Manufacturers have typically realized time and cost savings of 50 to 80 per cent in product development, and even greater cost savings and schedule reductions are not uncommon. Along with reduced cost and development time, the practical ability to iterate designs leads to improved final product quality. Moreover, the ability to turn a new idea into a final product quickly can cause a stir of excitement and professional satisfaction in the product team. This in turn feeds back to high productivity and quality of performance from the individuals involved. Although fabbers are often much faster than alternative methods, they are not instantaneous, and sizable projects can run for days to be produced.
Materials selection is also a limitation of the currently available machines.
The commonly available materials include acrylics, epoxies, urethanes, and ABS, as well as wax for investment casting masters. Specialty materials also available include artificial wood and specially formulated ceramics, metallic alloys, and metallic composites. Finally, one must recognize that fabbers are still highly technical devices, requiring trained personnel and often industrial environmental controls for their use. Process diagrams For diagrams of additive fabber processes, click on the name of the process below. For more information To read more about fabbers and how they are used around the world, see the book, Automated Fabrication by Marshall Burns.