3D printing lead time: what it is made of

What the lead time is made of

In logistics, lead time is the time between the start and the end of a process. In 3D printing there are four parts: payment and placing in the queue, printing, inspection with a photo of the batch, and shipping. The biggest part is usually the printing. A single part can take hours, a run even days, because the printer has to print one bed after another.

So the lead time is not a number that can always be shortened by wishing. A printer cannot be "sped up" without losing quality, so lead times can only be shortened by changing the job or by waiting for a quieter period.

What lengthens it most

• Number of pieces. More beds, longer time, see full bed.
• Strength. 40% infill takes longer than 10%.
• More colours. Colour changes add time, see multicolour printing.
• Printer workload. If the queue is long, you wait for the start.
• Payment. Production starts only after the proforma invoice is paid.

How the lead time is formed with us

After upload we genuinely prepare the model for printing on the server, so we know the real print time and the number of pieces on the bed. From that and the current capacity of our printers a live delivery date is calculated, which you see right at the order. It is not a fixed general figure given in advance, it changes according to how much work we already have.

For large runs the lead time gets longer.

If the date does not suit you, try changing the settings in the calculator and watch how the date moves. A lighter infill or fewer pieces will often bring it forward.

How to shorten it

Choose a lighter or standard infill, one colour and fewer pieces, or split the order into two parts. A stronger infill and more colours cost more time and money. Do not put off the payment, because nothing starts until it arrives.

We ship to SK, CZ, HU, PL, AT and DE. Shipping is added to the print time.