In the world of 3D printing, that something big — the perfect crime — is manufacturing production goods. However, contrary to what the media leads us to believe, end-use part production isn’t something you casually attempt. True, there are big rewards, but they are countered by equally large risks and a whole lot of blood, sweat and tears.
The 3D printing equivalent of the gas station also happens in production, but it has nothing to do with making parts on a printer. Instead, it is making all of the tools and aids that can make manufacturing operations more efficient and less costly. The gas stations are jigs, fixtures, work holders, gauges, carriers and trays. For simplicity sake, I’ll just call this collection “fixtures.”
Fixtures are something you can do tomorrow and have results the following day. There is little risk. Besides a few hours of effort and a few dollars for the printed fixtures, there is little at stake and a lot to gain.
Fixture making can also be very simple. That means that you can insert fixtures in the production workflow where none exists today. For example, maybe a fixture would be nice to have, but the time, effort and cost have made it a “B” priority on the to-do list, so you never get around to doing it. With 3D printing, time, effort and cost are minimal, so making the fixture is an easy task to complete.
Now for the gains. What if that fixture shaves 15 seconds from a manufacturing operation, and what if the production plan is for 500,000 units over five years? At a burdened labor rate of $45.00/hour, the total five-year savings is $93,750. That’s not too shabby for a few minutes work and a few dollars of 3D printing materials.
So, as you are making plans for 3D printing sellable goods, start making progress with 3D-printed fixtures.