Ep. 34 - Managing a Print Farm

Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast · 13 Dec 2024 · 1h 16m

What this episode covers

Steven Oz and Lucian Cha Park of Opulo discuss managing their 3D printing farm, which produces plastic parts for their Lumen PNP machine. They detail the transition from Prusa Mini printers to a fleet of Bambu Lab P1P units, emphasizing the importance of reliability over open-source flexibility in a commercial setting. The hosts cover critical operational challenges including filament selection, maintenance strategies, slicer standardization, and file management solutions.

Mentioned

Companies
Opulo, Bambu Lab, MakerBot
Products
Lumen, Prusa Mini, P1P, Voron, Taz 5, Ender, A1, AMS
Tools
Prusa Connect, Bambu Studio, Orca Slicer

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Being an Engineer · 46m

    Dylan Lundberg | Protolabs

    Dylan Lundberg, Manufacturing and R&D Engineering Manager at Protolabs, explains how the company reinvents manufacturing through automation, software, and standardized processes to deliver prototypes and low-volume production parts via 3D printing, CNC machining, and injection molding. He details the company's evolution from a garage startup by Larry Lucas into a global enterprise with nearly 3,000 employees, highlighting the strategic acquisition of Hubs to expand their service offerings. Lundberg discusses the operational challenges of maintaining speed and quality at scale, including limitations in handling super-tight tolerances or highly unique geometries, and outlines Protolabs' future focus on expanding into high-volume production capabilities.

  • The Amp Hour

    A Benchtop Pick and Place with Stephen Hawes

    Stephen Hawes, founder of Opulo, discusses the development and business of the Lumen Benchtop Pick and Place machine, an open-source device for low-to-medium volume PCB assembly. He explains how the company evolved from a garage prototype to a scaling operation, detailing the technical challenges of software integration with OpenPnP and the pragmatic decision to use Marlin firmware. Hawes also shares insights on manufacturing operations, the importance of dogfooding, and his experiments with making PCBs using fiber lasers.

  • Thoroughly Considered · 1h 01m

    65: Like Twelve Surnames

    Tom Gerhardt and Dan Provost of Studio Neat discuss the production updates for the Mark Two pin, the rollout challenges of the MagSafe Material Docks, and Dan's new Theme System Journal. They detail specific manufacturing changes, such as switching from plated aluminum to stainless steel for the Mark Two's knurled pin to eliminate plating issues, and the decision to source the journal's printing from Poland for faster iteration. The hosts also touch on the logistical nightmares of shipping during the pandemic and Brexit, as well as the demand spikes for Dan's journal.

  • Embedded.fm · 57m

    444: It Is If You Do It Wrong

    Peter Griffin, a consultant at Slalom, discusses his journey into embedded systems and hardware design while building custom operant boxes and elevated zero mazes for his wife Gwen’s neuroscience lab. He details the mechanical engineering challenges of 3D printing, specifically dealing with tolerances and transitioning from Tinkercad to SolidWorks to ensure parts fit together reliably. Griffin also explains his strategy for making these devices accessible and reproducible through open-source designs and drop-shipping, while navigating the complexities of supply chain and manufacturing for non-standard components.

  • Making It · 55m

    Episode 310: Thank you, Brain!

    Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss recent equipment failures, including a Land Cruiser coolant leak, corrupted SD cards, and RAID server drive failures, highlighting the importance of redundant data workflows. Bob Clagett details his process for small-batch production of blacksmithing accessories using a fly press, while David Picciuto explores resin 3D printing with Elegoo Mars printers and film development. The hosts share recommendations for creators like Machine Thinking and Uncle Jesse, emphasizing the shift from hobbyist making to managing business-critical digital assets.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.