why do I need 3d printing
If you’re looking for information about 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, you’ve come to the right place. The following aims to give you understanding of the future of Manufacturing, the new way of manufacturing.
What does 3D Printing enable?
The invention of 3D printing has reduced the time to get the first version or prototype of a product into production and has removed many constraints that limit what is possible with traditional production methods. For example, with a 5 axis CNC mills ,there are limits on what you can do, It is also possible to produce objects that may have required multiple parts with traditional manufacturing, reducing complexity, traceability, lower cost and faster delivery.
3D Printing can produce different objects on the same print bed at the same time without creating tooling issues.
3D Printing increases flexibility in the work flow and reduces expenses and saves time.
3D Printing services such as CAC.WORKS ,has an area set up like the image above, this set up can facilitate the printing of almost anything, enabling us to innovate faster and produce parts quicker. 3d printing is not a high volume manufacturing process but is a high quality on demand production system that is great for low volume production that is not viable traditionally..
Finally, 3D Printing gives to everyone the power to manufacture objects only when they are needed or desired. It’s a fantastic process to unleash your creativity. 3D Printing enables SME in this ways helping many people to produce and sell their creations cost effectively. 3D Printing is also useful to reverse engineer objects or parts that are no longer available for instance in order to repair a classic bike or classic car where spare parts are obsolete.
3D printing for people & Industry
3D printing has been growing in the mainstream media for the last couple of years. This AM or additive manufacturing techniques are not new technology in fact it has been in the professional realm for almost 30 years.
3D printing is now open to the public from the cheap PLA printer to professional-commercial units printing blends of carbon fibre.
The media love a topic that the public can relate to and has opened this technology to the public, having been previously restricted to professionals and industrial prototyping due to the cost of units and the patent that Stratasys held which expired in 2014.
3D Printing is now affordable with basic home units for a few hundred dollars or less, allowing the printing of parts and finished products to the general public.
3D Printers are usually divided into categories:- Home 3D printers and Professional 3D printers. Some companies own home 3D printers for the very early stages of a prototype development and the general public can have access to professional-grade 3D printers in 3D printing services such as https://www.cac.works.
However, be aware that the 3D printing technology is significantly different between professional printing and home 3D printers available for the general public. Most 3D printers for the general public use filament deposition method (FDM) and produce manly objects in PLA, possibly ABS plastic. Whilst Professional 3D printers can print many materials with a higher level of precision and stronger filaments. Such as Markforged Onyx filament, when reinforced with carbon fibre filament, is stronger than 6061 T6 Aluminium and 24 times stronger than ABS, this is one of the reasons CAC.Works chose Markforged printers
3D printing has already experienced a huge shift in the manufacturing process of numerous industries. CAC.WORKS have printed parts for Radio telescopes / scanning units for drill rigs for CSIRO, Aerospace, civil and Defence aeronautics, dental, hearing aid manufacture, The Automotive sector uses 3d printed Jigs Fixtures & even Lamborghini are using 3d printed parts.The more 3D Printing technology develops, the more we figure out how disruptive the technology is! Most industries will benefit from 3D Printing! Even NASA and the Space program! There is a 3d printer in space and they are working on a 3d printed Rocket, the sky is no longer the limit, your imagination is!
Professional 3D printing service for everyone: CAC.WORKS
CAC.WORKS is a 3D printing service online. Our printing facilities are equipped with high-performance professional 3D printers, 3D Scanners & Small CNC mills. We mainly focus on the High strength functional parts, more than pretty colours & Yoda heads. Our service can help with replication of a damaged part, to a prototype, to a full strength end use product,
from the individual to a large business, we can help!
Note: to get the best from the Technology, there needs to be knowledge on best practice for design and a team that understands the application of the technology.
For more information, visit our section about or try our service now, using the Instant Quote Tool. Great for parts with no Fibre added or simple one offs, for large part numbers or complex prints please email us for tailored pricing.