Initial Client Contact
Our initial contact with a client usually comes via a quote enquiry from an email or the online quoting system on our website. Occasionally there are clients who prefer to call us to discuss their project before sending us their part for quotation. Either way, it’s not until we see a CAD model that we really start to understand what it is the client is wanting 3D printed. From there we can start the conversation on cost to manufacture, part suitability for additive manufacturing, and if it’s able to be optimized further.
The Conversation
We will quote the initial part in the format you send us. This gives both the client and ourselves a yardstick in terms of price, weight, buildability, and sometimes material suitability. Where required, we will also make design recommendations.
One of the clients we are working with is Backlanz, printing components for their range of bipods.
We started printing the bipods in Stainless Steel 15-5ph because the initial price per part was cheaper. Over time, we changed to Titanium 64 as we were able to reduce the mass of the part via thin walls and internal lattice structures. This has allowed Backlanz to reach their desired price point, as well as saving on weight.
When starting your Additive Manufacturing journey, we think it’s important to keep in mind what you’re trying to achieve. If you have a price point, a weight goal, or even design constraints, it’s helpful to let us know during the initial quote phase.
Customer Process: Initial Manufacturing
Often we receive a part that would be more traditionally CNC machined, or it will be CNC post machined. These types of parts tend to have square edges, and don’t flow as nicely between features. This makes the parts more challenging to print. Design flexibility from our customers is nice to have here, making sure to highlight critical areas or features.
For example: if a part requires a circular opening, we may ask for a cap to be added to hold the shape. Or, if a surface is to be post machined flat, we may add machining allowance. If a thread needs to be tapped, we can add these to help with tapping after printing.
With prototype parts or new clients, this process may be revised a few times until the part functions correctly. It is important at this point to make use of revision numbers so that the correct parts are manufactured.
Production Process
This stage of the customer process comes after the initial design is working well. Both the client and RAM3D are confident in the part’s printability and repeatability. By this stage, support addition and support removal are sorted; we can drag-and-drop onto the build plate. This reduces the cost, so if you have production volumes in mind, it is helpful to know.