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The 3d printing industry has a problem, a really big problem and it's one that almost nobody knows or talks about.
Let’s rant here for just a moment about this situation. Slant 3d operates one of the largest 3d printing farms in the world. We purchase thousands of pounds of filament every month from a number of different suppliers. Over the entire history of the company, there has been one problem that has continuously been an issue with every single supplier that we have worked with, it's color. this is the exact same product, these are multiple spools of the same product with supposedly the same color but anybody can see this is not the same color. This is a giant problem if we are producing tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of products. Our clients expect them to all be the same color and we expect all the spools to be the same color. Filament manufacturers are not generally driven to make the same color. Here's the reason for this and we kind of half understand it. The vast majority of filament on spools that are purchased in the industry is purchased by individual consumers who have a printer in the garage. Someone in the garage who's making a few items for Etsy or just hobby items for the around the house. They will not notice that one spool of green is slightly different from another spool of green. Since those people do not notice and they are the fundamental industry driver for buying spools of filament, the manufacturers of filament are not incentivized to really create high levels of consistency across their material. Some manufacturers do just implicitly or at least say they do. For example like Prusa or Color Fab, those kind of guys works very hard to make sure that color is consistent across the process, using lean principles and a colorimeter at the end of the extrusion line. This is to make sure that colors are consistent. Most anybody else is eyeballing it and these are people ranging from somebody who started by making just cord and is now making filament to professional filament makers who are consistently producing colors but know that no one's going to notice that it's a variation. Up into even very large multi-billion dollar companies produce inconsistent colors because it just doesn't matter in general. somebody buying one or two spools will not notice or will not care. We understand at slant 3d that we're in the minority of clients. We buy huge amounts of filament we're not necessarily the highest margin customer or even the highest component of market share for many of these suppliers but here's the thing the industry in order to continue to grow and in order to legitimize itself against other manufacturing processes like injection molding or machining those manufacturing processes have exceptionally tight quality control. They are able to make a thousand or billion legos that are all the same color of yellow very consistently. The 3d printing industry is currently not meeting that standard. This is preventing large-scale production of parts like the slant 3D print farms and other print farms like it from consistently producing reliable results for clients. There are times even when we do an exact Pantone match and order that color specifically that the filament maker will not be able to mix consistently or monitor it consistently. The intensity of color varies up and down. This is a huge problem because it is preventing 3d printing from being as massive of an option to all other forms of manufacturing as it could be. This is something that Slant 3D does not control exclusively, we are dependent upon suppliers for this. Suppliers are dropping the ball this is why we manufacture a good portion of our material in-house and we'll continue to expand that because this is unacceptable it is not difficult to make sure that color is consistent it simply requires the will to make the color consistent. Yes, the consumers will not notice but it will lead to a much larger market opportunity down the line. As giant printer farms or Slant 3D itself continues to expand and other companies like it, who need to produce millions of parts, at least need the same color. Eliminate this variable, it's very easy. This is just a letter to suppliers to reliably produce your material and do your job. This is a huge problem for the industry that most people don't notice or know about but it is hurting the industry. Hope everybody has a great day. Let us know what you think down in the comments. Let us know if you've run into this before. If you've noticed it in orders of filament that you've gotten before. What kind of suppliers caused issues. If you know suppliers that are really good and reliable or if you are a supplier, please reach out to us because we're happy to speak to you and buy a couple of pallets of material from you if you're able to make colors consistently. Thank you everybody have a great day. Happy 3D printing!
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It was just announced that MakerBot and Ultimaker are merging, into well it might be Ultrabot, it might be Maker Maker who knows. This merger is actually really weird because we don't really see what the one is getting from the other. MakerBot is actually owned by Stratasys. Stratasys bought MakerBot several years ago and since then has had to take about a one billion dollar haircut and write off from owning MakerBot because it's been a wildly bad decision. MakerBot made machines that nobody really wanted but Stratasys has been pushing to make MakerBot kind of the prosumer type of printer brand, that is very similar to what Ultimaker is. There are synergies there but it's still odd because we don't know how it's helping Ultimaker. It appears that Ultimaker might just be in a bad spot and trying to find more ways to expand its market reach by getting the customer list that MakerBot has and just shoving Ultimate current’s machines into there.
Stratasys is basically selling MakerBot to Ultimaker in exchange for stock and Ultimaker so Stratasys will own a portion of the new “Ultabot” Company. Ultimaker will be able to have access to Stratasys which has a great customer base and a very strong position within the FDM type market, the prosumer, and eventually mass-production relative to the professional market of people who would be utilizing these machines. So it makes sense that Ultimaker would do that in order to get access to more customers but Ultimaker is what would be considered probably a fairly premium brand. They're in the realm of the kind of an Apple-type brand in the context of the 3d printing industry. MakerBot on the other hand is very much not. If Ultimaker is Apple, MakerBot is a bad Microsoft. MakerBot has had a very negative connotation for the last several years around their machines because they are not good machines. They have not been historical good machines that have been favored by the industry or by customers. This is why Stratasys took the haircut but Ultimaker can breathe some fresh RD and some value into the assets of Makerbot. There's value there to Stratasys and Stratasys has a customer base that is fairly locked in that they can then give to Ultimaker so that's how it makes sense but the brand cohesiveness is not there. I would imagine that MakerBot might just disappear completely and Ultimaker just absorbs it completely because MakerBot has no real brand power out there right now. Let us know what you think about this merger down in the comments. Let us know anything you think about how it's going down, why they did it, and how you think it's going to go because we'd love to hear what you think and see how this all plays out! Have a great day everybody! A common question in the 3-D printing world is, can 3-D printed parts be waterproof? Let's discuss it. |
With Christmas season approaching quickly, we are about to begin seeing the yearly spike in demand that happens every year during the holidays. Many stores, Etsy stores included, are flooded with people trying to order Christmas gifts for their loved ones. This can quickly become overwhelming, especially for smaller Etsy stores that may not have the infrastructure needed to handle this high demand. That is where third party print farms, like Slant 3D, become very useful. Here, at Print Farm Beta, we have hundreds of machines that are ready to help you keep up with the massive influx of orders that you will receive during the busiest times of the year. In this guide we will show you, step by step, how you can integrate your Etsy store with Slant 3D production, so that you no longer have to worry about keeping up with spikes in demand.
Step 1: Get a Quote
3D File Submission The first step to having Slant 3D support your Etsy store is getting a quote through our online Quoting Form. Fill out the necessary information and upload a 3D file of whatever product you are looking to have produced. Make sure to mention that you are requesting this for your Etsy store and provide us with a rough estimate of how many units per month you will need. This will allow our account engineers to evaluate the kind of quantities your are dealing with, as well as, how often shipping will occur. They will then be able to come up with a set price for how much it will cost to produce each unit. This price will reflect how much it will cost for our print on demand model, so whenever an order comes in, we will print it and ship it out to your customer within 24-48 hours, depending on the size and complexity of your product. If you have any custom packaging or inserts that you like to use, those can be utilized as well. We would just need you to send us the packaging/inserts and we will make sure to get them into the production line for any of your orders. This does increase cost so, again, make sure to include that in your quote request.
The alternative to that would be just a standard production model, where you want to build up an inventory and handle shipping yourself. In that case, you would just need to let us know, "Hey, I need (X) amount of this product." and we can print them all in one go and then ship them to you. However, most Etsy stores that we partner with prefer the print on demand model because there is no cash outlay until someone actually orders one of your products.
The alternative to that would be just a standard production model, where you want to build up an inventory and handle shipping yourself. In that case, you would just need to let us know, "Hey, I need (X) amount of this product." and we can print them all in one go and then ship them to you. However, most Etsy stores that we partner with prefer the print on demand model because there is no cash outlay until someone actually orders one of your products.
Step 2: Order a Sample
Carrot Succulent Pot Once you have a quote that you are happy with, the next step will be to order a sample. This will allow you to make sure that we are meeting the standard of expectations for your store, and allow us to make sure that we know what those standards are. Some people want purely functional parts, they don't really care about the resolution, surface finish, or any other aesthetic qualities. They just want a part with high functionality that can be printed quickly and for a low cost. Other people have exceptionally high resolution parts that need to have a smooth surface finish and might need a little bit more post processing, such as sanding, painting, etc. So, ordering a sample ensures that we have a quality control checklist to reference so that we can make sure we are maintaining the level of quality that you provide to your customers. Make sure to allow a couple weeks for this process to take place, as there can be a lot of back and forth of sending a sample, making any adjustments that are needed, and then sending an updated version.
Step 3: Integrate Your Store
Custom "Emily" Snowflake After we determine the expectations for your product and you are satisfied with the quality we are producing, we can then move on to getting your Etsy store integrated into our system. If you only have around 1-10 predetermined products that you offer, you can just send us those products and we will implement them into the system and you're good to go. On the other hand, if you offer custom products, such as custom cookie cutters, keychains, or things of that nature, we will need to set you up with a Google Drive folder where you can upload those custom files. Our automated system will then pull those files as they come in and get them into production. This provides you with an easy way to upload custom files to our system, and allows us to have access to those files as the orders come through.
Step 4: Set up ShipStation
You will then need to set up a ShipStation account and provide us with user access. A ShipStation account will cost around $25/month and will allow us to purchase shipping labels through your preferred billing method so that you are able to manage your budget. It will also notify our automated system whenever an order comes in, so that it can find the necessary file, send it to one of our machines and begin printing. This provides a very streamlined production process with limited human error. At the end of each month, you will be billed for the number of items that were shipped through your Etsy store multiplied by the per unit price agreed upon during the quoting process.
So hopefully this guide gives you a good idea about how easy it is to get your Etsy store integrated with Slant 3D and how beneficial it can be to have a manufacturing backend. By allowing us to handle the production side of your business, you will free up a lot of time and effort that can be spent on more important things, like marketing your store, interacting with customers, and developing new products. So make sure to check out our website to learn a little bit more about Slant 3D and see if we are a good fit for any needs that you may have. Also, make sure to check out our Youtube video that goes over this same information in a little more detail.
As always,
Happy Printing.
As always,
Happy Printing.
There are constant advancements being made in the world of additive manufacturing. From printers parts to cloud systems, the industry is always looking to advance the capabilities of 3D printing. One of the latest advancements comes from Desktop Metal, a metal binder jetting manufacturer. Desktop Metal has recently launched Forust, a branch company that will specialize in high-volume production of sustainable wood products using recycled wood waste. These products will include consumer goods, car interiors, as well as building materials for homes and high-end architectural pieces.
Sustainability
In a time when sustainability is a major concern for a large number of people, many companies are being championed for their efforts to reduce their environmental impact, especially in the building industry, which has been historically known for having high amounts of material waste. With Forust, Desktop Metal hopes to reduces the need for deforestation as a way to source wood material. Rather, they will be utilizing byproducts from the wood manufacturing industry, such as sawdust and cellulose dust, as well as those from the paper industry, like lignin. These materials are combined with bio-resins and converted into functional wood parts. This gives architects, developers, and manufacturers a new opportunity to produce projects with a significantly reduced environmental footprint.
Additional Advantages
In addition to increased sustainability, there are a number of other advantages that Forust can provide. In the vein of additive manufacturing, the 3D printed wood will allow the chance to create much more complex geometries that wouldn't be possible with traditional woodworking practices. This will allow much more freedom for designers to create with wooden materials. Further, the materials produced by Forust will be comparable to conventional wood materials, in terms of strength and functionality. These materials can also mimic a wide variety of wood types, such as oak, teak, and walnut, and can even be produced to include various grain textures.
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With new technologies like this being introduced everyday, it is becoming more and more evident that we are progressing towards a world of additive manufacturing. Although 3D printing has been around for nearly 30 years, it has only been in recent years that we are beginning to truly explore and develop it's potential applications. That is why it is so inspiring to see companies, like Forust, leading the charge towards a more sustainable, efficient, and affordable future. As a company trying to do the same, we at Slant3D appreciate the efforts being made.
Happy printing.
One thing about the 3D printing industry is that it moves very quickly. It is dynamic, and there are constantly new technologies coming out every 6 to 18 months. So, as new developments and technologies come up, the 3D printing industry is making old technologies obsolete. This is especially true with FDM printers, which is what we use here at Slant 3D. After nearly 4 years of operating the World's Largest Print Farm, we have a learned a few things about mass production 3D printing, and the bottom line is, printing farms CANNOT use third party machines. The reason for this is that after about 18 months, your entire infrastructure will be obsolete and need to be replaced. This could be a huge issue if you have hundreds, if not thousands, of machines. So, it is extremely important, for a company that manufactures 3D printed parts, to build their own internal machines.
This is why Slant 3D designed the Mason 3D Printer. This printer was originally designed as a production 3D printer, so we were able to create a machine that: 1) didn't go obsolete in a few years, and 2) allowed us to update the machines, rather than replace them, as technologies evolved. Another big reason we designed the Mason, is because there isn't really a third party machine out there that has been designed for mass production 3D printing. So, it was virtually impossible for us to find a machine that was optimized to fulfill the demand of printing thousands of parts at a time. The reason being, most third party 3D printers are designed for consumer use. These printers have a lot of the bells and whistles that make them convenient and user-friendly, however, they lack any of the optimizations or concessions that you need for mass production. They are designed around the trends of consumer sentiment, which is very detrimental because trends typically become outdated very quickly. Once a product becomes outdated, the designer usually dumps it and moves on to the next trendy thing.
Simply put, there is no way for a mass production print farm to operate and be profitable while using third party 3D printers. The margins just aren't large enough to be able to afford replacing machinery every few years. So that is why Slant 3D decided to build our own machines and why we strongly recommend, to anyone that is seriously looking to start a print farm, to do the same.
This is why Slant 3D designed the Mason 3D Printer. This printer was originally designed as a production 3D printer, so we were able to create a machine that: 1) didn't go obsolete in a few years, and 2) allowed us to update the machines, rather than replace them, as technologies evolved. Another big reason we designed the Mason, is because there isn't really a third party machine out there that has been designed for mass production 3D printing. So, it was virtually impossible for us to find a machine that was optimized to fulfill the demand of printing thousands of parts at a time. The reason being, most third party 3D printers are designed for consumer use. These printers have a lot of the bells and whistles that make them convenient and user-friendly, however, they lack any of the optimizations or concessions that you need for mass production. They are designed around the trends of consumer sentiment, which is very detrimental because trends typically become outdated very quickly. Once a product becomes outdated, the designer usually dumps it and moves on to the next trendy thing.
Simply put, there is no way for a mass production print farm to operate and be profitable while using third party 3D printers. The margins just aren't large enough to be able to afford replacing machinery every few years. So that is why Slant 3D decided to build our own machines and why we strongly recommend, to anyone that is seriously looking to start a print farm, to do the same.
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