Engineer! You Lack the Necessary Tools? 3D Print them!
Friday, 6 PM, you’re working on a project. Bad luck: you lack a single bolt which you absolutely need to fasten an element. Specialized shops will open on Monday morning. The back luck can be averted with the help of a 3D printer.
3D Printing Is the Answer To Unusual And Usual Problems
The situation discussed above isn’t sci-fi, this happens every day in every field of the economy. Sometimes a car mechanic won’t be able to fix some small glitch. Sometimes a hobbyist will struggle to complete his or her recent project. And sometimes bad luck will strike in scientific endeavors or during repairs in factories. The lack of a single screwdriver or a single bolt might threaten a successful demonstration or a contract worth millions. But it’s not always possible to predict what tools you’ll need and what parts might be missing. Some needs are born in the course of work. In some cases the barrier can be more serious than just the weekend you’d have to wait until shops open. Some parts might take weeks to be delivered, they might no longer be in production or they might be prohibitively expensive.
This is where 3D printing comes in. The M200 3D printer made in Poland by Zortrax doesn’t take up much room, is inexpensive and easy to use. Filaments are strong and durable, and resistant to low temperatures, so that they can be used in machines. The price of the material is also relatively low. Bosch was able to produce spares for its machines for 1 euro apiece, whereas the original would have cost 400 euros or more.
What Are the Possibilities of Printing Tools with Zortrax 3D Printers?
A 3D printer lets you print spanners, screwdrivers and any small tools. The only limit stems from the size of the M200’s workspace, which is 200 by 200 by 180 millimeters. However, the Polish company also manufactures the Zortrax M300 3D printer with a larger workspace. You can also split your 3D model into a number of parts to be assembled later. Another advantage of 3D printing is its speed. The process takes an hour or a few hours, depending on how large and complex the item is. No, instead of waiting for days for the tool to be delivered you can have it done before you leave your office or home. The technology is so flexible that it lets you create essentially any element you need.
Where Are the Challenges with 3D Printing?
The only challenge is that you need to have a 3D model of the object you want to 3D print. You can find such models in online databases or from manufacturers of parts, you can create models on your own with the right software or commission a professional to do it for you.
3D Printing Is a New Path in Engineering
3D printing offers completely new possibilities, it can accelerate your work and make it a lot easier. An engineer can quickly create the tool that he or she needs at the moment and make sure that the tool fits his or her specific needs. 3D printing is the only technology which lets you produce single items cheaply and quickly. Operating a 3D printer is not complicated, the cost of purchasing and using one are low, and the printer itself won’t take up much space. All of these factors should make 3D printers such as the Zortrax M200 and M300 an indispensable machine in every technical university, factory, workshop, or R&D department, wherever tools and mechanisms are used. And remember that providing you with missing tools and elements is just a small fraction of what a 3D printer can do.