At this point in time, metal 3D printing is not easily available to everyone largely due to its high cost. Singapore-based company Hitch3Dprint is looking to remedy this. The company has compiled an impressive list of partners worldwide that allows its users to “hitch” a metal printer the way one would hitch a ride on a car, utilizing its unused capacity. The database allows access to a global network of 1,000 powder bed fusion 3D printers and delivery services.
It is common for many metal 3D printers to not make use of their full capacity. What hitching allows people to do is to make use of the excess capacity for a fee without incurring set up costs. The company has stated that hitching can reduce costs by at least 30 to 50%.
Affordable Access to Metal Printing
The company provides a novel approach that aids both buyers and their partners. It enables partners to stack multiple hitch orders and increase their revenue while providing highly competitive prices to customers. Not to mention how it allows access to state of the art technology all over the world with a process as easy as making a few clicks and uploading a single file.
The service itself works in a similar way to some other print services. The user uploads their .stl file, receives an instant ‘hitch’ quotation after choosing their desired technology and what metal they want and then simply wait for the delivery. The database includes more than 1,000 metal printers worldwide featuring both laser and electron capabilities along with a wide range of materials and alloy variants. These machines belong to the 166 service providers in their database. Within the network, a community of metal additive equipment and powder manufacturers, as well as their locations, are also featured.
Hitching a request typically happens within 3 days. When requests are sent out, the network of partners will assess if they are suited to the job. This means that the partner will also be printing with the same material and has spare space to put on another object. Once a partner accepts, they will print out the desired object and Hitch3DPrint will have it delivered for free.
You can view the list of partners here.