Print More Models in Less Time – 3D Printing Farm with Cloud Management

Achieving high levels of production in 3D printing projects can sometimes be the key to success for both individual users and manufacturing companies. In projects that require printing several dozen or even several hundreds of 3D models, working on one 3D printer is a challenge and not necessarily a flexible solution. Additionally, working with one device can slow down the course of bigger undertakings, such as launching a new product, or even make you drop a profitable commission. In such cases, the best option is setting up a 3D printing farm. Having multiple 3D printers working together can bring significant production output and will work best in providing 3D printing services, in automotive, when prototyping, or in maintenance and tooling departments of large factories.

3D printing farms can be built with machines working in both FDM and UV LCD technologies. We will discuss how a resin 3D printing farm can benefit your work based on Zortrax Powerful Trio: Zortrax Inkspire 2 UV LCD 3D printer, Zortrax Cleaning Station, and Zortrax Curing Station.

A 3D printing farm built with Zortrax Inkspire 2 UV LCD 3D printers.

Zortrax Cleaning Station and Zortrax Curing Station - two post-processing devices which complement resin 3D printing.

How Systems Used in Zortrax Powerful Trio Machines Support 3D Printing Farms

The UV LCD technology that Zortrax Inkspire 2 works in is one of the fastest technologies on the resin 3D printing market. The entire layer of a model is cured at once and the same high speed of printing is maintained even when 3D printing the whole batch of models at the same time.

In fact, when designing the entire Zortrax Powerful Trio ecosystem, Zortrax engineers focused on implementing such improvements that all devices could easily be engaged in serial production, including 3D printing farms. First, the Inkspire 2 comes with a large, pre-calibrated build plate measuring 192 x 120 x 280 mm (7.56 x 4.72 x 11.02 in), which can fit several 3D models that you can produce in one process. Next, several sensors that the printer is equipped with constantly measure available resin levels, both in the vat and in the bottle. Thanks to the measurements from the sensors and the automatic transfer pump, you can always be sure that the Inkspire 2 will complete long 3D printing processes without the need to add material manually during the device’s work.

It is also not necessary to mix the resin by hand, as there is a special wiper installed in the vat which automatically stirs the photopolymer at preset intervals to prevent undesirable sedimentation. Basically, the Inkspire 2 can get the job done with little supervision from the staff taking care of the 3D printing farm.

Finally, equally little work is required to post-process your resin 3D prints. The two devices which complement the Inkspire 2, Zortrax Cleaning Station and Zortrax Curing Station, enable automatic cleaning and curing. Properly conducted post-processing is necessary when working with most professional resins to guarantee that the finished models feature all the properties declared by the resin’s manufacturer. All you need to do is place the 3D prints in the devices, select the appropriate settings, and start the process.

Why It Is Worth It to Manage Your 3D Printing Farm with Zortrax inCloud

Running a 3D printing farm does not mean that you have to oversee each device individually, as we have created a tool that helps you efficiently manage all of your 3D printers from one place. Zortrax inCloud is an online cloud-based platform, offering a variety of powerful features that make your farm simply easier to operate and improve overall production workflow. It’s accessible to anyone who has registered their Zortrax machine or machines through the Zortrax ID system: How to register your device.

Zortrax inCloud interface with several Zortrax Inkspire 2 3D printers added.

Zortrax inCloud lets you easily start the 3D printing process from any place you want.

At every stage of the printer's operation, you receive notifications about the current status of the device.

The main solution available in the tool lets you remotely manage and even operate your 3D printers. As soon as you prepare your devices for work, 3D printing process can begin with one click on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. You can send commands to any connected 3D printer while you are taking care of other tasks or having a business meeting, and ultimately make sure the whole project goes smoothly. If you split the production of parts over several machines, you can use the Multiprint option, which starts the printing process of one file on all chosen devices simultaneously. Additionally, the interface in Zortrax inCloud always gives you real-time information and sends push notifications with the printer’s current status. So, whenever the printing has finished or the device requires your attention, you will be informed.

See the infographics below, where we have gathered all the most important features available in Zortrax inCloud.

On top of that, in cases when you have to find a specific 3D printer among all others, simply use the Location feature. It makes the printer display a special message on its screen, allowing you to find the machine you are looking for. Watch the video below to see how all the processes described above work in practice.

You can start building a UV LCD 3D printing farm with just a few devices and expand it over time. Even two Zortrax Inkspire 2 3D printers, one Zortrax Cleaning Station, and one Zortrax Curing Station will allow you to enter mass production in a convenient way. Regardless of the type of projects you work on, managing this setup through Zortrax inCloud will be easy and you will have everything under control on one page of your web browser. All in all, close integration between 3D printers and digital solutions is our primary objective for you to optimize your work at all stages of every project.

If you need help setting up your 3D printing farm, contact our representatives at: sales@zortrax.com. They can also tell you more about Zortrax Inkspire 2 and the UV LCD technology.

Read more about 3D printing farms and how they can transform the way businesses get their products to the market: 3D Printing Farms: A Glimpse into the Future