Blog Archives - Page 4 of 15 - BigRep Industrial 3D Printers

3D Printer Speed: What You Need to Know

December 9, 2022December 6, 2022

In additive manufacturing, if you want to succeed, then you need high speeds. The crucial question remains: how can you maintain quality while significantly ramping up production speeds?

It helps to have a better understanding of how 3D printing speeds are defined, what they mean for your prints, and tried and tested ways of producing parts faster. To learn more, read our thorough guide below.

Defining 3D Printer Speed

Oftentimes 3D printer speed is equated with the speed of the print head: the faster the printhead moves and deposits filament, the faster a part is built. But that’s only part of the picture.

While the speed of the print head influences the deposition rate of filament on the print bed, it does not reflect the overall length of the 3D printing process. It is far from the only print setting to influence overall printing time. It’s worth taking a broader look at 3D printing speeds for the FFF process, considering the 3D printing process from beginning (pre-processing) to end (post-processing).

Each step in the FFF 3D printing process adds time, contributing to how long it takes to get from 3D model to finished product. Fortunately, this means that the end-to-end 3D print speed can be accelerated by optimizing certain elements of the print process and tweaking certain settings. We propose a slightly more encompassing metric of speed that takes into account the time and labor spent before and after printing, as well as the printing time itself.

What Influences 3D Print Speed?

To accelerate and optimize the speed of the 3D printing process, it is important to understand what factors come into play across the pre-processing, build, and post-processing stages.

A batch of 3D prints are sliced with BigRep BLADE.

Pre-Processing

Pre-processing encompasses the time it takes to prepare the 3D model and the 3D printer for the printing process. Three pre-processing stages determine how long a 3D print will take.

3D Model Preparation

3D model preparation is itself a category that includes parameter selection and printing preferences. Decisions made in 3D model preparation have a massive influence on overall printing times. For example, choosing the right orientation for the 3D print on the build platform can reduce or even eliminate the need for support, cutting back on printing time. Some slicing programs, such as BigRep BLADE, offer automatic settings—like auto-orientation—that optimize these features so you don’t have to spend time figuring out the right parameters.

Slicing

Slicing software translates 3D models into a language that 3D printers understand. This process takes time, especially if your 3D model is particularly complex or the STL file is too large. Adjusting the resolution of your 3D model as well as layer heights and infill densities can alter slicing times. Keeping your slicer software updated can also eliminate bugs that slow processing times.

3D Printer Calibration

Calibration is a necessary step that ensures your 3D printer is properly positioned and all components, such as the extruder, motors, and axes, are aligned. Manual calibration can be time-consuming and take hours, but many FFF 3D printers offer automatic calibration that can be done in mere minutes.

A sensor measures the printed structures to calibrate the extruders for dual extrusion before printing.

3D Print Time

The print time refers to how long the 3D printer spends creating an object. As you might expect, it is typically the most time-intensive element of the 3D printing process. Different print settings and hardware features can increase or decrease printing times.

3D Print Speed

Print speed refers to the rate at which the 3D printer extrusion system moves when extruding filament. Print speed is measured in millimeters per second (mm/s), and most FFF 3D printers have the capacity to print at speeds in the range of 40 mm/s to 150 mm/s. This setting can also influence print quality: the faster the extruder, the less precise the print becomes.

Travel Speed

Travel speed indicates how fast the print head moves when not extruding filament. The travel speed can often be faster than the print speed without affecting quality. However, if it is too fast, it can lead to 3D printing defects like less precise prints or even layer shifts.

The sustainable travel speed you can achieve, depends a lot on the mechanical structure of your 3D printer. A sturdier frame and portal allow for higher travel speeds without the risk of vibrations showing in your part.

Two 3D prints with different layer heights: 0.2mm and 0.6mm.

Layer Height

This measurement determines how thick each printed layer will be and thus has a direct influence on printer speed. The thicker the layer height, the fewer layers will be needed to complete a print and the faster your part will be built. As the layer height increases, however, the resolution of the print decreases.

Nozzle Diameter

The nozzle diameter is a hardware selection that can unlock faster printing rates. The bigger the nozzle diameter, the wider each printed line will be. This can eliminate the need for multiple perimeter layers to achieve a certain wall thickness. A wider nozzle diameter also allows for increased layer height.

Two 3D prints are sliced with different infill percentages and wall thicknesses.

Infill Density

The percentage of infill density—the internal structure that supports the outer shell of a 3D print—can have a big impact on print speeds. The lower the infill density, the less material is required, which can reduce print times.

You should note that lower infill densities also provide less strength than a higher infill, so it’s about finding the right balance between speed and quality.

Support Structures

Generated to reinforce overhangs and bridges, support structures can also increase the time it takes to 3D print a model. Support patterns, densities, and other settings will influence support printing time. Orienting your model on the print bed to minimize supports can also speed up print times.

The white material is BigRep's BVOH filament, a water soluble support for easy removal.

Post-Processing

Once the 3D print is removed from the print bed, a certain level of post-processing is required. For prototypes and hobbyist-grade components, post-processing times can be minimal. For end-use parts or visual prototypes, however, post-processing can be demanding.

Support Removal

If your 3D model was printed with supports, removal is an obligatory step. The ease of removal is highly dependent on the type and number of supports.

Some supports can be removed manually in just seconds, while others require special cutting tools to avoid damaging the 3D print. The easiest and often fastest support removal can be achieved by using a dual extrusion 3D printer and a soluble support material that simply dissolves away.

Support structures are designed to break away easily after 3D printing.

Sanding and Polishing

Sanding and polishing are necessary steps for 3D prints that need a fine surface finish. Since both these steps are manual—requiring the use of sandpaper, polishing paste, or cloth—they can be very time-consuming, especially for larger prints.

Mechanical methods like tumbling and sandblasting are more complex yet speedier options for larger batches.

Priming and Coating

Other optional post-processing steps are priming, painting, and coating. The time each of these steps takes depends entirely on the technique used (for example spray coating, dip coating, or hand painting) as well as the scale of the 3D print and batch size.

For example, dip coating can accelerate post-processing for batches of parts, while spray coating can be more efficient for large prints.

A 3D print is post-processed with a brush-on coating to smooth and protect the surface.

Conclusion

3D printing speed is not as simple as knowing the mm/s rate of the print head: many other factors influence how long it will take to complete a 3D print job. In the pre-processing stage, model prep, slicing, and parameter selection can be optimized for faster processing.

In the build stage, various settings and hardware choices directly influence the speed and quality of a 3D print. Finally, the degree of post-processing required for an FFF 3D print can greatly influence how long it takes to get from a 3D model to the finished part.

By optimizing these various steps and understanding the correlation between print speed and part quality, you can achieve faster print rates and a more efficient printing process overall.

Want to learn more? Watch this webinar to see how to save time with the BigRep PRO 3D printer!

Dominik Stürzer

SEO Manager

Dominik is a mechanical engineer whose passion to share knowledge turned him to content creation. His first 3D prints started in university. Back then the 3D printers were big on the outside and small on the inside. With BigRep the machines are finally big in their possibilities.

6 Time Factors About the BigRep PRO

September 7, 2023June 22, 2022

The BigRep PRO is an industrial large-format 3D Printer to support your company's development and production. Since the PRO launched in 2018, the BigRep R&D team has mainly focused on making this machine better by listening to what the customers wanted.

With an almost one cubic meter build volume, the BigRep PRO is a fully enclosed industrial 3D printer for producing full-scale, large parts, including functional prototypes, factory tooling, patterns and molds, and end-use parts.

In November 2021, we launched a newer and more powerful BigRep PRO, also known as the PRO.2.

Our focus? EASE-OF-USE. We built a large-format 3D printer that can be used by everyone.

This blog post lists 6 time factors about the BigRep PRO to better understand this 3D Printer's potential.

It took 12 seconds to remove the parts below from the bed by bending the SWITCHPLATE®

Ever had issues removing big 3D printed parts from your printer? Well, say no more!

Quoting Kerry Stevenson, Founder at Fabaloo:

“I can personally attest to slicing up my appendages on several occasions when wrestling a print stuck on a glass plate with a sharp chisel. Not fun at all.”

The SWITCHPLATE® is magnetic and easily snaps into place. Heat increases the adhesiveness of the SWITCHPLATE® surface, so your print stays fixed during printing but is easy to remove once cooled. For time-saving production, the SWITCHPLATE® can be swapped before cooling to free the printer to begin the next print.

Thanks to this feature, the effort to remove large parts from the bed is radically reduced. No need for scrapers, brims, or worrying about your appendages!

In 8 minutes, your BigRep PRO is automatically calibrated

We had a precise aim: make sure the first layer is ALWAYS right.

Why is the first layer so important?
Believe it or not, a not adequately calibrated first layer for single or dual extrusion is the leading cause of FFF 3D print failures for desktop and large-format 3D printers.

With the updated MXT® Controls, the brain of the BigRep PRO, calibrating won’t require manual actions and can not be wrong. The MXT® Controls use proprietary algorithms and surface-mapping to bypass manual print bed and extruder calibration, ensuring that the crucial first print layers are optimal every time.

Before a new gcode starts printing, the machine will run an autocalibration process, which takes around 8 minutes. In the first step, the extruder will map the printing bed and build a digital mesh. Secondly, the PRO will print a few lines on the bed; the sensors will map them to gather the necessary information, ensuring a perfect first layer with the Z calibration and a perfect XY calibration for dual extrusion.

To put things in perspective, manually calibrating a large format 3D printer can take up to 2 hours!!!

2 hours and you will be mastering our slicing software BigRep BLADE

BigRep BLADE is a free and easy-to-use slicing software allowing greater control of printing parameters on all BigRep large-format 3D printers. With BLADE presets, you can easily prepare your 3D printing files in just a few clicks. Features like auto-orient and auto-placement make BLADE simple to use.

Large-format 3D printing doesn't only mean big parts. With the BigRep PRO, you can also produce several smaller pieces using the "batch production" feature of BLADE.

This feature will ensure the parts are printed "sequentially," 3D printing one STL after another rather than printing all of them simultaneously. This process is only possible with large-format 3D Printers with an XYZ moving portal like the BigRep PRO and will save you up to 10% in printing time, depending on the geometries, in just one click! Software optimizations are great, aren't they?

If you want to discover more features about BigRep BLADE and how it has been optimized for large-format 3D printing, you can download BLADE for free and watch our basic and advanced training.

Also, if you are used to slicing files with Cura, BLADE will look much more familiar!

By slicing the above four manifolds sequentially instead of all together, we saved 5% printing time.

13 days! The longest print we have run on a BigRep PRO so far.

The BigRep PRO has been designed to 3D print as long as you need with its custom-built gantry engineered for high speed, fast acceleration, and accuracy. The robust frame eliminates vibrations during printing, assuring fast yet precise movement gliding the extruders along with a reinforced carriage system. Powered by Bosch servo motors with integrated encoders, the PRO calculates the real-time location of the print head to self-monitor for position accuracy. We call it the 2nd Generation Precision Motion Portal.

In addition, the already-mentioned MXT® Controls orchestrates the harmonious coordination of all components and processes to ensure fast printing, accuracy, and repeatability. It employs proprietary algorithms that improve your gcode print file. The result is better quality, such as smoother surfaces from spline interpolation, higher accuracy from backlash compensation and vibration filtration, and overall consistent results.

That’s why our customers can 3D print 24/7, reliably.

Unfortunately, we can not show you the 13 days part because of an NDA, but we can show you how a six-and-a-half-days print of a prototype for a car bumper looks fresh out of a BigRep PRO!

For 2 weeks, your engineering materials are kept dry in the filament chamber

The PRO’s environmentally sealed filament chamber with a two-spool capacity ensures that all materials, including engineering-grade and water-soluble, remain dry in a consistent temperature and humidity-controlled environment. Even when powered off, the PRO’s airtight material storage ensures best-in-class quality and reliability.

In addition, we need to highlight that we give you a choice regarding the filament. The BigRep PRO is an open system, which means you can use third-party filaments.

BigRep offers original filaments with qualified BLADE profiles, including biopolymers, fiber-filled, engineering-grade, and water-soluble support materials, meaning you can start printing virtually any shape immediately. On the other hand, we know that some customers prefer to order their filament from different providers or make their own!

For example, our customer METSO Outotec uses a BigRep PRO in Brasil to manufacture large-scale sand casting patterns. Close to their facility, there is a filament provider able to support them with the material they need. METSO Outotec preferred to use locally produced material.

Why should we lock you in a closed system?

1 month shorter lead time than outsourced CNC machining

We 3D printed a large-format hand-held jig (see picture below) and compared the lead times with a couple of CNC machining shops in Germany.

The results are pretty interesting:

If you are interested in learning more about how 3D printing and CNC work together, download this eBook.

Read the EBook

ITERATE FAST. PRODUCE FASTER.
GET TO MARKET FASTEST.

Explore the PRO

BigRep PRO: Large-Format 3D Printer showcasing advanced technology and high-quality printing capabilities

ITERATE FAST. PRODUCE FASTER. GET TO MARKET FASTEST.

Explore the PRO

About the author:

Marco Mattia Cristofori

Head of Product Marketing

Marco is a creative product marketer with an architectural background. He has been part of the BigRep family for five years, following all the development stages of its outstanding large-format 3D printing solutions.

3D Printing Produces Engine Covers to Accelerate Aircraft Maintenance

December 2, 2022June 1, 2022

How a specialized local engineering company supported a major airline during the pandemic with jet engine covers made with 3D printed molds.

Airplanes Grounded During COVID-19

The world was brought to a sudden standstill in March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic halted most travel, resulting in the immediate grounding of 62% of passenger planes.^[1] Consequently, various challenges emerged, including a lack of parking real estate and increased maintenance costs for planes not designed to stay idle. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), in particular, had most of its planes exposed to Norway’s typically harsh winter.

Grounding a fleet is not an easy task. When parked for long periods, airplane engines need protection from the elements as well as other detrimental influences like debris and animals. Airlines have a few choices, such as specialized long-term storage in a dry, warm climate or a more flight-ready approach.[2] The latter involves keeping the engines covered while parked outside, aside from required weekly engine operation checks.

Standard procedures require various covers to prevent moisture and other objects from damaging the engines, keeping humidity levels stable with desiccants. Unfortunately, airlines like SAS did not have the necessary inventory of off-the-shelf engine covers, exhaust plugs, etc., for these additional grounded planes. Without proper equipment, parking the airplanes wouldn’t have been an option.

Initially, as a remedial fix, SAS used plastic wrap and tape, an acceptable approach for small-scale, short-term storage. However, with continuously idle airplanes, the engines need to be uncovered for their weekly engine starts. Jason Deadman, a production engineer at SAS, describes the eight-hour process of engine unpacking and repacking for these checks as “quite an operation.”

As the pandemic extended, a longer-term solution that was quicker and more cost-effective was needed.

Supply Chain Interruptions

A simple solution to this lack of engine covers, of course, was just to order more. Yet, COVID-19 ignited a domino effect in global supply chains. Without access to raw material during lockdowns, manufacturing slowed down, and fewer products were being made. One survey found that only a fraction of supply-chain companies could operate without disruption. [3]

The timely sourcing of parts from usual suppliers was nearly impossible. This problem called for some creative thinking. Several companies began to work beyond the normal system, such as shifting to in-house manufacturing, chartering cargo vessels, and redesigning parts to use what was available. [4]

Specifically, airlines encountered limited ground-service equipment availability. As a result, SAS determined that shortening the supply chain was the key—harnessing more locally available resources. This option would not only solve their logistics challenges but also move SAS toward a more eco-friendly and less risky operation.

Thinking Outside the Box with 3D Printing

A shorter supply chain requires a search for local opportunities. Jason at SAS thought of 3D printing as a possible solution for their supply chain issues. After all, the benefits of 3D printing align with the company’s needs and values. These include fast production, design flexibility, low volume, low cost, and minimal waste. [5] Small objects could be produced easily with this technology, but how could he procure service equipment on an airplane scale? Despite the limitations in materials and size of most 3D printers, this seemed to be an untapped opportunity for the airline. SAS asked a local specialized supplier, CNE Engineering, how 3D printing can help with its grounded planes.

Nathan Brown, the founder of CNE Engineering, began reviewing the material requirements for the engine exhaust covers. They needed to withstand extreme outdoor temperatures and exhibit chemical and UV resistance. In addition, it needed to be soft yet robust—both the engine and cover could not be damaged when covered and uncovered. Based on these requirements, Nathan considered castable urethane, a widely available and low-cost material option.

This material, coupled with SAS’s volume needs of 20–100, called for cast parts. Fortunately, CNE revealed they could still 3Dprint the casting molds, or tools used to produce the equipment SAS needed. This option also met SAS’s timing requirements—initial equipment deliveries began several weeks after the project was initiated. By utilizing their BigRep large-format 3D printers CNE Engineering was able to act quickly, and produce custom tooling and equipment in-house at full scale to meet the immediate needs of SAS during the COVID Pandemic.

Jet Engine Covers made with 3D Printed PU-Molds

From Concept to Production

Now that the manufacturing approach was determined, the engineering details of the process followed. Once the casting production process was selected, CNE designed and engineered the molds, which utilized a combination of printed materials. This arrangement had to be liquid-tight, chemical resistant, and also allow for easy de-molding (part release). The BigRep ONE 3D printer could accommodate the top and bottom mold parts, in one piece, without needing to divide or segment them. BigRep’s STUDIO was used to produce mold parts that had smaller features and required a higher level of detail (e.g., negative space required for the cover’s handles).

The manufacturing process was refined as follows: The urethane tooling is printed and assembled, a process that takes a few days. Next, liquid urethane is poured into the mold to cure, taking only hours. In the end, one person can easily remove the final part from the mold in a few minutes.

SAS received its initial order within just two months of the kick-off meeting. Orders continued with similar quantities in various sizes for the different airplanes. The hours-long endeavor of wrapping and unwrapping jet engines is now a matter of minutes for a maintenance technician and these custom-built covers.

Where Can Large-Format 3D Printing Take Us?

CNE Engineering fulfilled three key aspects of their design with their BigRep 3D printers. First, a range of material options was available that enabled them to test and experiment with final-finish materials. Second, the build volume (1 m³) of the BigRep ONE was large enough to meet the dimensions of the jet engine exhaust with single-piece prints. Further, the print-line orientation of the mold design enabled the ease of casting and mold release.

Large-format 3D printing is an exciting innovative method of manufacturing solutions that demands unique parts or features, for example, complex curvature coupled with a flexible material.

Nathan at CNE sees endless opportunities for large-scale 3D printing. He hopes to expand designing and 3D printing tooling and equipment for other airlines with their ground-service needs as well as other industries. Nathan lists tool holders, carts, jigs, templates, and other hangar equipment as promising candidates for large-scale 3D printing. The aim is to simply “find customers and identify the need”.

LARGE-SCALE INNOVATION. LIMITLESS CREATIVITY.

The BigRep ONE is an award-winning, large-format 3D printer at an accessible price point. With over 500 systems installed worldwide, it's a trusted tool of designers, innovators, and manufacturers alike. With a massive one-cubic-meter build volume, the fast and reliable ONE brings your designs to life in full scale.

Explore the ONE

LARGE-SCALE INNOVATION. LIMITLESS CREATIVITY.

Explore the ONE

About the author:

Dominik Stürzer

Head of Growth Marketing

References

A Short Introduction to Generative Design

February 23, 2023April 19, 2022

Imagine you could create thousands of options for a single design at the push of a button and then you just pick the best option! Generative design makes this possible.

Generative design is pushing the boundaries of what engineers and creators can achieve. The technology leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to automatically generate design solutions based on design criteria.

This capability enables designers and engineers to explore geometries and forms beyond the bounds of human imagination and come up with superior solutions and products. Generative design’s potential is further unlocked using advanced manufacturing technologies, like 3D printing. In this article, we’ll take you through everything you need to know in order to understand and get started with generative design.

What is Generative Design?

Generative design is a a software-driven iterative design process in which 3D geometries are created based on goals and parameters. The software, which uses AI-driven algorithms to make optimized geometries that meet or exceed performance requirements.

In the generative design process, you are not required to upload an existing part or geometry. Instead, you input constraints and design goals for a given part, and the software will auto-generate a series of designs that meet your specifications. Inputs include dimensional and weight constraints, maximum cost, material type, necessary loads, what manufacturing technology is being used, and more. Generative design software takes all these factors into account when computing 3D models, resulting in a series of different designs that fit the parameters and goals.

From there, the various options can be further analyzed - either manually by the designer or using an automated testing program - to rank the geometries based on how well they meet the defined goals. The top choices can then be further refined and optimized until the best solution is found. Notably, because generative design is driven by artificial intelligence, the software continues to learn with every project, leading to increasingly advanced outcomes.

Difference Between Topology Optimization and Generative Design

While both are at the forefront of design processes today, topology optimization and generative design are not to be confused or conflated. One optimizes an existing CAD design to meet certain specifications, while the other creates a design from scratch using algorithms.

Topology optimization is a widely used tool in many CAD software programs. In the topology optimization process, users upload a CAD model and specify the design goals for the part including constraints, loads, etc.. The software processes this input and creates a single optimized geometry based on the original CAD model.

The generative design process, on the other hand, starts at a different point. Rather than input an existing 3D model to be optimized, you begin by setting the project constraints and goals. AI-driven software then analyzes these and generates a series of design outcomes, which you can evaluate and optimize further.

In summary, there are two important distinctions between topology optimization and generative design. First, unlike topology optimization, generative design does not require a human-designed CAD model to initiate the design process. And second, generative design offers you multiple optimized design outcomes, enabling you to explore more potential solutions and further refine the design.

Benefits and Limitations of Generative Design

There are many benefits to using generative design, including previously unimagined solutions and faster design iterations. As a relatively new software solution, however, generative design is still burdened by some limitations, which we will explore in more detail. But first, let’s take a look at some of the benefits.

Benefits of Generative Design

New design concepts: Traditionally, product designs are typically based on models that already exist. With generative design, however, geometries are not restrained by existing models. The software can therefore produce wholly new geometries that may surpass existing designs in terms of functionality and performance, often with an unexpected and novel appearance.

Faster time to market: Generative design technology can dramatically speed up product design timelines and therefore accelerate the time to market. Not only does it auto-generate multiple outcomes for a given set of parameters, it also enables you to compare the various designs and further refine them in a digital setting. This means by the time you get to physically prototyping your new product, many of the potential design flaws will have already been anticipated and avoided.

Complex design: Used in combination with advanced manufacturing processes, such as 3D printing, generative design unlocks unprecedented design freedom. Previously impossible parts, with lattices, organic structures, and complex internal geometries can be achieved to attain the best possible performance outcomes and meet design goals.

Automated assessment: Once the design outcomes have been generated the best option must be chosen. Depending on the project, this can be simply an aesthetic decision made by the designer, but more often this is a matter of part performance. Additional algorithms can be implemented to evaluate and rate the generated design in regard to parameters such as part performance, accuracy in relation to defined goals, and many more.

Partition wall made with Generative Design

Limitations of Generative Design

Upskilling: To make the most out of generative design software, designers must understand how to work with machine learning and AI-driven software. This is especially true for more complex design applications. Not all designers are equipped with these skills, which creates hurdles for adoption.

Accessibility: One of the challenges facing generative design today is accessibility. The cost of using generative design software has traditionally been steep, which makes it prohibitive to certain users. Free options are available but tend to require the users to script their own algorithms. Fortunately, thanks to cloud computing solutions, the price of generative design solutions is starting to decrease. In 2021, for instance, Autodesk cut the price of its Generative Design Extension for Fusion 360 by 80% to increase access.

Generative Design Process

Once an exclusive technology, generative design software is becoming more accessible as CAD software providers integrate the process into their product offerings. Below are some of the leading generative solutions on the market:

Autodesk Fusion 360

A leading CAD software program, Fusion 360 offers users a wide selection of 3D design tools. Autodesk’s Generative Design Extension for Fusion 360 utilizes machine learning and AI to quickly iterate design solutions based on defined goals and parameter sets for various manufacturing processes, including 3D printing, CNC machining, casting, and injection molding.

Siemens NX

PLM software provider Siemens has brought generative design to market in its NX platform. Siemens NX is an integrated solution that offers a combination of intelligent design and simulation for product design. NX also integrates topology optimization powered by convergent modeling.

PTC Creo Generative Design

The Creo Generative Design solution by PTC is fully integrated into its CAD/PLM/simulation platform, enabling the seamless transition from design concept to simulation to prototype to production. The solution consists of two design extensions: the cloud-based Generative Design Extension (GDX) and the Generative Topology Optimization extension (GTO). These extensions automatically highlight the top design options for the user and are compatible with both additive manufacturing and CNC machining.

nTopology nTop Platform

nTopology’s generative design software gives the user full control over the design optimization process. With it, you can build custom workflows and utilize field-driven design, which combines simulation, experimental data, and in-house engineering knowledge to generate innovative, optimized design solutions.

3D Printing and Generative Design

3D printing, also known as Additive Manufacturing, and generative design go hand in hand. Used in combination, the advanced technologies enable engineers and producers to take their products to the next level, overcoming design limitations imposed by more traditional manufacturing processes.

3D printing is a relatively young manufacturing approach that builds parts layer by layer. This is different from subtractive manufacturing processes, like CNC machining, which creates parts by removing material from a blank. Due to the additive nature of 3D printing, the technology is capable of producing a greater range of design features, including lattices, organic structures, and internal geometries. Today, there are many types of 3D printing technology on the market, including metal, polymer, and composite systems that fall into hobbyist/industrial and desktop/large-format 3D printer categories, for example. This means additive manufacturing can be used for a broad range of applications in many industries.

Generative design gives you the tools to make the most out of 3D printing. And vice versa. In other words, 3D printing and generative design provide unprecedented design freedom, which creates pathways for more innovative product development.

In addition to the design freedom 3D printing allows, the technology also offers other benefits, including production agility. Let us elaborate. 3D printing is not bound by the same economies of scale as more traditional production methods. This means that it can cost efficiently produce a single or small series of parts. Not only does this have benefits for prototyping, where high-quality functional prototypes can be quickly iterated for testing, but also for the mass customization of end-use parts. Generative design also encourages customization in that it can quickly generate new design variations based on parameter adjustments.

There are several examples of generative design and additive manufacturing being used to enhance the performance of a part. For instance, automotive manufacturer General Motors redesigned a seat belt bracket using Autodesk’s generative design solution and metal 3D printing. Not only did the new part consolidate eight components into a single structure, but it was also 40% lighter and 20% stronger than its conventional counterpart. .

Large-scale 3D printer manufacturer BigRep has used generative design to achieve previously impossible designs. The company’s innovation consultancy NOWLAB relied on generative design software and large-format 3D printing to produce the first 3D printed green wall with built-in drainage and irrigation systems. The first installation, known as the BANYAN Eco Wall, is characterized by an organic, plant-inspired structure measuring 2000 x 2000 x 600 mm, and is designed to irrigate the living plants fitted into it. A subsequent GENESIS Eco Screen was installed outdoors in Berlin and measured 4000 x 4000 x 800 mm. Generative design was vital in creating the unique design and optimizing it for 3D printing.

Industries that Use Generative Design

Generative design is a versatile technology that offers benefits to a range of industries, from aerospace to consumer goods. Here is how the top industries that have adopted generative design are using the approach:

Automotive

In the automotive industry, generative design is being used to improve vehicle part design with the aim of enhancing performance and efficiency. Some of the most important goals in this sector are reducing weight and consolidating parts. Both are critical to improving fuel efficiency in cars.

Aerospace

Generative design is also making an impact in the aerospace industry, where new aircraft part designs are unlocking greater efficiency, performance, and safety. Like the automotive industry, aerospace is leveraging generative design to create more lightweight parts for better fuel efficiency.

Architecture and Construction

In the field of architecture, generative design allows designers and architects to conceive of new, outside-the-box solutions for architectural spaces and layouts while solving complex design problems. For example, generative design can come up with innovative and functional layouts for compact urban living spaces or offices.

Industrial Machinery

Generative design can be used with a range of manufacturing processes, including additive manufacturing and more traditional processes like CNC machining. This means industrial machinery businesses can explore new possibilities not only for AM but also for casting design. For example, industrial machinery designers can create better performing parts, such as gears, while also consolidating the number parts to lower costs, material usage, and overall risk.

Consumer Goods

Product design for consumer goods is all about innovation. Generative design is enabling product designers in this segment to bring superior solutions to market that solve complex design problems. Crucially, generative design takes out a lot of the legwork of designing by streamlining what would normally consist of multiple iteration cycles using AI-driven algorithms. This can save product design teams significant time and money.

Conclusion

Overall, generative design is changing how designers come up with solutions to complex problems. It provides an intelligent, automated pathway for conceiving new design concepts that push the boundaries while still meeting, even surpassing, the brief.

It is also worth mentioning that there are those who think generative design will make designers redundant through its use of automation and AI. This is far from the truth: the technology is not designed to replace the designer, it is built to empower them to explore wholly new design concepts that take product performance and efficiency to new levels. And as the technologies that power generative design—AI and machine learning—become increasingly sophisticated, so too will generative design solutions and outputs.

INDUSTRIAL QUALITY MEETS COST EFFICIENCY.
COMPLEX PARTS IN LARGE SCALE.

The BigRep PRO is a 1 m³ powerhouse 3D printer, built to take you from prototyping to production. It provides a highly scalable solution to manufacture end-use parts, factory tooling or more with high-performance, engineering-grade materials. Compared with other manufacturing and FFF printing solutions, the PRO can produce full-scale, accurate parts faster and at lower production costs.

Explore the PRO

INDUSTRIAL QUALITY MEETS COST EFFICIENCY.
COMPLEX PARTS IN LARGE SCALE.

Explore the PRO

About the author:

Dominik Stürzer

Head of Growth Marketing

Design innovative mountain bikes using 3D printing

February 23, 2023February 9, 2022

Canyon reinvents the mountain bike by combining efficiency and sustainability. New frame geometries are designed using topology optimization. Now thanks to large scale 3D printers, engineers can hold their creations in their hands within a few days.

Canyon: Creative from the very beginning

Ever since it was founded, Canyon Bicycles GmbH has been an innovative company. Started as a bicycle spare part dealership mainly selling parts during races, Canyon was among the first companies to start a mail order business before quickly developing their own bikes. Now Canyon offers bikes in all categories, from city bikes to mountain bikes, and employs more than 1000 people. Working with professional cyclists like Jan Frodeno, Alejandro Valverde, and Mathieu van der Poel as well as teams like the Canyon SRAM Racing Team provides new impulses for innovation and development. To realize their ideas, engineers like Johannes Thumm, Senior Design Engineer MTB at Canyon, make use of what large scale 3D printing can offer. His task: “My work is focused on making the most lightweight and most efficient mountain bikes for racing. Exactly the bikes I like to ride myself.”

Additive Manufacturing saves time and money when designing bicycle frames

Until now, the development of a new frame concept used to be complicated, costly and most of all, time consuming. For a first prototype of a new frame, a mock-up would be welded from steel tubes. This could then be used to attach parts and check the frame’s geometry and appearance. If problems arose a new mock-up was required, which could take weeks or even months.

For carbon fiber frames, making a prototype was even more demanding. Each design iteration required a new milled mold in which carbon fiber can be shaped into the design prototype. . This is a time consuming and therefore expensive process — the mold alone could cost between 10,000 € and 25,000 € — and again, it might be weeks before a frame design can finally be evaluated to decide if changes are necessary or not.

This is where 3d printing comes into play. Using their BigRep ONE, engineers can print the frame geometries that had been designed on the computer within one or two days. In just a short while it is possible to have a frame in hand, to get a real feel for the product, and to compare it with one's expectations. These design iterations greatly influence the decision to abandon a design or develop it further. Johannes Thumm: “We can simply design, print, check the frame, maybe do some modifications, print it again.”

After a few post-processing steps like sanding, priming, and painting, the prototype looks like how the final bicycle frame will appear and is useful for collecting aesthetic opinions from colleagues and potential customers. In case adaptations are required, the 3D printer drastically shortens iteration cycles and, therefore, the time it takes until the next frame version is available. Costs for 3D printed prototypes are only a fraction of those made with conventional methods.

Development of sustainable frame concepts with the BigRep ONE

For an upcoming project, Canyon was forced to break new ground. The R&D department was tasked with developing a frame that should set a higher standard of sustainability, but this required solving several challenges. First, the frame should be made from only one easily recyclable material. Secondly, the frame had to be as rigid as possible for tough professional racing situations as well as improved handling for ambitious amateur rider. Finally, a maximum weight could not be exceeded.

To achieve all of these goals, Canyon used computerized topology optimization. After relevant boundaries had been set, the computer calculated the most ideal shape for the new bike frame. A number of changes and adaptations through many iteration cycles resulted in an optimized frame design that could actually be manufactured and was financially feasible.

Without the 3D printer, iteration design process would not have been cost-efficient, or perhaps impossible. Johannes Thumm says, “3D printing already opened up so many cool chances to save time, to try new designs, extending all the possibilities of manufacturing.”

Future development of 3D printing in the bicycle industry

Aside from bicycle design, 3D printing will accelerate product development in many other industries. As product cycles become ever shorter and customers ask for more individualized products, additive manufacturing makes it possible to react quickly to changing market conditions. By combining computer-aided design processes and modern manufacturing technologies, products can be made which were previously unconceivable.

Usable bike frames out of the 3D printer are still a vision of the future. But considering the rapid development of additive manufacturing it is only a matter of time before this will become a reality. Not only would bike frames in all sizes become available, it would also be possible to provide custom-made bike geometries based on individual bodily dimensions. For Johannes Thumm, 3D printing will play an important role in the future: “There are completely new possibilities also in how a product can look like.”

3D printing will also have a huge impact on sustainability in manufacturing. Local production instead of long-distance cargo transport and avoiding large amounts of waste material during production will lead to bicycles making an even larger contribution to protecting the environment.”

LARGE-SCALE INNOVATION. LIMITLESS CREATIVITY.

Explore the ONE

LARGE-SCALE INNOVATION. LIMITLESS CREATIVITY.

Explore the ONE

About the author:

Michael Eggerdinger

Business Manager Materials

Michael is a toolmaker, a mechanical engineer, and a patent engineer. His years of working in manufacturing and as a project manager in various industries provide him with a profound knowledge of the main challenges in modern production processes. In 2017, he bought his first 3D printer to be used at home, and he has been hooked ever since!

How CNC Machining and 3D Printing Can Work Together in your Shop

February 8, 2022February 7, 2022

Do you ask yourself if CNC machining or 3D printing is the better manufacturing process? The answer is simple: “It depends!”

Many workshops rely on CNC machining as the backbone of their production processes. However, with the rise of additive manufacturing, more and more companies think about including 3D printing into the workflow or even replacing their CNC machines. Let us give you an overview of what 3D printing can do for you, and how you can best combine both processes.

Overview of CNC machining or Subtractive Manufacturing

CNC machining uses a computerized tool machine to produce the desired object by removing the surplus material from a blank. It is still the most cost-effective process for manufacturing parts in medium to large numbers. As a tried and tested method, CNC machines are available in workshops all over the world, and extensive knowledge exists about the whole process chain. It is very versatile in terms of materials that can be machined, geometries that can be produced, and achievable surface qualities and tolerances. Therefore, in many cases, CNC machining is still the method of choice.

However, CNC machining is still a highly specialized process, especially if geometries are of higher complexity or challenging materials are involved. CNC machining also requires highly skilled designers and programmers, leading to high personnel costs. Often special clamping tools are required, which must be designed and manufactured as well. This increases part costs, even more so, if the parts are in small numbers. Also, since you are starting with a block of material when CNCing a part, material cost will always be higher, and the amount of waste will also be more.

Overview of 3D Printing or Additive Manufacturing

Although various methods of 3D printing have proven to be a viable manufacturing process, it still is not as common as conventional machining. But FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) is becoming more and more popular in various industrial branches to produce small to medium batches of end-use parts or prototypes. Plastic is melted, then extruded through a nozzle, and the part is built up layer by layer. Apart from support structures, only the amount of material making up the final part is used, so almost no waste is produced. The object is printed directly on the flat surface of the print bed, so no clamping tools are required. Only a little specific knowledge is required to set up a BigRep printer and start a print. The printing process itself does not limit the part design in any way; almost any geometry can be printed. This helps in overcoming established ways of thinking in design and development. Riley Gillman, Technical Operations Manager at Nikola Motor Company said, "You can really challenge the engineering process and the manufacturing process!”

Due to the layer-based process, the surface quality is not comparable to milled parts and can require post-processing to a certain extent. And although more and more parts with very narrow tolerances can be printed, values as they are common for milled parts often cannot be matched. The choice of material is also limited; FFF only allows plastics to be used that can be melted.

How to Use Your Big 3D Printer Best?

Hand Jigs and Production Tools

This handheld tool that is used during the assembly of cars shows one typical application. The over 120 cm long part was initially planned to be milled out of a block of aluminum. However, overall costs, including machine, personnel, and material costs would have been around 10.000 € with an estimated time to completion of about two weeks. A Chinese manufacturer quoted 5.800 USD with a similar delivery time. Finally, it was decided to print the part in BigRep HI-TEMP CF on a BigRep PRO, which took 32 hours. The costs were about 790 USD, resulting in savings of 86%! A welcome side effect for the users handling the part was a reduction in weight of about 50%, compared to the aluminum version. All things considered, a very successful use case.

3D Printed End-Use Parts

Boyce Technologies uses 3D printing to produce end-use parts in their 5G kiosks that they make for Verizon. Due to the special shape of these air ducts, milling would have taken a long time and required extensive preparation time and post-processing. By 3D printing the parts instead, huge costs were saved in not only time and material costs, but also with the number of employees required to support preparation and post-processing. With large-format additive manufacturing, another benefit is that many parts can be printed at the same time, allowing for optimal use of the printer’s build volume.

How to Combine 3D Printing and CNC Machining?

The advantages additive manufacturing offers can be increased even more by combining it with other manufacturing processes. 3D printed objects can be reinforced by metal parts in places where higher loads occur; insert nuts made of brass can be inserted in plastic parts. Printed parts can also be machined in order to achieve dimensions with critical tolerances or required surface qualities, or even to mill threads. Jigs and fixtures as well as clamping and positioning tools made by 3D printing facilitate working with CNC machines. By intelligently combining 3D printing and CNC machining, users can benefit from the advantages of both processes.

A perfect example of how the 3D printer is also helpful when designing and manufacturing simple jigs, like positioning or assembly tools, as shown below. In this application, Gillman at Nikola was tasked to find a way to securely hold an aluminum part in place for CMM inspection. The aluminum part itself could not have been produced by 3D printing due to very specific geometrical requirements, so it had to be milled on a CNC machine. But making the fixture from aluminum would have required open space on a CNC machine and a lot of raw material. So, Gillman decided to produce it using his BigRep PRO. From idea to part, it only took a few hours, at material costs of under 20 USD!

In the last few years, Nikola Motor Company has experienced an increased shortage of materials as an ever-decreasing availability of external suppliers. Here a 3D printer offers flexibility and independence.

Riley Gillman summarizes the reasons for using his 3D printer: “Very often, we produce large parts with very challenging time limits. The geometry of the parts plays a large role; some of the parts are simply too complex to manufacture them using conventional methods. And sometimes we simply don’t have the budget to use any other process than 3D printing!”

How Can You Profit from Additive Manufacturing?

3D printing is most commonly used when large parts are required on short notice or when multiple iterations of a single part are needed. 3D printing enables you to make changes to 3D models quickly and easily, and then manufacture them in-house, massively reducing lead times. Functional prototypes are available much faster and you have a better idea of what the final product will look like.

Is it Beneficial for You to Use 3D Printing?

It is important for companies to understand the costs behind a 3D printer and what the ROI will look like. Here is a simple example: If you are paying about 5.000 USD per part with a 3D printing service and you need 4 similar sized parts per month, you will be spending about 20.000 USD a month! When you start comparing this to what it costs to purchase a printer, it becomes apparent that buying a printer is a worthwhile investment.

Which Process is Best Suited for You?

After all these considerations, the answer “It depends!” is easier to understand. The first step should always be, deciding which technology is best for your part and its intended use. Both processes have their advantages and their own applications, so 3D printing will not fully replace CNC machining.

And if you aim to combine both processes so that they complement each other, buying a 3D printer will give you many benefits, including:

increased flexibility and independence
time and costs savings
expanded manufacturing portfolio
improved internal processes

If this sounds interesting to you, speak to one of our experts! We will show you which one of our 3D printers is best suited for you and your applications. Or send us a CAD file of a sample part, and we will calculate costs and printing time for you.

See How CNC and 3D Printing Work Together at Nikola Motor

Riley Gillman, Technical Operations Manager at Nikola Motor Corporation, shows:

The Advantages and disadvantages of CNC and 3D Printing
Integrating 3D printing into your machine shop
Selecting the right manufacturing process for part
Cost and time savings for real custom examples
Understanding ROI

WATCH THE WEBINAR!

About the author:

Michael Eggerdinger

Business Manager Materials

7 Considerations for Purchasing an Industrial 3D Printer

April 11, 2024January 24, 2022

With a wide range of industrial 3D printers available in the market, evaluating machines for your production floor that fulfill your manufacturing needs entails considerable factors. Understanding your 3D print applications, the space it would need, the conditions to house the machine in, material and software requirements, and the budget are some of the important parameters to take into account before investing in the machine.

To filter down the vast array of industrial 3D printers available in the market, we deep dive into the top 7 questions to consider while buying a large-format industrial 3D printer.

1. What Applications Would You Use the 3D Printer for?

The first question to ask yourself is - what do you want to 3D print and why?
This question lays the groundwork to help you create a list of the applications the machine can be used for and in which part of the production line it can be implemented.

For example, if you are looking to print prototypes, will they be for functional roles like performance testing and fit checks or are they geared toward design approval? Similarly, for tooling applications, would the printed tools be deployed on the production line or used for specialized tasks like CMM inspection? If 3D printing end-use parts, what would the operating environment be like, and the requisite tolerances?

The next question is the dimensions – how big are the parts you intend to 3D print?
The key advantage of a large-format 3D printer is its capability to produce sizable components or batch print smaller parts in a single print job. Smaller printers face a limitation where they cannot accommodate large parts within a single print session, requiring the assembly of individual components post-printing.

In practice, the applications of 3D printing extend across almost all industries. AM can cut tooling costs and reduce lead times, especially for manufacturing industries by maintaining a digital inventory and manufacturing on-demand. It can reduce external dependency and minimize logistics by printing lightweight, strong, and ergonomic jigs and fixtures in-house. In the vehicle after-market customization sector, it can manufacture individualized 3D printed parts and patterns and also molds for a variety of components. For the aerospace industry, it’s used extensively to build low-volume MRO tools that meet the highest standards and certification set by the tightly regulated sector.

2. Which are the 3D Print Materials You Would Use?

The next aspect to consider would be whether you prefer a restricted or open material system. Closed material 3D printers restrict you to using only the printer's proprietary products, while open systems, like BigRep’s machines, allow you the freedom to use any compatible 3rd party filaments. Closed material 3D printers restrict you to using only the printer's proprietary products, while open material systems, like BigRep’s machines, allow you the freedom to use any compatible 3rd party filaments.

When choosing a filament, consider mechanical properties such as surface quality, sustainability, ease of use, printing speed, post-processing requirements, UV, temperature, and chemical resistance, as well as strength, stiffness, and flexibility. BigRep offers a comprehensive range of industrial-grade 3D printer filaments, from cost-effective materials to high-performance options tailored for demanding applications.

To set you up for success with every 3D print, we have profiles for all BigRep filaments. These material profiles have been meticulously created by our experts and are optimized for BigRep’s machines. They streamline your printing process by eliminating the need for you to manually adjust settings such as print temperature, bed temperature, print speed, layer height, and so on for each material. Just select the relevant material profile and hit print, and you are set up for optimal printing results.

3. What is the Space, Ventilation, and Electricity Requirements for the 3D Printer?

Evaluate the available space for the large-build volume 3D printer on your production floor. With dimensions ranging from x 1950 y 2500 z 2105 mm / x 77 y 98 z 83 inches (with tower) for our largest machine, BigRep PRO to x 1715 y 1170 z 1765 mm (x 67 y 46 z 69 inches) for the smaller BigRep STUDIO, our printers are suitable for different spaces, including shop floors, labs, and offices.

The environmental conditions you are housing the 3D printer also play an important role. Factors such as humidity levels, airborne particles from nearby equipment, and also the storage condition of the 3D printing filament can significantly impact print quality. For enclosed lab environments, an open-frame system may suffice, but climate-controlled rooms might be necessary for more demanding conditions.

Given the high power consumption of industrial 3D printers, you must also consider the electrical requirements of large-format 3D printers. Make sure there’s sufficient electrical output while deciding the printer's location on the production floor. BigRep’s machines have relatively lower power consumption as compared to other industrial 3D print machines in the market. The BigRep STUDIO and ONE can run with standard power outlets while our biggest machine, the BigRep PRO, needs an industrial power socket.

4. Which 3D Print Software Would You Use?

Nearly every 3D printer manufacturer offers its proprietary software for setting up and slicing parts, but some companies embrace an open-source approach, allowing you to select your preferred slicing software. You might opt to stick with familiar software or use the pre-loaded profiles and settings from the printer manufacturer.

When assessing software options, consider the expertise level of the people operating the machine. Whether experienced or newbie operators, some systems demand more technical proficiency, while others, like the BigRep’s, are more plug-and-play. Regardless of the printer, opting for software installation and training from your provider helps you learn the optimal settings, part orientation, and materials for successful prints.

With BigRep’s 3D printers, we have an open-source approach where you can use external software or our suite of intelligent solutions. With our software—FLOW, BLADE, and CONNECT, you have complete oversight from design to print monitoring.

FLOW is customizable software that makes application engineering for 3D-printed jigs, fixtures, and manufacturing aids easier than ever. No design skills or 3D printing experience are required.
BLADE is an easy-to-use slicing software that allows for greater control of printing parameters on all BigRep large-format additive manufacturing systems.
CONNECT is a one-stop platform connecting you with your BigRep printers to boost productivity with remote monitoring and data analytics.

5. Does Your 3D Printer Provider Deliver Local Support?

Having local support is often an invaluable asset to any business embracing 3D printing. Ask for references, talk to customers who are using the printers, and understand their experience working with the company and if the level of service meets or exceeds your expectations. When you invest in an industrial large-format 3D printer, you expect the level of support to match the price tag of the printer.

BigRep provides local support through our global and regional headquarters (Berlin, Boston, and Singapore), as well as a network of reseller partners around the globe. We offer three levels of support beyond our standard on-demand service, so your 3D printer is tuned for optimal performance and has minimum downtime.

Our support options include access to:
1. A knowledge base for 24/7 troubleshooting through the BigRep HUB
2. On-demand service with an online ticket system for additional support
3. Service contracts for scheduled maintenance to prevent issues and ensure your peace of mind

6. Does Your 3D Printer Provider have eLearning and Training Resources?

If you are new to 3D printing and want to learn more about the machine or are a seasoned operator trying to troubleshoot an issue, where would you start? While the internet has a wealth of information, it may lack the specifics to train you on the intricacies of a particular industrial 3D printer. If your 3D printer provider has eLearning courses, hands-on training, and learning resources, it can significantly improve your knowledge and ability to efficiently operate a 3D printer, troubleshoot issues, and maximize its capabilities.

BigRep's eLearning platform, Academy, offers comprehensive courses from fundamentals to expert-level, spanning all aspects of large-format 3D printing. Whether you're delving into design, slicing, printer operation, troubleshooting, or beyond, the platform has you covered. For specific projects and topics, we provide custom training through remote conferencing or in-person sessions where a BigRep expert will guide you through the course while giving you real-time feedback.

Advanced and custom courses can be hosted in the BigRep offices if you prefer to learn hands-on with the machine. For your company’s on-site training, experts from the BigRep Academy can also come to your location.

7. What’s Your Budget?

We recommend taking the time to develop an ROI calculation while budgeting for a large-format 3D printer and truly assess every aspect of the purchase. How expensive is the annual service contract? If you find less expensive materials, does the 3D printer have an open materials system that can run it? Is safeguarding intellectual property a consideration? Will the printer be reliable enough to become profitable for your business?

Bringing manufacturing capabilities in-house gives you more control and flexibility in the design and production process, potentially resulting in significant cost savings over time. A reliable 3D printer can deliver consistent performance, minimize operational costs, and adapt to evolving manufacturing needs offering a lifetime value.

Often BigRep customers realize a positive ROI more quickly than they expected. Industrial giants like Ford Motor Company found their investment in a BigRep additive system returned in less than a financial quarter. “After two or three successful prints, the BigRep printer was already paid for,” said Lars Bognar, a research engineer at Ford.

SFM 3D-Printed Helicopter Blade Restraint Cradle Made with the BigRep PRO

Go BIG with Industrial 3D Printers

By integrating 3D printers into your production workflows, you can explore new applications and make the most of your investment. The latest versions of industrial printers are much more affordable and offer intuitive user experiences making it easier than ever to adapt AM technologies on the factory floor.

With a line-up of large-format industrial printers, engineering-grade materials , intelligent software, an eLearning platform and exceptional customer service, BigRep offers a holistic ecosystem that enables a wide range of professional applications. If you’re ready to leverage 3D printing in your business, get in touch with our experts and find the right BigRep 3D printer for your needs today.

Want to learn more about how Industry Giants made Instant Returns on Investment with BigRep 3D Printers?

Find out how industry-leading companies such as Ford and Steelcase implemented BigRep’s 3D printing systems and unlocked unprecedented efficiency and cost savings.

Read this large-format additive guide to find out:

How BigRep printers reduce traditional lead times by up to 94%
Why moving manufacturing processes in-house secures production timelines
How industry giants have made a return on investment from just one application
Why any business can earn fast returns from large-format’s flexible manufacturing

7 WAYS BIGREP 3D PRINTERS UNLOCK PROFIT INSTANTLY

Fast Product Development in Commercial Vehicle Manufacturing with 3D Printing

September 7, 2023January 7, 2022

Do you make a highly specific product that you adapt to each customer’s needs and requirements? This usually involves long iteration cycles that cost both time and money. Learn how the ZOELLER group now takes just days rather than weeks to develop and optimize its custom-made components.

What are the challenges of manufacturing customer-specific vehicles?

With its 2,500 employees, the ZOELLER group develops and manufactures waste collection vehicles, with a special focus on the necessary lifter systems. Its products are used around the world, so they have to meet a wide range of requirements. As well as handling different types of bins, they have to comply with country-specific legal regulations that call for different safety and protection equipment. Dr. Bojan Ferhadbegović, Head of Engineering and Design at ZOELLER, said: “These machines are used around the world. They don’t just have to be fast, they also have to be highly reliable.”

The resulting customer demands call for constant adaptation. Control elements need to be installed in covers and housings, lamps need to be positioned correctly, and numerous sensors for process monitoring need to be integrated. The product development process is a long one, because solutions need to be developed, checked for suitability and optimized. In the past, such components had to be laboriously formed from steel sheets and then discussed with the customer once complete. As well as taking a long time to develop, these prototypes were also rather limited in terms of complexity, precision and material properties. And some requested features were impossible to provide through this process. As a result, it was necessary to create the first near-series component to get a real feel for the object’s geometry and haptics.

How can 3D printing resolve these problems?

Several years ago, ZOELLER decided to tackle this issue and started to move away from traditional production methods and 3D print such prototypes instead. The company benefited from this decision in many different ways. It now takes just a few days, not weeks, to turn a design into a tangible object. Design departments, production departments and customers can coordinate more quickly, which produces significantly shorter iteration cycles. Change requests are quickly incorporated in the design, and the modified part can be examined just a few days later. Printed prototypes are also easy to install in vehicles, so they can be tested in real-world conditions. Marco Neuchel, Head of Development at Zoeller, says: “The great thing about parts being available so quickly is that we can try them out immediately in field tests and with our product. That means we can test the parts within a few days and then get feedback quickly.”

As well as speeding up development, 3D printing has considerably expanded options in terms of geometry and materials. ZOELLER can now, for example, include surfaces and structures that could not be created by the traditional process. And the huge range of available filaments means that even the initial prototypes are extremely similar to the parts produced later in series, especially in terms of appearance and the behavior of the material. Using ASA, for example, makes it possible to print objects whose stiffness and haptics are similar to those of the serial parts ultimately produced by means of rotational casting.

Dr. Ferhadbegović: “Our customers have very specific requirements. So we need to produce highly specific parts incredibly quickly on request – and 3D printing is the perfect tool!”

How did 3D printing evolve at ZOELLER?

In the beginning, ZOELLER had 3D printed parts made by external service providers. To become less reliant on suppliers and also save time and money, ZOELLER bought a BigRep ONE in July 2019. After a short training period, it was soon possible to successfully print a range of different objects, and so the numbers of printed parts swelled quickly. The ONE was soon upgraded to tandem mode, so that parts could be printed at the same time in order to further speed up production.

Two years after purchasing its first ONE, the company decided to expand its printing capacities by buying a BigRep PRO. This allowed ZOELLER to print more than twice as fast as before, and with improved precision. The BigRep PRO is fully enclosed for improved temperature management; it can also process an even wider range of diverse materials, and thus has even more applications.

Nowadays, ZOELLER prints not just prototypes, but also production equipment. Quantities range from 2 to 2,000 units, depending on the component. A 1 cubic meter build volume allows large parts to be printed in one piece, so there is no need for bonding. Alternatively, the large printing surface can be used to produce larger numbers of multiple small objects sequentially. ZOELLER now plans to print end-use parts in small runs in the near future. Some parts are reworked, e.g. primed and painted, and then subjected to weathering tests to examine their suitability for use in all weathers.

What experiences has ZOELLER had with 3D printing and its BigRep printers?

It was not difficult for ZOELLER employees to familiarize themselves with 3D printing. They were quickly able to learn what they needed to know, and the printers were integrated smoothly into existing production processes. This is partly due to the construction and design of the BigRep PRO and the BigRep ONE, and partly to the support provided by BigRep customer service. Marco Neuchel: “The BigRep PRO has been running for more than 300 hours now, and we have not encountered any problems so far. It is a really well-designed machine! And whenever we have a question about the printers or the printing process, we can get help on the phone or via email. We are completely satisfied with BigRep!”

210389B9-928D-44BE-A354-B91BDD5621F9_1_201_a

3D printing has taken root quickly at ZOELLER, and is now an integral part of the production chain. So it’s hardly surprising that Dr. Ferhadbegović is very pleased: “3D printing has become an integral part of our development process. 3D printing is definitely the future for us!”

Want to Learn More About How 3D Printing Speeds Up Commercial Vehicle Manufacturing?

Commercial vehicles like refuse collection trucks and fire engines place high demands on their components. Learn how large-format 3D printers give companies the flexibility and versatility to iterate fast, produce faster, and get to market faster, all while reacting to challenging customer requirements on short notice. Don't miss out, watch the webinar now:

HOW 3D PRINTING IS HELPING IMPROVE TIME TO MARKET AND ENABLING CUSTOMIZATION OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLES.

INDUSTRIAL QUALITY MEETS COST EFFICIENCY.
COMPLEX PARTS IN LARGE SCALE.

Explore the PRO

INDUSTRIAL QUALITY MEETS COST EFFICIENCY.
COMPLEX PARTS IN LARGE SCALE.

Explore the PRO

About the author:

Michael Eggerdinger

Business Manager Materials

Save 70% of tooling costs in metal casting

February 4, 2022December 14, 2021

Making patterns for metal casting used to be a labor intensive and long process. But with a large 3D printer, you can do this at the push of a button. This way, Metso Outotec saves up to 70% costs.

The Old and the New

When one speaks about foundries, most people will think of glowing furnaces and smoke-filled, sooty workshops. And even if this image is still valid, metal casting consists of many more and complex steps besides the final casting process. In order to optimize and simplify these processes and to cut costs at the same time companies like Metso Outotec are starting to implement 3D printing.

Metso Outotec is a global supplier of equipment and solutions for mineral processing and metal refining industries. Parts for the product portfolio are cast in five foundries that belong to the company. In two plants, 3D printers by BigRep are used mainly to produce casting molds and core boxes. The foundry in the Czech Republic purchased a BigRep ONE a few years ago, and in Brazil a BigRep PRO has been operating since February 2021. At the Brazil location, Patricia Moraes, who has been with the company since 2004, is in charge of implementing and optimizing their 3D printing process.

3D Printing Replaces CNC Milling and Makes Everything Easier

Before their BigRep 3D printers were installed, the molds and other parts were made purely of wood. The blanks were assembled from single wooden blocks and the desired shape was created by a CNC milling process. Not only did this require sourcing, storage, and handling of large and heavy pieces of wood, but the machines had to be programmed by specifically trained and skilled personnel. This process also requires a lot of time, as the blanks are mostly glued together and cannot be processed before the glue has cured. Patricia Moraes said, “It all takes so long, because we have to wait until the glue has dried.”

As their manufacturing process transitioned, many parts, like core boxes in various sizes, loose parts, and tools for the core shooting machines are now 3D printed on BigRep’s 3D printers. Metso Outotec prints specifically designed add-on parts that can be attached to simple base bodies, allowing for increased flexibility when it comes to creating a large variety of casting molds. At this stage, the interaction of CNC machining and 3D printing plays an important role. Large base bodies are still milled and are then complemented by 3D printed loose parts, while smaller parts are mostly printed completely.

Faster, lighter, more flexible

According to Patricia Moraes, one of the most important advantages of the new method - the much faster production process - is quite obvious: “You can say, the printer works in three shifts. I start the print today, and I have the part tomorrow.” Not only does this speed up production, it also allows for much shorter iteration cycles. Alterations to the casting molds and core boxes can be done on short notice, and desired changes can be implemented much more easily.

Another key benefit of using additive manufacturing is the parts are lighter and much easier to handle. Purchase and storage of the raw material is drastically simplified, as it is no longer necessary to buy large quantities of wood. Metso Outotec also makes use of the possibility to operate with different materials on the same printer. Surfaces that are subjected to higher stresses during operation are printed with material showing a better resistance against wear, for example, BigRep Pro-HT, while structures below are made of cost-saving PLA. By using the settings and adjustments provided by BigRep’s own slicing software, BLADE, the inner structure of the object can be influenced by changing the amount of infill printed in certain areas. Load-carrying structures can be printed in a more solid manner, while in other places material and therefore weight can be saved.

Short ramp-up and important findings

After printing more than 70 parts on the new BigRep PRO, Patricia Moraes draws an overwhelmingly positive conclusion. “The ramp-up was very short. After only three months we have achieved a machine efficiency of 80%.” Findings from this learning phase were quickly turned into further process optimizations. It turned out that even when using larger nozzles and an increased layer thickness, a high surface quality could be achieved, generating parts that could be used right away with almost no postprocessing. So, time-to-part was halved, and the number of printed parts was doubled. In comparison to the previous, traditional process, Metso Outotec’s evaluations after seven months show cost reductions between 55% and 70%, depending on the part.

The positive experience of using BigRep’s printers in production has also sparked the creativity of Metso Outotec’s employees. When asked if they were planning to use the printers for other purposes as well, Patricia Moraes replies: “We see many opportunities here, like jigs and fixtures, but also spare parts. Especially for older equipment often one must import spare parts. Because of the good accuracy and the suitable materials, there are many possibilities for us here.”

Conclusion

At Metso Outotec, everyone is pleased with the implementation of 3D printing into their manufacturing process. Here the large variety of materials offered by BigRep plays a significant role, but most importantly the helpful support from BigRep’s employees enabled Patricia Moraes to successfully implement this modernization project: “With BigRep, we have a very good partnership!”

Watch the webinar now!

Highlights: BigRep at Formnext 2021

February 23, 2023December 6, 2021

After 24 long months of webinars, virtual demos and virtual events, the BigRep team was excited and ready to be back in-person at Formnext, the leading event for industrial 3D printing and additive manufacturing.

For BigRep, it was the perfect opportunity to present our new generation of large-format 3D printers – the improved and configurable BigRep ONE, the easier than ever BigRep PRO, and a wide range of customer applications.

BigRep booth at Formnext

At BigRep’s booth, the 3D printers, the new generation PRO for industrial applications and the improved ONE for creative innovation, took center stage. Their large size drew a lot of attention. Visitors were eager to learn more about features, open-source materials and all the possibilities of large-format 3D printing. Potential customers spoke about their needs to print their parts in full scale and about the long lead times and high costs caused by outsourcing production, which are two main reasons our customers have purchased a BigRep. The team also analyzed parts on-site at the trade show to show the cost per part and the additional value users can gain by using one of our printers.

BigRep ONE - LARGE SCALE INNOVATION. LIMITLESS CREATIVITY.

The BigRep ONE that we know and love is a world-leading large-format 3D printer at an accessible price point. At Formnext we presented the improved version ONE.4. Perfect for prototyping, production, and a wide range of applications, the ONE comes equipped with new, lighter portal for much more precise prints and one BigRep fiber-ready Power Extruder (PEX) that features interchangeable 0.6, 1.0, and 2.0 mm nozzles for maximum detail or high-flow additive manufacturing.

Users can also configure their ONE and choose from single, dual, or twin extruder modes plus add-ons like an enclosed housing and even the printer’s color to create the perfect machine just for them. Then as their 3D printing needs evolve, users can upgrade their ONE with additional features to meet their new demands. ONE customers can benefit from packages that are tailored to their needs and applications.

BigRep PRO - ITERATE FAST. PRODUCE FASTER.
GET TO MARKET FASTEST.

With a 1 cubic meter build volume, the BigRep PRO is an industrial 3D printer for producing large size parts in full scale, such as functional prototypes, tools, patterns and molds as well as end-use parts. Built for productivity throughout all stages of manufacturing, the PRO provides designers, engineers, and manufacturers with an easy-to-use, agile solution to produce faster and cheaper with industrial materials as PA6/66, ASA and carbon fiber reinforced material like HI-TEMP CF and PA12-CF.

At Formnext we proved the latest PRO 3D printer is easier than ever thanks to BigRep JUMPSTART, a hybrid software-hardware solution that lets you skip the hassle and just start printing. It includes the SWITCHPLATE, a removable and flexible print bed surface, the LOCKSTAGE for easy and secure extruder mounting, and the MXT® Control System that bypasses manual calibration ensuring crucial first print layers are optimal every time. During the show, we printed an automotive jig from Ford in PA66 and BVOH. No other manufacturer of large-scale printers on the Formnext printed live, so this attracted a lot of attention.

Applications of Large-Format 3D Printing

BigRep customers use additive manufacturing to save time and money. At the BigRep booth at Formnext, several customers’ applications were on display from prototyping to tooling and molds to end use parts. Visitors were inspired by the part quality, printing times and materials exhibited.

Canyon Bicycles: Rapid Prototyping

Canyon Bicycles is thinking beyond boundaries set by traditional manufacturing and is testing the possibilities offered by new technologies like 3D printing. By having a large 3D printer in-house, 3D files can be printed without delay to achieve full-scale parts and frames, saving time and costs.

The shown bike frame was designed with that ambition, finding the ideal shape for a most effective and functional bike frame. The prototype attracted a lot of interest as it was also being printed live on the BigRep ONE with BigRep HI-TEMP CF and at a 0.6mm layer height. After less than two days (47 hours) print time, a 3.8 kg light innovative bike frame was produced.

RH Engineering: Design and End-Use Parts

Using their BigRep ONE, RH Engineering produces custom designed luxury furniture that creates a personalized ambiance in a room. Starting with a very challenging application, RH Engineering 3D printed this sink, which of course needed to be fully waterproof.

The end-use part was printed with PLA in 23 hours and weighed 2.1 kg. The sink on display was coated after printing, giving the surface a stone-like appearance. It was then actually used as a hand sink in the booth.

CDM:Studio: Sculpting

Western Australian Museum came to CDM:Studio for help with an exhibit that would feature life size dinosaurs and other animals. The challenge: create over 110 models in just 9 months. To meet this short deadline, CDM:Studio invested in a BigRep ONE that was able to work around the clock, producing pieces as big as the dinosaur head on display.

The part was printed in BigRep PRO-HT in less than 3 days and weighed only 4.5 kg, which was a big benefit to CDM:Studio for mounting the dinosaurs.

Zoeller: Functional Prototypes and End-Use Parts

Using 3D printing, Zoeller is able to shape parts with surfaces and angles that could not have been produced by conventional manufacturing methods. This gives them the freedom to create design elements but also to implement previously impossible features like mounting sensors in a certain angle or integrating lights.

Parts like the one on display at the BigRep booth are printed on a BigRep PRO and installed on the trucks. This end-use part that would be mounted on the rear corner of a truck, was printed with 1824g of ASA in under two days.

Airflight: Molds for composite materials

Airflight develops drones for lifting applications. Lightweight construction and frequent adaptations pose a special challenge. Having a BigRep 3D printer gave them the ability to iterate large carbon fiber parts five times faster than with conventional CNC machining. Airflight is able to produce prototypes, jigs and fixtures, and molds like the part that was on display. This mold was printed in BigRep HI-TEMP CF in about 34 hours with 4.6 kg.

WAT: Fixtures and tools

By 3D printing assembly fixtures for their new quality control system, WAT saves on the high costs commonly associated with custom-designed industrial tooling. Instead of having external suppliers produce these fixtures from aluminum or other metals, WAT uses their in-house printer to optimize workflows. This assembly fixture on display was printed in just 82.5 hours vs. several weeks prior to their BigRep.

You couldn’t join us at Formnext?

Watch your BigRep PRO Demo here

Our team of experts is ready to answer all your questions. Talk to us if you want to know more about additive manufacturing, the best materials for your application, and the best way to implement 3D printing in your company!

THINK BIG! We will help you to achieve your goals!

ABOUT US

Investor Relations

JOIN OUR TEAM

PRESS & MEDIA

REFERENCES

RESELLERS

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

INDUSTRIES

Discover all our previously published Ebooks

UPCOMING EVENTS

Defining 3D Printer Speed

What Influences 3D Print Speed?

Pre-Processing

3D Model Preparation

Slicing

3D Printer Calibration

3D Print Time

3D Print Speed

Travel Speed

Layer Height

Nozzle Diameter

Infill Density

Support Structures

Post-Processing

Support Removal

Sanding and Polishing

Priming and Coating

Conclusion

Dominik Stürzer

It took 12 seconds to remove the parts below from the bed by bending the SWITCHPLATE®

In 8 minutes, your BigRep PRO is automatically calibrated

2 hours and you will be mastering our slicing software BigRep BLADE

13 days! The longest print we have run on a BigRep PRO so far.

For 2 weeks, your engineering materials are kept dry in the filament chamber

1 month shorter lead time than outsourced CNC machining

ITERATE FAST. PRODUCE FASTER. GET TO MARKET FASTEST.

ITERATE FAST. PRODUCE FASTER. GET TO MARKET FASTEST.

About the author:

Marco Mattia Cristofori

Airplanes Grounded During COVID-19

Supply Chain Interruptions

Thinking Outside the Box with 3D Printing

From Concept to Production

Where Can Large-Format 3D Printing Take Us?

LARGE-SCALE INNOVATION. LIMITLESS CREATIVITY.

LARGE-SCALE INNOVATION. LIMITLESS CREATIVITY.

About the author:

Dominik Stürzer

What is Generative Design?

Difference Between Topology Optimization and Generative Design

Benefits and Limitations of Generative Design

Benefits of Generative Design

Limitations of Generative Design

Generative Design Process

Autodesk Fusion 360

Siemens NX

PTC Creo Generative Design

nTopology nTop Platform

3D Printing and Generative Design

Industries that Use Generative Design

Automotive

Aerospace

Architecture and Construction

Industrial Machinery

Consumer Goods

Conclusion

INDUSTRIAL QUALITY MEETS COST EFFICIENCY. COMPLEX PARTS IN LARGE SCALE.

INDUSTRIAL QUALITY MEETS COST EFFICIENCY. COMPLEX PARTS IN LARGE SCALE.

About the author:

Dominik Stürzer

Canyon: Creative from the very beginning

Additive Manufacturing saves time and money when designing bicycle frames

Development of sustainable frame concepts with the BigRep ONE

Future development of 3D printing in the bicycle industry

LARGE-SCALE INNOVATION. LIMITLESS CREATIVITY.

LARGE-SCALE INNOVATION. LIMITLESS CREATIVITY.

About the author:

Michael Eggerdinger

Overview of CNC machining or Subtractive Manufacturing

Overview of 3D Printing or Additive Manufacturing

ITERATE FAST. PRODUCE FASTER.
GET TO MARKET FASTEST.

INDUSTRIAL QUALITY MEETS COST EFFICIENCY.
COMPLEX PARTS IN LARGE SCALE.

INDUSTRIAL QUALITY MEETS COST EFFICIENCY.
COMPLEX PARTS IN LARGE SCALE.

INDUSTRIAL QUALITY MEETS COST EFFICIENCY.
COMPLEX PARTS IN LARGE SCALE.

INDUSTRIAL QUALITY MEETS COST EFFICIENCY.
COMPLEX PARTS IN LARGE SCALE.

BigRep PRO - ITERATE FAST. PRODUCE FASTER.
GET TO MARKET FASTEST.