Evaluation of 3D Printing Performance in Mechanical Manufacturing: A Comparative Study of Cost, Quality, and Time in Precision Gear Production

Production and manufacturing processes are witnessing a significant increase in the reliance on 3D printers in this field, especially in complex and rare forms. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the capability and efficiency of a 3D printer in the production of unique and complex spare parts. A small damaged gear (a damaged spare part for the coffee machine) was selected as a case study due to the difficulty of obtaining such a spare part. Reverse engineering was used to take the necessary measurements of the gear and redraw it using the SolidWorks program, and then convert it to the printer's program and print it. A Creality Ender 3 Pro printer and polylactic acid (PLA) were used for the purpose of gear printing, and the printing time took about 4 hours. The measurements of the printed piece showed a great match as the accuracy reached in the range of ±0.15mm. The results of the comparison also showed that the cost of printing the gear is estimated at $1, while the cost of producing the same gear ranges from (10-25) dollars by traditional methods such as CNC milling or machining, while the molds are less expensive but require the purchase of large quantities (+1000), which contradicts the goal of the study and increases the cost significantly. Laboratory tests have also proven the efficiency of the material after printing, as good mechanical properties have been obtained and suitable for the intended purpose. Finally, the study concluded that the use of a 3D printer is an excellent and cheap solution for the purpose of making spare parts, especially unique and rare.