In this video we are going to tackle a popular topic lately on 3D printing for mass manufacturing. My personal opinion is that 3D printing is not a mass manufacturing solution. It is great for prototyping and in some end use applications for strict requirements and low volume. In this video we are going to take a look at quotes from Fictiv for FDM, SLA, SLS, Urethane Casting, and Injection Molding. We will explore making a video game controller housing with each process and take quote numbers out to 10,000 units. I will talk about the numbers, sample prints, problems with each process, and give you my experience and opinion to let you decide what my point of view is worth to you. I strongly suggest people do their own research, design and quote your own parts, and figure out what the pros/cons for each option will be.

Parts for the quotes were designed for printing and injection molding, but keeping them as similar as possible. Each model was made to have similar material volumes, features, and number of parts. Neither model was optimized to prevent misleading numbers. We will look at examples of FDM Parts, SLA Parts, SLS Parts and Injection molded parts. I will give you my opinion as someone who has been designing and producing parts for 20+ years and let you make the final decision.

Fictiv is not a sponsor of this video but I have been exploring a collaboration with them. If you want to quote your own projects with Fictiv you can go to the link here https://www.fictiv.com/ There is no affiliate program or discount code, but you will find that for some types of manufacture they will have the best prices. I always encourage users to shop around and make a decision that works for your needs for price, turn around time, and quality.

In this video I do show the Yawman Arrow1 controller. I was a part of the development of that product and they allowed me to feature it in the video. If you are interested in a custom Flight Controller check out the Arrow 1 https://yawmanflight.com/

Some of the other parts shown will be part of a Design for 3D Printing video series that will be available on www.LearnEverythingAboutDesign.com We have been working hard to produce content on all fronts and I hope to release some new content very soon. This channel doesn't have any Patreon or donation system, so if you are looking for ways to support the effort please check out available courses on the site. We will be focusing on more intermediate/advanced topics soon!

00:00 Introduction
02:14 Quotes
08:09 Printing Process Samples
18:34 Common Talking Points
28:36 My Experience