Case Study 2
Scaling from 1 printer to 8 without margin collapse
A staged expansion model focused on utilization, queue planning, and controlled labor growth.
Scale stages
| Stage | Printers | Utilization | Primary constraint |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1-2 | 60-75% | Demand consistency |
| B | 3-4 | 70-80% | Operator handling time |
| C | 5-8 | 75-85% | Workflow standardization |
Operational changes required
- - Unified slicing profiles and material presets
- - Batch scheduling by nozzle/material family
- - QA gates before dispatch
- - Maintenance windows to avoid random downtime
Common scaling mistakes
- - Buying hardware before proving demand
- - Assuming labor scales linearly
- - Ignoring supervision cost in "automated" fleets
- - Letting failure rate drift during growth
Suggested scaling kit
As fleets grow, consistency tools often return more than adding another low-utilization printer too early.
SUNLU filament dryer
Helps stabilize material behavior across batches.
Creality tool kit
Speeds up maintenance between print waves.
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