The Advantages and disadvantages of 3D Printers
3D printers offer a lot of advantages over the conventional injection molding and machining methods. Just like any other production method, 3D printing has some disadvantages as well. In this article, we are going to discuss some advantages and disadvantage of 3D printers. This will help you find out if this technology is the best solution to meet your business needs.

Advantages of 3D Printing
Design freedom
With 3D printing, it is possible to produce complex geometry. Traditional methods, on the other hand, can’t deal with complexities. The reason is that some areas can’t be machined or removed from the molds.
With the help of 3D printers, it is possible to make prototypes in a few hours, which boosts the speed of the design process. Besides, new prototypes can be made with each design modification without costing a lot of money.
Print on Demand
3D print printers can print on demand, which means you don’t have to create a stock of a lot of inventory. Since 3D designs are stored in the form of digital files, you can keep a huge virtual library of numerous parts.
You won’t have to store physical material in a warehouse. Therefore, you can save a lot of money on storage as well. Again, you can spend this money on something else. For example, you can buy more material or more printers for your business.
Lighter Parts
The primary material used for 3D printing is plastic. This type of plastic is quite lighter than different types of metal used in the conventional printing method.
Speed
Unlike the conventional methods of printing, 3D printing uses printers that allow rapid production of components. Therefore, you can save a lot of time and money. This is one of the main advantages of 3D printers of today.
Limited Material selection
Unlike conventional production method, 3D printing is not that versatile. Basically, only specific types of plastics are used in this process. Some 3D printers do work with a limited selection of metals, though.
Limited size of parts
Most 3D printers feature small production chambers. If you need to build larger components, you will have to divide the component into multiple sections and then put them together with glue during post-processing. This process takes more time and increases the cost as well.
Large Volumes
If you want to produce large volumes of parts, 3D printing won’t be the best choice. For mass production, injection molding is the best method.
Part Structure
In the case of additive manufacturing, the required components are printed in layers. During the printing process, the layers adhere to each other. Under specific part orientation or stress, the layers may get separated. As a result, the parts may break.
So this is a description of the advantage and disadvantage of 3D printers of today. If you want to buy 3D printers for your business make sure you consider the pros and cons of 3D printing. This will help you make an informed decision.
Resource box: This article is originally posted in http://www.3dprintingchina.com.