Is Building a 3D Printing Farm Worth the Effort? Insights from Slant 3D

We build a lot of print farms. So we do have a few opinions on this topic.

Here are the four main issues that you might want to look out for if you decide to go down this direction.

1. Maintenance: Machines off the shelf are not designed for print farms and are intended for individuals in a garage with one or two machines. Therefore, machines need constant maintenance and monitoring when operating in mass production.
2. Supply chain: The current supply chain is focused on individual printer users, with no good supply chain for mass production. Filament manufacturers have no incentive to keep consistency across pools, which results in inconsistencies between spools of filament.
3. Niche: With the ability to print almost anything, it is important to establish a niche in order to manage the diverse requests that will come through the door.
4. Talent: It is not easy to train someone how to troubleshoot a 3D printer, and hiring skilled labor within the industry takes time. Therefore, processes need to be established to ensure consistency and reliability for inexperienced employees.

Building a print farm requires careful consideration and preparation in order to be successful. We suggest that, although more print farms are needed to meet the two-trillion-dollar industry's potential, those interested in starting one should be mindful of these challenges.