Here is what we intend to do, initially is this feasible with a 3D printer?

[archerace7]

Hello,
I own a manufacturing business, small one, we have been in business for 30 years, building foam products primarily. We also do dye sublimation on various materials, as well as vinyl printing on large format printers.

I am about to begin a new project, that incorporates a dye sublimated metal disk, with customers supplied graphics/logos, that will be bonded/glued to a 1/2" thick 2" diameter plastic disk, color to match the logo colors as close as possible, with a metal nail or pin that will extend out the bottom, it will form a pin that will hold archery target faces on foam targets.

Polyethylene rod is not available in a large number of colors, I was told that a 3D printer would be ideal to make the plastic disks, I know nothing about them, besides they are really cool in what they can do, and the cost has come down dramatically from what they cost ten or fifteen years ago.

So my questions are

1. Would this process work for what we want to do?
a. Would need to make the disks in various colors
b. The material needs to be reasonably strong
c. Would you advise making a "rod" and cutting 1/2" wafers or make each disk individually?

2. Is there a printer that you would recommend to do this, that would combine reasonable speed, with cost, and reliability.
a. I read there are three different processes that is used, it looks to me like the one with the spool of plastic line would be ideal. Right or wrong?
b. Where is the best place to purchase a printer, is there a recommended brand, and are there any brands that tend to be more trouble?
c. What is a reasonable price for a good printer?

I suspect that if we decide this is feasible and will do what we want to do, we will find many other uses for this, and probably branch out into other things. After I purchased our first wide format vinyl printer I thought that would be all I would ever need...now I have five of them...lol.

If I am missing any questions, please feel free to fill me in, I am so ignorant in this subject, I do not know, what I do not know. But I am looking forward to learning.

Thank you one and all.

[Skandrax]

Hi,
1. 3d printing could work for your Projekt but if you need to produce a lot of these "disks" then I would just make a mold and cast them in different colors.
A. Getting accurate colours straight from the printer is not really possible, you would need to sand and paint them afterwards.
B. Pla should be strong enough but if you don't want them to scatter you could print in nylon.
C. I would make each disk separately because cutting prints doesn't leave a good edge.

2.As for printers, since you run a company I would recommend buying a Ultimaker. They are a bit pricey but reliable.
A. FDM printing is easier.

I would buy the printer directly from Ultimaker.

[3DXSTREAM]

I own www.3d-xstream.com We develop and sell our own 3d printers, help with creating protoypes, doing 3D modeling services, and also provide tech support. Even though I would love for you to buy a 3D printer (because that is what I sell) you may not even need a 3d printer for this one project. You could invest in one as a tool for future projects but that is something you would need to decide as a company. You may just need a prototype and a mold. Then you can easily just cast your own in minutes or have someone else just provide you with the finished parts.
If you have a prototype in hand you can create a mold without a 3d printer.
If you don't have a 3d printer my suggestion is to pay someone to create the prototype for you. It may be more expensive than buying a 3d printer, (our large ones sell for $1,800, the small for $350.)
You can always email me directly at 3dxstream@gmail.com

[archerace7]

Thank you for your replies, I am leaning toward the 3D printer because I like the idea of having this capability, with our dye sublimation process, I think we can come up with work hand in hand with it. I am not sure of the volume we would do with this new project, I really do not want to invest in molds, I like the idea of making the disks on demand, as needed. I do think we will do some significant numbers once we show it, with our other products. But you never know.

Plus I think there are other business we could pick up with this machine, as little as they cost, it is almost automatic to bring one in, if nothing else to see what we can do with it.

Since I know nothing about this, I will probably have one of my younger employees, who works in our sublimation section learn about it, and then educate me.

Again thank you.

[3DXSTREAM]

Sounds good. I will reply to your emails.

[robertjones6]

3DXSTREAM Hi, can you please help me in offset printing, We are having the small bakery in new york. Basically we need a customized packaging box with our brand name and with our logo. before that we have generic boxes but as some of our competitors has a great box so we need that also.

can you please recommend any packaging company that helps us?

[3DXSTREAM]

Like a shipping company or packaging company? If so I buy bulk from ULINE and ship with local companies like UPS or FEDEX. You can get customized stickers for boxes at vistaprint or do it yourself. Just depends on how much time and/or money you have?

[patel]

I have a 3D heat press machine but I want to know what type of sublimation printer is perfect for 3D sublimation. I am not in the business of sublimation but want to create custom designs on my baby t shirts.