Quinly proves cost-effectiveness of metal printing for mass production on Ultimaker S5 using BASF Ultrafuse 316L and Polymaker PolyCast filament. 

Vancouver, BC (September 7, 2021) — 3DQue Systems Inc. announced today that it has successfully tested Quinly automation for metal 3D printing. Early test results using Quinly for Ultimaker S5 indicate automation decreases printer operator time 90%, lowers cost per part 63%, and reduces initial capital investment from $2.2M to $220,000 (90%) when compared to traditional metal 3D printing.

“Lower up-front and per-part costs combined with less operator time and higher throughput without having to incur the high risk of part stacking is a game changer for many manufacturers,” states Mateo, Co-Founder of 3DQue Systems, “Quinly allows companies to easily scale metal part production by automating the Ultimaker S5s they already own and are using for plastic parts.”

The metal goods market is over $2T worldwide. For metal 3D printing to disrupt the market, it must cost-effectively scale for mass production.  Three of the biggest bottlenecks to scaling metal printing are high labor, equipment, and operating costs. Based on current printing methods, for the metal prints market to reach even 1% market share ($20B) by 2025, companies would have to train more than 4 million skilled operators and spend $2T in equipment for printing. With Quinly automation, $20B in metal prints could be achieved with just 400,000 skilled operators, $300B in automated equipment, and parts would be less than ½ the cost of metal printed parts today. 

“Shifting 3D printing from a batch process to a continuous-flow process, automating existing printers, and connecting production through digital supply chains allows companies to cost-effectively produce large volumes of parts in-house or onsite at customers. By reshoring production, companies have more flexibility, lower inventory, and secure their supply chain.”, said Stephanie Sharp, CEO of 3DQue Systems, “And they eliminate bulk shipping and warehousing, two of the major sources of GHGs, increasing sustainability while reducing costs. It’s a win-win.”

SUMMARY RESULTS OF AUTOMATED METAL TESTING

• Capital Investment Reduced Over 90%

The Ultimaker S5 is a popular industrial 3D printer that uses fused filament fabrication (FFF) which is similar to Desktop Metal’s bound metal deposition system (BMD). Preliminary results from testing shows that with Quinly the capital needed to start high volume printing drops 90%, decreasing initial investment from $60,000+ for a BMD printer to the $6,000 required to fully automate an Ultimaker for high volume metal printing. 

• Cost per Part Decreased 63% versus Bound Metal Deposition 3D Printing

3DQue printed a number of test parts using the Quinly automated Ultimaker S5. With Quinly, part costs dropped 63% compared to Desktop Metal’s BMD printing.

• Costs 10x Less than Binder Jetting 3D Printing

Desktop Metal’s binder-jetting production system has a reported capacity of 63,230 parts per year (BMW water wheel). Tests showed that fourteen Quinly-automated Ultimakers would provide similar capacity, costing 10x less (approximate savings: $2M) and could be housed in 30 square feet of shelving or located close to end-users.

• Increase Production Without Increasing Labor

Quinly eliminates manual tasks such as removing parts, applying adhesives, uploading files, and resetting the printer.  Tests showed that Quinly was able to scale production without adding more operators. In fact, operator time decreased over 90% and skilled technicians were able to spend time on optimizing prints to achieve even greater savings.

• Competitive Part Strength & Material Properties

Metal FFF is a proven technology. Published results for sintered Ultrafuse 316L indicates tensile strength is roughly equivalent to solid steel in the X/Y direction, and is only 10% weaker in the Z direction. Post-sintering, parts are 98% solid.

3DQue’s initial metal 3d printing tests show that automation with Quinly reduces labor and equipment costs; provides more flexible, on-demand manufacturing; is more sustainable than centralized mass production; and adds almost no labor when scaling production. Quinly makes metal 3D printing both affordable and scalable.

3DQue Systems is a technology startup focused on providing lights-out manufacturing capabilities to entrepreneurs, engineers, and companies by making 3D printers smart enough to run 24/7 without an operator. Now functional and end-use commercial, industrial and consumer goods can be designed and produced anywhere in the world at low cost, accelerating innovation at scale. The 3DQue YouTube channel Perpetual Printing is a resource for people interested in high-volume 3D printing.