₦airaland Forum

There are many ways to make money with 3D printing but here’s a run down of the top five.

1. Prototyping Services. Companies and inventors need to have prototypes of their products made before going for mass production. You can use your 3D printer(s) to make prototypes as a service to them. This can be a lucrative business as often times companies need multiple prototypes before settling on a particular design.

2. Gift items/Customized products. You can provide to customers the experience of having specially customized products. You can create a personalized accessory that goes into a car or something more common such as jewelry, phone cases, name tags, key chains etc.

3. Replacement Parts. You can create parts for broken or damaged items. For example the door hinges for the washing machine might break, some pieces from the TV stand may get missing, the door knob may be damaged etc. these are all things that could be replaced with 3D printed parts. You can be the one people pay to fix those things for them.

4. Educational tools/Models. Models are often used in science classes as aids to facilitate better learning by students. You can provide a service to schools creating and supplying such products.

5. 3D printing classes/ Tutoring. With the growing interest in 3D printing , schools and educational institutions are now keen to introduce their students to 3D printing. You can offer your services as a 3D printing instructor teaching students on how to use a 3D printer. How to model using a CAD program and how to manage common 3D printer problems.

In summary, the field of 3D printing is growing rapidly with many opportunities for individuals and businesses. There are many ways to make money with 3D printing. Some of the most popular ways include offering prototyping services, making replacement parts, selling customized items, creating educational models and offering 3D printing classes. Which ever idea works for you one of the most important things is to understand the business you are running and win big in 2024.

Well I’m assuming you are new to 3D printing. If so, there are a number of things to consider. What are your objectives for wanting to own a 3D printer ?. How tech savvy are you and whether or not you have interests/hobbies with tinkering things.

3D printers come in various categories. There are professional/Industrial grade machines that costs thousands of dollars and there are the low-end/hobbyist types that sell for few hundred dollars or so.

Generally as a beginner it is advisable to start with a cheap machine and build up from there. However it is worth noting that majority of the hobbyist grade 3D printers are a work in progress meaning they require some sort of tinkering here and there as you go. Nothing difficult by the way. And that is were having interest in tinkering comes in.

But if you happen to be a professional with a specific print/product need then you are going for a high end machine. In that case I’d prefer to purchase from the states or Europe. Mind you you can still get those from China but that’s just my personal preference.

As for materials and supplies. You can order filaments from any good brand you find. Just make sure you read the reviews. Also, it will be good to keep in some handy tools such as wrenches, screw drivers etc.

Good luck and have fun. If anything is unclear you are welcome to ask further questions.

Thanks

Do you know that these shoes by Adidas and Nike were all 3D printed.


Well not entirely accurate because the adidas’s 4D only had the midsole 3D printed but the Nike show on the second picture was completely 3D printed.

Well as previously mentioned you did follow the order wrong. To start a business you need to establish a problem people are facing and then come up with a solution that solves that problem for them.

As regards 3D printing. The market is actually growing in Nigeria albeit at a slow pace. But as with most new technologies it’ll pick up pace soon. 3D printing is set to revolutionize manufacturing. It’s no longer restricted to the realm of prototyping but used for actual production. Companies such as GE, Boeing, ford, spaceX, Adidas, Nike and so many others are using 3D printed parts in their products. As a matter of fact the NASA rocket, relativity space Terran 1 launched to space in March was 100% 3D printed.
I do wish our government invests more on emerging technologies such as 3D printing because we stand benefit a lot as country. There is this thing referred to as technology leapfrog that happens when the “big guys (developed economies) had already invested too much in old technology and market forces slows them from adopting a more efficient new technology thus giving room for the little guys (developing countries) to start from the ground up with the new technology and overtake them. A common example used is with the advent of the mobile telecommunications technology.

P.s I created the Nigeria 3D printing Society thread on Nairaland. I hope myself and others will be able to address all problems and challenges beginners will face coming into 3D printing.

So if we are to forget about the bambu labs for a second. Which of these does it better performance wise taking in to account cost benefit.

Pro tip number 1. If you’ve tried everything and your print keeps failing inexplicably try using a different slicer.

Let’s talk about 3D printing, how it can benefit you or your business. And if you are into 3D printing and facing some issues let’s here them and resolve them together.