The Facilities Manager and His/Her First 3D Printing Solution
Facilities managers employed in both the private and public sectors are managing office buildings, retail buildings, schools, hospitals, and large industrial complex worldwide. Most facilities managers possess qualifications in a variety of related disciplines including but not limited to; surveying, engineering, finance, operations and maintenance, energy conservation, etc, etc, etc. They are the true jack-of-all-trades and often are first responders to most facility emergencies and if they are doing their jobs correctly these potential catastrophes rarely ever see the light of day.
The following three responsibilities can be directly impacted by 3D printing:
- planning and overseeing building work/renovation
- managing building operations and maintenance activities
- advising on energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness
These responsibilities often require that a facility has an on site machine shop for turning out parts that are required to keep up with building renovation, maintenance activities and cost cutting. It is here that a 3D printer can prove useful for a facilities manager. 3D printers have already shown their usefulness in expediting not only the manufacture of engineering prototypes but also the end product. The materials and designs have been shown to withstand much of the stress that is needed for machined parts. With the proper 3D printer a facilities manager can cut maintenance costs by replacing an end part with a 3D printed part within hours of the part’s failure. The costs savings will come directly from the actual manufacturing cost which will be a fraction of the cost of buying or machining a new part and indirectly from the ability to have a piece of equipment quickly up and running.
EnvisionTEC 3D printers are the goto 3D printers for printing parts and pieces for your facility. They allow you to cut costs of your managing your facility while introducing you to this new technology in an easy to use way. EnvisionTEC printers are easy to use which means that you don’t have to spend time fussy around with the printer to get it to work. Leave that geeky stuff to the geeks.
Facilities managers can start with a professional line of 3D printers that provide the flexibility of using a wide variety of materials. For example the Perfactory® Desktop XL designed with German engineering uses a new technology that manufactures 3D printed end products with smooth surfaces. In addition, this printer alone gives the facilities manager the ability to manufacture parts using materials with the following properties
EPIC, PIC100, EC500 –-The materials offers excellent burnout properties and build with the highest quality and crisp detail. They are excellent for casting. The new EC500 has a melting point of 250 degrees C and zero ash content on complete burnout which makes it cast as easily as any injection wax pattern.
E-Shell® 600 – This 3D Printer Material is tough and water- and perspiration-resistant.
AB-flex, ABS Flex, Superflex – ABS Flex is an ideal solution for a wide variety of applications including snap-fit items, assembly applications, and living hinges which require some elasticity.
ABS-tuff, LS600, RCP30, EC1000, E-Shell 200, E-Shell 300, Photosilver, R5, R5 Gray, R11, WIC100G, WIC300, E-Denstone – General Prototypes
HTM140, RC31, RC70, RC90- High temperature applications
As a facilities manager, if you were wondering when was the right time to introduce 3D printing into your workflow. The answer is now. Contact Rich Port 3D Solutions today and have and expert walk you through the process of picking the right printer for you.
About the Author
Jenny Carrero,PhD has an extensive technical background. She received her PHD in Biophyisics from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana where she worked with lasers, spectrometers, confocal microscopes etc. She is an authority on 3D printing for industrial and consumer use in Puerto Rico.
Rich Port 3D Solutions is a Puerto Rican owned and operated company headquartered in Añasco, Puerto Rico. We are a 3D printing resource dedicated to helping Puerto Rican businesses compete on the world stage in 3D printing technology by paving the way for the uptake of this technology in Puerto Rico.
