What function of 3D printing is more valuable to you: prototyping or rapid manufacturing?

We use 3d printing mainly for prototyping, assembly fixtures, and even installation tools.

However for bespoke customer demos, and short trials we've also manufactured parts on the 3D printer (CEL ROBOX).

One thing that puts me off using the parts long term is we've noticed the PLA filament goes brittle over time.  However this may not be a problem with ABS or other materials.  There are a lot of rep raps out in the wild running with printed parts so it can't be that big an issue. I'm building my own 3D printer and am currently using ColourFabb XT to make some of the parts.  So I hope it lasts a good while!

I also know of someone using SLS Nylon parts without issues.

Dan.

We use it for prototyping mostly, but we now have a set of fixtures for production.

It remains to be seen how the fixtures will hold up in use. I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

Al

It is a hobby for me. I make repair parts. Use it for visualization in experiential mathematics. Prototyping of objects to be made of a different material. Making useful objects,  Artistic expression. I am retired, have two good printers, and still don't have enough time to myself. Considering a delta type printer for next year.

I am afraid that I have more than answered your question. But 3D-printers are useful and fun.

Prototyping is favored now, when 3d printing becomes as fast as manufacturin, it may be best then. It has a lot of room to grow, molecular and atom construction can speed this process up to overcome rapid manufacturin.

Brad

Most of what I print is for final use, so although I may only make one of particular design, you could say they are (very low volume, non-profit) production prints. I hate to waste plastic, so I always design for the product to work the first time.

Plastic is only a starch product and can come from corn, potatoe, and rice...

True .... this may make it unsuitable for some products, but there are still endless products and applications where is perfectly adequate.

Prototyping is by far the first thing you might think of using a 3D printer for. Although there are some fields that 3D printing is a must. One being investment casting in sand. No other technique makes possible the intricate geometry that can be done with 3D printing (voxeljet ). Then there are several multijet full color printers, that can make a product as real as possible (Stratasys ObjetXX). But still not for real life and mass production. A part from the new Clip technology which prints a smooth un-layered structure every other 3D printing technique produce this unaesthetic layered structure that is not suitable for mass market.

Not to mention the slow process of printing/manufacturing by layers and material limitations.Actually 3D printing is a unfortunate word chosing, since all 3D printers use 2,5D process. Basically they print in on layer XY and than jump one up. This is know in CNC as a 2,5D. The real 3D printing would be moving an extruder in all three directions (check this image).

For me, it's generally more about rapid prototyping, or--more accurately--cost-effectively producing a one-off design or part. Yes, I can iterate much more quickly with my designs for builds, but since I do a lot of restoration work as well, the 3D printer has become a godsend in terms of reproducing a broken part that hasn't been manufactured in 20-30 years if it was ever available as a replacement part at all!

One of the companies that I work for got into the early hype and decided to explore 3D printing for rapid manufacturing, but they wanted to use a low-end, early-generation printer to manufacture mission-critical parts for customers at scale. Needless to say, it was a less-than-stellar experience that involved a lot of careful explanation to the owner that he did not, in fact, start a revolution in the industry.