$100,000 3D Print Farm Tour

Summary

In this video, a 3D printing business owner takes viewers behind the scenes of his operation, showcasing how his small print farm evolved from his home to a commercial space with nearly 70 printers. He highlights key aspects of scaling, from efficient storage systems like the kanban method to streamlining workflows with pre-boxed configurations. The video also covers the importance of using high-quality filament, organizing maintenance, and the setup of a print farm with specialized machines like the Bamboo Lab P1S. Additionally, the owner discusses lessons learned from running a print farm and the tools that helped optimize production.

Takeaways

• 😀 The 3D printing business started from a home-based operation with 25 printers and has now expanded to a commercial space with nearly 70 printers.
• 😀 The transition from home to commercial space in January 2023 was facilitated by a property that already had specialized power and rooms set up for printers.
• 😀 The business primarily designs and manufactures aftermarket dust collection attachments for power tools, mainly miter saws, for DIYers and contractors.
• 😀 The commercial space is divided into five key areas: storage, prototyping, part prep, fulfillment, and production (the print farm).
• 😀 The storage area uses a Kanban system to help manage inventory efficiently, ensuring a smooth process for reordering essential supplies.
• 😀 A dedicated room for printer maintenance and repair helps keep the print farm running smoothly, storing necessary parts for different printer models.
• 😀 Prototyping is done in an open area with mobile workbenches that allow for multiple products to be developed at the same time, reducing development time.
• 😀 Prototyping is separated from the main print farm, with dedicated machines used solely for prototyping and pilot runs of new designs.
• 😀 The part prep area is where printed parts are cleaned, assembled, and prepared with any necessary hardware, with organized storage for tools and materials.
• 😀 The fulfillment area features pre-boxed configurations of common products to streamline order fulfillment, cutting down lead times to 1-2 days and making it easier to manage demand surges.

Q & A

What led you to move your 3D printing business out of your house?

The business had outgrown the space in the house, with printers scattered all over, including two full racks in the basement. To scale the operation and expand, moving to a commercial space became necessary.

How did you find the commercial property for your print farm?

The commercial property was close to the house and was available in January 2023. It had been used by a small startup 3D printing company, so it already had substantial power and dedicated rooms for printers.

What is the main product that your 3D printing business manufactures?

The business designs and manufactures aftermarket dust collection attachments, primarily for miter saws. These are offered in various models and brands, catering mainly to DIYers and some contractors.

How do you manage inventory in your print farm?

The inventory is managed using a Kanban system. Critical parts are tracked with Kanban cards that feature QR codes. Scanning the code triggers automatic reorder alerts, helping ensure materials don't run out unexpectedly.

What types of spare parts are stored in the print farm?

Spare parts for the 3D printers themselves, including a mix of parts for Prusa and Bamboo Lab printers, are stored in the maintenance room. These parts are essential for keeping the printer fleet operational.

What is the purpose of the prototyping area in the print farm?

The prototyping area is where product development occurs. It includes mobile workbenches, hand tools, and other equipment for prototyping and reverse engineering. This area is dedicated to testing prototypes before moving them to production.

Why did you create a separate area for part preparation?

The part preparation area was created to streamline the process of cleaning and assembling printed parts. By moving this step out of the fulfillment area, it allows the fulfillment team to focus on packaging and shipping orders more efficiently.

What improvements were made to the fulfillment process in your print farm?

The fulfillment process was improved by pre-boxing the most common products in advance. This allows the team to quickly pull ready-made boxes and ship them out, reducing lead time from several days to just 1-2 days.

Why did you choose the Bamboo Lab P1S over other 3D printers for your print farm?

The Bamboo Lab P1S stood out due to its reliability, output, and speed. After running a reliability study for eight months, it became clear that one Bamboo Lab P1S can replace two Prusa machines, offering a significant boost in production capacity.

How do you manage power and filament logistics for the large number of printers in your print farm?

The print farm has 11 20-amp circuits to power the 40 printers. Each printer is also connected to a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) to prevent issues from power outages. For filament, the business has standardized on Proto Pasta and consolidated storage to manage the variety of filaments needed.