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An Idaho 3D printing farm makes tens of thousands of PPE

An Idaho firm that 3D-prints large volumes of plastic parts 24/7 is using its expertise to produce PPE

PPE by additive manufacturing

Slant 3D prints parts and products for companies all over the U.S. It also builds, uses, and sells 3D printers. All images provided by Slant 3D

When Gabe Bentz and the team at Slant Concepts designed a series of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) products meant to teach young people about robotics, they never expected them to be big sellers.

As such, it made sense to 3D-print the parts because, as everyone knows, additive manufacturing is great for prototyping and low-volume production work. Cranking parts out by the millions? The conventional wisdom is, “Not so much.”

As it turns out, the chief engineer and president of the small firm in Boise, Idaho, painted himself into a 3D-printed corner. The products were far more popular than anyone anticipated—to the point that Slant had to invest in a handful of desktop printers to keep up with demand.

Bentz soon realized that 3D printing would be a viable option for large-scale, serial production of millions of parts except for one thing: the equipment.

“There were no desktop-sized 3D printers available at that time with the automation and software capabilities we needed for high-volume production that was comparable to injection molding,” Bentz said. “There was also the fact that any printers we invested in would become obsolete within a couple of years, given the rapid pace of change in the industry. So we built our own printer.”

That printer is now known as the Mason, and although Bentz’s newly formed second company—Slant 3D—is happy to sell one to whomever wants a low-cost, industrial-grade filament-style printer, the Mason’s primary use is making parts by the tens of thousands in the company’s print farm, and doing so with minimal human intervention.

“We’re currently building out (the farm), which will ultimately have 800 machines,” he said. “And once it’s fully operational, we intend to open an even larger factory.”

This story isn’t all about the Mason or Slant 3D’s ability to mass-produce 3D-printed parts, however. It’s also about timing. Because if this growing company hadn’t spent the last year building the largest 3D printing farm in the United States, it wouldn’t have been in a position to make PPE and other life-saving products when they’re needed most—in the middle of a global pandemic.

In early April Slant 3D designed a Prusa RC2-compatible face shield and immediately began printing parts for it. Less than two weeks later the company had produced approximately 15,000 complete sets, which have been distributed to hospitals and other medical facilities across the country.

Slant 3D team members also have produced hands-free door openers and key chains, as well as emergency ventilator components that—as Bentz is quick to point out—are not FDA-approved and are just for emergencies.

PPE by additive manufacturing

A face shield headband 3D-printed by Slant 3D, which is printing nearly 1,000 of them daily.

“We already knew that 3D print farms can be used to cost-effectively produce parts in quantities traditionally reserved for plastic injection molding, but this also shows how much more agile they are,” he said. “Within two days, we were making critical components, and as soon as the current need is behind us, we’ll go right back to what we were doing. Until then, we’ll keep helping out however we can.”

Other profiles in our COVID-19 Coverage:

• Footwear manufacturer Superfeet Worldwide

Owner of Innovative Technical Resource Group

Two Canadian 3D printing companies, VanDerZwaag Machining & Development and InkSmith

3D printer builder 3D Systems

PPE by additive manufacturing

Slant 3D President Gabe Bentz said the company is building out its factory, which eventually will house 800 3D printers.

About the Author

Kip Hanson

Kip Hanson is a freelance writer with more than 35 years working in and writing about manufacturing. He lives in Tucson, Ariz.