Customer 3D printing challenges

[luc1dni9htmare]

From complex to easy prints, how do you handle a specific customer order challenges?

What techniques did you made in order to accomplish a print?

I hope this topic would help everyone, guide our fellow hub members to get successful prints and make our customers happy.

[FrancoisBernard]

Hi, interesting topic !

It might sound obvious for all of you, but the first thing I’m thinking about, is to talk with the customer about his/her specific need and explain why this specific order will take longer than usual.

3DHubs is like a workshop, and people go to workshops to get parts but also knowledge.

So I think it’s important to keep in mind this specific aspect of our job (I mean, at least for small hubs)

I explain him/her I’ll have to do some tests, and these tests won’t cost anything, it’s part of the job.

Then the customer is free to accept or decline.

When it comes to the production part, I spend more time checking the 3D model than usual. I don’t charge for this because, again, for me, it’s part of the job : the customer feels confident, and I waste less material

I actually have a specific order right now, something which looks a little fragile, so I asked my customer to explain me his/her expectations, how it will be used, so I can adjust my printer parameters.

Hope this can be a good start

François

[luc1dni9htmare]

Yes, communication is the key!

Before accepting an order, I take my time looking at the 3D model (overhangs, support, etc.) and take my time to do a test print.

Then explain the scenario on how to get the job done and once customer agrees with the proposal, I accept the print job otherwise customer can decline the order. I also give advice to customer to what’s best for their print, tinkering their file a bit or use a stronger type of filament instead.

I am just curious, is it okay to ask the customer what the 3D model/print is for/how does it work/etc…?

The reason being is also to adjust print parameters or proposed a better design for the customer (won’t they get offensive?)

Anyhow, It is always fun having different scenarios where you and your printer are challenged.

So it seems I am on the right track

Best of luck everyone!

Dexter

[FrancoisBernard]

Yes, it is fun, but in the meantime, you are competing with brands like Sculpteo, so it’s fun, but in my opinion, we don’t have so much time to try…

It’s just (for me) a reminder, for these specific orders : asking questions is also a way to play for time

To not be offensive with customer, I just explain why I ask, and we all know use is key for setting up the printer (and some time even the model !)

Today I had a phone call from the customer I was talking about in my previous message.

She had a very specific need, but didn’t know what printing technique was good. At the end, I lost the order, but what’s more important for me than money, is client satisfaction.

She explained me exactly what she really wanted to do with the part, and I sent her to a SLA printing hub !

Something completely different than my machine… It was an art piece, very fragile, had to be like pure glass without any layer effect : definitely not FDM !!

We have to keep in mind, that printing here, is not printing for us. It is less a challenge, than a job. (in my opinion)

Without the details she gave me, I would have print something very good to my eyes, the best I can offer, but useless crap for her, because it doesn’t match her needs.

So I waste my time, my material, and her money for something which breaks the second after I take it off the bed.

She understood it was in her interest, and the way we talk made her feel confident with me.

The tests I made are a great opportunity to improve my knowledge.

And actually, I’m pretty sure I won a future client (of course, if FDM is corresponding to her needs)

Technically speaking, I need now to better anticipate it, so I won’t change price every time (I think this is confusing for the customer), and I can faster reorient a customer.

1/ keep the samples, sort them by layer thickness

(keep the associated code in dedicated folders — which means clean my 3D printer SD card… OMG !!!)

2/ the best would be to publish good pictures on the hub page of these samples and characteristics, so future customers can anticipate the result and the price

3/ Maybe make some more samples I can send for free…

4/ Points 1&2 bring me to the file naming issue : test_material_thickness_speed.gcode (how do you guys name your files ?)

I know some people add printing time also

The customer doesn’t know the right technique and the right material. He just knows the use and maybe the color.

I’m not saying clients are stupid, I’m just saying we have to take our advisory part of the job very seriously

[AlexanderB]

Cleaning up the SD and file naming is important, yes.

For me, file naming would usually go like “object_PLA_Left_200C_45C_100um_150mms_V4.gcode”, with the parts name, material, left nozzle on dual extruder, 200C temperature on that extruder, 45C on the HPB, 0.1mm resolution, 150mm/s speed, and the 4th time I sliced this particular part.

Every time I re-slice or make some other change, I add one to the version number. (Other than modify the temperature in the g-code where I just edit the name to match the change.)

I might change it up a little because the longer file names don’t always show correctly in the SD interface, so I might go for “object V4 .gcode” instead.

When a gcode fails spectacularly, I delete it.

When they print ok but I don’t use it anymore I put it in a folder called Old (which I clean up every now and then)
When it when it prints ok and I plan to make more of the same print, or its part of a larger project, I put it in a folder with a relevant name to the project, and move all associated G-Codes to it. For example, I have a folder named ‘robot parts’ and a folder called ‘3d scanner’ and one for ‘nylon test parts’, etc…

[Richard_20]

Communication with customers and well as photo or video updates in the order itself. If I have a challenging print or a failure I will update the information to the customer. Nothing worse then wondering if things are going ok ( customer point of view).