Different Ways of Adopting AM: In-House, 3D Printing as a Service, or a Combination
Tuesday 11th March, 2025
Routes to Accessing Additive Manufacturing
We are often asked, what is the best way to adopt Additive Manufacturing? The question of investing in your own printer versus using a third-party printing service has been debated widely.
The short answer is; typically bringing the technology in-house is best, but the true answer is that it is often a combination.
Bringing 3D printers in-house will mean you gain the maximum benefit from the main positives of using Additive Manufacturing. Your company and teams will save time, reduce costs, and also have the agility to problem solve, all at speed. Instead of raising multiple POs and then waiting days (or even weeks) for an external provider to process, print, and ship your parts, you can produce parts on demand on-site. This means that products get to market faster, with less costly mistakes, and frequent design changes can be accommodated easily, all whilst up-skilling your team. Bringing 3D printers in-house will pay off quickly, most of our clients see ROI in 3 to 9 months, or often as quickly as a single project.
However, at certain times it may be that CAPEX, space and resource restrictions can prevent a company from bringing 3D printers in-house. The key here is that as a business, you should not lose out on the benefits of Additive Manufacturing. And for those companies, using 3D printing as a service is an excellent fit.
In reality, we often find it is a combination of the two!
You can have 3D printers in-house but may need to use 3D printing services for specific projects, or to access a specialist material, or as an overflow for the times your printers are at capacity.
For those that start with 3D printing as a service, it proves the concept that AM is a suitable and cost-effective option, and when demand for printing increases, it then becomes a no-brainer to bring the technology in-house.
Whichever route, or combination of routes, your business takes, the key element is to start now. By adopting AM you start reducing costs, begin learning and quickly expand your capabilities in both problem-solving and up-skilling your teams.
Ready to Bring 3D Printers In-House?
The team here at CREAT3D are passionate about sharing how adopting Additive Manufacturing can help your business.
Contact our team to chat through your applications, understand key material performance criteria and start to explore which 3D printer(s) will be best suited to your needs. Our team will make sure you are matched with the right AM technology for maximum impact on your business.
Want to explore 3D Printing Services?
Whether you need support with additional projects or access to a material or AM technology you don't have in-house, our team can support you with our 3D printing service options:
- LayerParts - our instant quote 3D printing platform
- CREAT3D Consult & Print - our turnkey 3D printing solution, from design consultation, CAD, material selection to scheduled production slots and specified delivery
LayerParts - 3D Printing Platform
Know what you are after? Have your STL ready to go? Then use LayerParts.
If you are looking for one-off prototypes or batches of parts, you can upload your files directly into our system, get instant pricing, save and submit quotes to provide to your purchasing department, and then place your order.
LayerParts specialises in Nylon materials (PA12 and PA66 blend - Onyx).
CREAT3D Consult & Print - Turnkey 3D Printing Service
Need some assistance with material choice, or want to optimise your part for production? Use our turnkey 3D printing service.
Work with our Applications Engineers to develop your part ready for additive production. We will assist with material selection and testing, part optimisation, CAD and scheduled production slots to deliver your parts when you need them. With this service option, you get access to our wide range of 3D printers, crossing multiple AM technologies, part size and material capabilities.
Explore 3D printing options