3D printer

Remote production is very near

There is no doubt that the 3D printer, with its endless possibilities, changes the way we produce more and more. The technology of 3D printing is in full development and partly due to this development, 3D printing is becoming increasingly accessible and the traditional production lines are becoming more efficient and fair. Remote printing certainly contributes to this. What do we mean with remote printing and what are the advantages?

Remote printing

The addition of remote printing enables companies to remotely control a 3D printer anywhere in the world. A well-functioning network or WIFI connection gives you the opportunity to turn a 3D printer on in China while you are in the Netherlands or anywhere else in the world. This addition brings some important advantages.

- Printing without sharing files

- Less transportation costs

- Environmentally friendly

- Time savings

- Democratic economy

Printing without sharing files

That an engineer does not want to share his self-developed 3D models is not strange. Guarding the files and the knowledge of the engineers is very important in the product development process. Especially in the prototyping process, the files are essential to come to a new product and these data may not fall in the hands of others. When printing remotely, you can log into a 3D printer from anywhere in the world and order your print without sharing the data with others.

Less transportation costs

Due to remote printing, considerably less transportation of goods is required. After all, there is no need to send physical goods around the world. All you need to send is the print order via an internet connection. The final, physical, product is then printed locally. Especially when products are produced on the other side of the world, remote printing could be a great advantage in terms of transportation costs.

Environmentally friendly

By removing transport from the production process, a lot of fuel is saved. In the traditional production process, a product is often transported several times. After development, the product is often made by a production company in a different country, after which it is in some cases transported to a local packaging company and then it goes to stores or to the producer. Since the product is transported several times, a lot of exhaust gasses are emitted. With the help of remote printing it is possible to produce the entire product locally, including the packaging.

Time savings

Besides the savings on transportation costs and the benefits for the environment, there is also an advantage in time savings. Worldwide shipping costs a lot of time, even though we are spoiled with worldwide delivery times of three days. Remote printing is much faster. The printing order is given, the printer starts working locally and a few hours later you actually hold your product in your hands.

Democratic economy

Perhaps the most important and progressive aspect is that we can democratize the economy with remote printing. We can divide the 3D printing process into three phases; knowledge and / or development, depreciation and / or purchase of the printer and the purchase of (raw) materials. In the traditional process, products are mainly designed, developed and produced in one country. Ultimately, the end product is exported all over the world. All earnings go to the, in most cases, already prosperous country. Remote printing makes it possible to divide the production process, in order to create a fair trade. For example; a 3D printer is installed in Africa where the production is set up locally. It stimulates the economy there, however the knowledge and skills remain in the country of origin.

The dddrop Leader PRO has a SMART-module which enables printing through WiFi, a Lan or a network connection. Through the useful app -that can be installed on your smartphone- and the camera in the printer, you can monitor and operate the printer at all times.