This study looks at the physical limitations of desktop plastic 3D printers

1. DOUBLING ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PRODUCTION SPEED
A TECHNOLOGY FORECASTING APPROACH
ON PHYSICAL LIMITS
AND GOING BEYOND
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2. DOUBLING T HE EXTRUSION SPEEDS AND PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS
In this report the practical physical limitations of a typical desktop plastic filament 3d printer is
researched by analyzing the main parameters including extrusion speed, doubling of extrusion speed,
physical limitations, production rate and model manufacturing cost.
The report also illustrates when the current physical limits of a single head plastic filament extrusion 3D
printer will be achieved and what technological improvements needs to be made to desktop 3D Printers
in the next generation and the technological leaps that will need to be undertaken. The technological
leaps will have to be developed to get the time needed to manufacture a part to a speed of less than 2
minutes per manufactured part.
Process of Analysis and gathering of empirical evidence
Step 1: A typical Samsung S4 cellphone cover was downloaded from the internet to be 3D Printed
Step 2: The 3D model was then manufactured on a typical 3D Desktop printer that was procured at a
cost of R 21 000. The cost for the plastic filament reel is R650.

3. The time needed to manufacture the model was measured and more than one model was
manufactured to measure the average time. The time needed to manufacture a high quality model at
0.250 mm with 6 layers of support material was calculated as 1hour and 17 minutes.
The figure below shows the main parameters for the cellphone cover produced.

4. Step 3: Once the Cellphone cover was 3D Printed it was weight to obtain its physical mass
This also helps to confirm how the actual physical mass compares the mass calculated
by the software of 45.7 grams. This represents an error of 2.76% between software
mass and actual physical mass.
Step 4: 3D Print more cellphone covers to look for any deviations from one model to the next 3D Printed
model

5. Step 5: Develop a costing model to calculate the actual cost of a 3D Printed part by incorporating the
actual empirical information which indicates a cost of R85.03/ Cellphone cover.
Mass of cellphone Cover with support(gram) 47.00
Mass of cellphone cover without support(gram) 19.00
Wastage material 28.00
Wastage factor 0.60
Wastage Percentage % 59.57
Number of layers 77.00
Volume of model(cm^3) 19.01
Volume of model(m^3) 0.00
Density (kg/m^3) 2472.38
Time to print cover(hrs) 1hr 17 minutes
Time to print cover(minutes) 77.00
time to print cover(seconds) 4620.00
MATERIAL COST CALCULATION
Mass of Cartridge of ABS Plastic(gram) 700.00
Price of Cartridge (R ) 650.00
Number of cellphone covers out of cartridge 14.89
Material cost per cellphone cover (R/ cover) 43.64
ELECTRICAL POWER CONSUMPTION CALCULATION
Power usage(kw) 200.00
Power usage(w) 0.20
Time to print model(hr) 1.28
Total kwhr 0.26
Eskom Tarrif (R1.2 per kwhr) 1.20
Total electrical cost per model (R ) 0.31
LABOUR COST PER COVER
Labour Rate (R/Hour) 100.00
Time to setup model in 3D Printer for printing(hrs) 0.32
Time to setup model in 3D Printer for printing, remove and clean up(minutes) 19.25
Labour cost per model 32.08
PACKAGING OF MODEL-LABOUR COST
Labour Rate 50.00
Time to package model(minutes) 0.10
Time to package model(hrs) 6.00
Labour cost to package model® 5.00
PACKAGING MATERIAL COST
Box supply price/box 4.00
Total Model Cost ( R) 85.03

6. Step 6: Build a graphical presentation of different manufacturing speeds taking into account labour cost
and production rate
.
The graph above illustrates the impact of different manufacturing speeds on the production and labour
cost.
By plotting the Cost to manufacture the cellphone cover vs the manufacturing speed on a logarithmic
scale indicates that every time the manufacturing output doubles the production cost reduces by 16%.
A B
-100
0
100
200
300
400
500
77 67 60 55 50 40 38.5 30 20 19.25 9.625 4.81 2.41 1.20
TIME TO MANUFACTURE A CELLPHONE COVER
Graph Illustrating Relationship between Model Cost(R/Cellphone Cover),
Labour Cost(R/Cellphone Cover) and Production Rate
Model Cost
No of cellphone covers per 9hr day
Labour Rate per cellphone(R/Cellphone Cover)
Linear (Model Cost)
Linear (Labour Rate per cellphone(R/Cellphone Cover))
2014 2023
A B DC E F
y = -0.0165x + 1.9438
R² = 0.9906
1.00
1.89 1.83 1.78 1.74 1.70 1.60 1.59 1.48 1.30 1.28 0.98 0.68 0.38 0.08
Chart Title
2018

7. Step 7: Complete analysis of the current extrusion rates and future extrusion rates
Time to produce
model(hrs) Time to produce model(minutes)
Plastic Extrusion Rate
cm^3/hr
Year
Achieved Year
1.90 114.06 10.00 2013 1
1.28 77.00 14.81 2014 2
0.50 30.00 38.02 2018 6
0.24 14.26 80.00 2023 11
0.05 2.87 397.18 2030 18
0.03 1.81 630.39 2040 28
0.02 1.04 1096.81 2050 48
10.00 14.81 38.02 80.00
397.18
630.39
1096.81
y = 173.24x - 369.08
-400.00
-200.00
0.00
200.00
400.00
600.00
800.00
1000.00
1200.00
2013 2014 2018 2023 2030 2040 2050
Forecasting of Plastic Extrution Rates
Forecasting of Plastic Extrution Rates Linear (Forecasting of Plastic Extrution Rates)
Technological Leap needed. Beyond Current
Capabilities of a desktop 3D Printer
It involves 3D Printing from multi directional sides
Moving to a more advanced printing algorithm that
involves multiple heads from multiple directions
Advanced cooling systems
3D printing without supports
Holographic simultaneous residual imaging into a
liquid that hardens instantaneously. No Z-Layer
printing anymore.
Imprint of information coding similar to DNA
sequencing into nano-plastic particles for rapid
assembly by encoding each particles position into
its nano-substructure
By Improving current Plastic filament 3D
Printing process an extrusion rate of 80 cm³/hr
can be achieved by 2023.
Further research and development needed in
optimizing STL algorithms, motor speeds,
development of multi head 3D printers,
increasing extruder head speeds,
improvements on cooling capabilities, further
development to improve properties of plastics
to extrude faster