5 Parameters That Decide the Success of

Your
3D Printing Project
By Pieter Vos | July 11, 2014 | 3D Printing, Factory for 3D Printing | No Comments

Up to how many parts is 3D Printing the most cost-efficient manufacturing technique? It’s one of
the most frequently asked questions in the 3D Printing business and at the same time the most
difficult one to answer. After all, series size is far from the only parameter that decides the
success of your Additive Manufacturing project. With the 3D Print Barometer, Materialise
developed a free tool that goes beyond replying, “It depends,” and provides tangible insights in
the feasibility of 3D Printing your product.

When referring to 3D Printing as a manufacturing technique, people are often focused on

quantity. “Costs increase as quantity increases”, seems to be the rule of thumb. A basic rule like
this originates because 3D Printing’s advantages are interrelated and can probably be difficult to
accurately assess.

Here are the 5 most important parameters to help decide a part’s readiness for 3D Printing:

1. Part Size
Most 3D printers work with a closed build platform. This makes it possible to print
several parts simultaneously. The smaller your objects, the more you can combine in one
single build, saving operating expenses, material and time. On the other hand, it limits the
size of the parts that can be printed. Large objects can easily be split up into sections, but
that might require extensive assembly afterwards, which conflicts with producing fast
parts, integrating functionality and reducing the number of components, some of 3D
 printing’s main advantages. In general, our guideline is that every part the size of a
football surely has the potential to be produced in a cost-effective way using 3D Printing.

Spot parts for 3D Printing

2. Part Complexity
One of the biggest advantages of 3D Printing is the freedom of design. A product with a
complex geometry will be harder – if not impossible – and more expensive to make with
traditional production techniques. With the right approach to design and engineering,
there simply is no other cost-effective technique to address design challenges, such as
incorporating difficult undercuts and integrating functionality. In Additive

Manufacturing, complexity is free.  

3. Project Value
The total commercial value of the device or equipment your parts fits in, is something to
take into consideration. 3D Printing a component can add value to your product in terms
of customization, functionality, time to market, etc., but that’s not necessarily the case.
And if it’s not adding value, it’s probably just adding costs. For price-sensitive consumer
goods, these costs will be much harder to justify than for high-end industrial solutions. 
 Pinovo’s handheld vacuum blaster, a great example of a 3D printed component for a high
value solution

4. Series Size
The quantity that makes 3D Printing a considerable production method is different in
every single project. What’s clear is that there are no fixed costs, like molds, that
influence your part’s price. The cost per part will always remain the same in 3D Printing,
no matter what the total quantity might be. A balanced volume/price ratio highly depends
on the other 4 parameters in this list. For example, although the price per part does not
decrease for bigger quantities, a large series still can be relatively cost-effective because
you might save on assembly: with 3D Printing you can print one piece what might
otherwise consists of five.
5. Purpose
What is the purpose of your object? Does it have a function, or does it only need look
good? Or both perhaps? Nowadays, everything is possible in terms of post processing and
finishing to enhance the surface quality of 3D-printed parts: painting, smoothing, dying,
coating, metal plating, you name it. But as with everything in life, “the more you want,
the more you pay” is also true in this case. 
 3D printed vacuum gripper by Intrion, saving weight and assembly costs thanks to
integrated functionality

The comparison of these parameters and the weight of each one of them in the total project
indicates how well 3D Printing suits your product. It’s key for every design engineer to know
whether 3D Printing will do the trick or not. If you want to test your part, have a look at
www.3dprintbarometer.com