TypeR
1
Have you have turned down orders because the prints were too large for your 3D printer?
My printers have a relatively large build platform (26x26x30 cm), but even that is not large enough for some prints.
So I am considering getting an even larger printer which, by the nature of things, tend to be pretty expensive as well.
Am just wondering how much request it would generate to be able to print objects of 40 cm in length (for example).
Hi @TypeR I’ve struggled with this question myself - “How many orders am I missing because of build volume?”. I came to the conclusion that I probably wasn’t missing as many for build volume as I was for technology. It’s a question of what you know and what you don’t. I know I’m missing orders because I can’t offer SLA printing, but I don’t know how many I may be missing because of volume. If there are very few large volume orders out there, buying a large volume FDM machine runs the risk of just giving me “another” FDM machine which, while useful maybe for multiple copy orders, could sit there gathering dust. An SLA machine will open entirely new doors in terms of orders; I can’t know how many, of course, but I know there’s a market there, that’s a definite. So I personally made the choice to go for an SLA printer rather than the limited benefits of another FDM machine, but that’s my personal choice.
If SLA isn’t something you want to go for, there are other things to consider (as I did) rather than just size. For example, I get a lot of orders that require support material and I hate using supports in the same material. They leave a poor finish, can be awkward to remove and, when using the same material, can mean the model is effectively unprintable. So I looked much more at getting a high-quality dual-extruder FDM machine capable of using soluble support material effectively (i.e. without ooze/contamination issues), like the UM3 or BCN Sigma R17. The build volumes are no bigger, but I’d be able to produce higher quality supported prints, print more models effectively, and reduce the effort required in removal. Or you may want to look at a Delta printer which will have a slightly bigger X/Y capability, but a huge Z capability, which could be useful if those bigger volume orders are all long and thin.
Tough choice, but I think at the end of the day it’s risky spending capital to provide capability for something that may not exist.
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I’ll save you the bother. I have a machine with 400mm in each axis. I have never had a print come close to the max of that.
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