The Top 3 Reasons to Bring Rapid Prototyping In-House

Users of Objet 3D printers are realising a number of significant benefits. When comparing against their previous practice of outsourcing rapid prototyping, they have discovered…

1. Speed

   Rapid prototyping in-house enables a design team to carry out more design iterations and bring products to market faster. The reasons are obvious: there is no posting of models, no waiting for bureau contractors to put the job into their schedule, no transmission of large files. Just hit PRINT and pick up the model from the 3D printer once it is complete.
   For Speedo, “…the Connex350 is used nearly every day, allowing prototypes to go from CAD model in the morning to in the pool by the afternoon…” [Find out more…]
   

2. SLA

   Recognised by many in the design industry as the preferred method for rapid prototyping. However, times change and 3D Printing technology is now as good as, if not superior to, SLA. We built the same model on an SLA and an Objet24. The left-hand model was created on an SLA machine, the right-hand model on our entry-level 3D printer the Objet24. This resulted in the following benchmarking data: Yet the SLA machine costs more than 5 times the price of the Objet24. Even greater resolution is possible from Objet’s Eden and Connex ranges.
   SLA has led the market for years, but 3D Printing is now a serious choice for any product design team. For most companies that produce rapid prototypes on a regular basis, owning a 3D Printer makes financial sense.

3. Cost

   For most companies that produce rapid prototypes on a regular basis, owning a 3D Printer makes financial sense.
   Here is an example of a typical company with four seats of SolidWorks. They previously outsourced £20,000 a year to RP bureaus. Since buying an Objet Desktop 3D Printer they have found that…25% of prototyping is still outsourced for functional reasons, leaving a £15,000 internal budget

• £5,000 a year covers depreciation and maintenance
• That leaves £10,000 a year for materials and labour
• Service bureaus typically charge 4 x actual model costs
• £10,000 = £40,000 spending power + the extra £5,000 still subcontracted = £45,000 a year of prototypes
• That is more than double the original number of parts

However, these cost benefits are only part of the story. How much would it save your business to cut down the time taken for each design iteration? How much would it cost your company if your product designs were inadvertently misplaced? How much more innovative could you be if you could produce rapid prototypes.

Still not convinced that an Objet 3D printer in-house can outperform the competition?

Then challenge us to prove it.

Call us on 01283 585955 and ask us to print your own model
on one of our printers.