylon works very well because a scratch won’t ruin the exterior. However, this also means if you print something like a coffee cup in nylon, it can end up stained unless you give it a protective finish.
- Nylon can be reused for 3D printing, which looks different depending on the type of 3D printing you’re doing.
Printing with nylon will be different depending on the method—be it selective laser sintering or fused deposition modeling. However, most of the benefits are the same, to different degrees. Keep in mind that different 3D printing technologies have different strengths and limitations, regardless of the printing material.
Pro tip! Nylon easily absorbs water from the air, so it needs to be kept in a dry storage environment.
Anything you love about printing with nylon that we didn't mention? Share in the comments below!