3D Printing: Finishing Process Economic Impact.
- Silvio Ruiu
- Jan 24
- 3 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
The Industrial Shift: From Prototyping to 24/7 Production.
While 3D printing is a production process always relying on small batches, to the limit of prototyping, it has a part where applying the same concept is dangerous and killing profits: the finishing of the parts.
If there is a consistent number of printers, maybe big size, and producing almost 24/7, their output gains the status of an industrial size process. Treating it as a one-by-one piece is expensive and usually not necessary.
3 Main Technologies are Used to post process 3d printed parts:
Manual Air Blasting: The cheapest equipment to buy, demanding a lot of human labor and relying only on the operator's attention and commitment handling parts one by one. It is propelled by compressed air, which is one of the most expensive items you can find anywhere.
Automatic Air Blasting: Parts are accommodated usually inside a rotating drum where they tumble under a media jet, again propelled by compressed air. To shorten the time, these cabinets may increase the number of nozzles, making the air consumption even worse.
Wheel Blaster: The concept is not that different from above—usually a tumble cabinet—where the media is propelled by a high-speed rotating wheel, able to completely change the game of process efficiency.
Shifting the focus from the printing room to the finishing area, you may see a consistent number of parts needing all of them to be de-powdered and decently finished before being packed, labeled, & shipped. ALL IN THE SAME WAY.Here is where the process becomes “industrial” and efficiency overtakes others.
Operational Cost Table in 3d printing.
Batch: 40 parts | Labor: $25/hr | Market Energy Prices (US)
Cost Element | Manual (1 Nozzle) | Auto-Air (2 Nozzles) | Wheel Blaster (CM) |
Cycle Time | 400 min (10 min/pc) | 500 min | 25 min |
Media Flow (Mass) | 2 kg/min | 4 kg/min | 80 kg/min |
Total Media Projected | 800 kg | 2,000 kg | 2,000 kg |
Load/Unload Time | 0 min | 5 min | 5 min |
Total Process Time | 6.7 Hours | 8.4 Hours | 30 Minutes |
Labor Cost | $166.67 | $2.08 (L/U) | $2.08 (L/U) |
Energy Cost | $4.80 | $12.37 | $0.17 |
Maintenance/Parts | $33.33 ($5/hr) | $83.33 ($10/hr) | $8.33 ($20/hr) |
TOTAL OPEX | $204.80 | $97.78 | $10.58 |
Cost Per Part | $5.12 | $2.44 | $0.26 |
The Reality Check.
Think again about how many times with two printers you had 40 pcs to process. Rethink if printers are more than two, how much money has been wasted.
Is this the solution to everything? Nope, it is not. If you have parts that are very thin and sharp, a manual system is still the only solution to not spoil them. However, it is also true that best practice is to use the Wheel Blaster anytime possible, delivering to manual only what is mandatory to handle there.
It is also true that the purchase cost (CAPEX) of a good wheel blaster may sound scary. Please review the price of the Automatic Air Blaster + compressor (including its maintenance and air delivery line). Review the price you paid for the printer. A simple napkin math can show the wheel blaster is far cheaper than you think. To make numbers real, you can contact here.
Finishing Standards.
Each company has its own standard; some even require further processing to color the part. The 25 minutes calculated above are related to a specific “shine” finishing generally appreciated in the industry. For different requirements, a testing session is mandatory to establish how to satisfy any specific need.
Conclusion.
The OPEX chart is clear: manual should be used only if mandatory. Anything else must be delivered to the wheel blaster following the basic Lean Manufacturing way of thinking.
Table of contents:
A) Defining the post processing problem and its impact. here.
B) Economic impact of different finishing processes. this post.
C) Industrializing the finishing process. here.