Small batch production: when 3D printing pays off

When 3D printing makes sense

With classic series technologies you first pay for a mould, which costs a lot and takes weeks to prepare. Until the number of pieces is large, the mould does not pay for itself. In injection moulding versus 3D printing it is therefore the quantity that decides, and the smaller the quantity, the better printing comes out. The principle of batch production is that things are made in batches, not continuously.

With us it is 1 to 5,000 pieces per order, and the price and the lead time are calculated at once.

How the price changes in a run

The price per piece falls with the quantity, because the bed fills up and the preparation is spread over more pieces. The details are in the entry on a full bed. At the same time, though, print time multiplies, so the decrease is gradual, not steep. Printing has no upfront mould cost, which is why you can start with a small run without risk.

What also matters are the infill and the wall thickness. Try one piece or five first, check them and only then order the whole run.

If you are planning a larger run, decide on the material in advance. PETG withstands more heat and impact, PLA is stiffer, cheaper and richer in colours. Changing material halfway through a run does not pay off, the look and behaviour of the parts would differ.

The same quality on every piece

A run makes sense only if all the pieces are the same. On Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 printers we print with the same settings, a 0.4 mm nozzle and a 0.2 mm layer. We photograph every batch before dispatch.

Keep in mind though that tolerances in FDM are not like those in injection moulding. If the parts slide into each other, test the joint on one piece.

What to prepare before ordering a run

• A finished, tested model, ideally printed at least once as a prototype.
• The exact quantity and the deadline you need.
• The colour and material, either PLA or PETG.
• The proforma invoice and its payment, production starts after payment.