Metal 3D printing has revolutionised component part manufacturing, enabling parts with intricate geometries, consolidated assemblies, and custom internal features. Ask any engineer or production lead, though, and they’ll tell you: the real bottleneck often begins after the printer stops. 

Post-processing is everything from support removal to surface finishing and heat treatment — and it’s where timelines stretch and costs spike. At Quickparts, we take a great deal of time working with our customers to ensure they understand just what’s involved; and to reiterate that the more complex the part, the greater these costs are going to be. Solving these bottlenecks isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about unlocking the full value of Direct Metal Printing (DMP) for every customer, from startups to aerospace primes.

Why Does Post-Processing Slow Everyone Down?

For all its innovation, metal 3D printing doesn’t deliver production-ready parts straight off the build plate. That’s especially true for DMP, which, while excellent for producing highly detailed, structurally complex components, often requires several additional steps before a part can meet real-world requirements.

Common Post-Processing Bottlenecks

• Support RemovalDMP parts typically require extensive, material-heavy support structures. Removing these, especially on intricate or internal features, can be labour-intensive and time-consuming. 

• Heat TreatmentStress relief and thermal treatments are critical to ensuring material performance. But scheduling, equipment availability, and validation can prolong this step. 

• Machining and TolerancingWhile DMP offers excellent accuracy, many parts still require secondary machining to achieve critical dimensions or surface finishes. 

• Surface FinishingWhether for aesthetics, corrosion resistance, or improved fatigue life, finishing techniques such as polishing, bead blasting, or coating can become significant chokepoints. 

The problem isn’t just time, it’s coordination. While Quickparts carries out the majority of its post-processing in-house, many manufacturers outsource post-processing steps to different suppliers, creating logistical complexity and increasing the risk of delays or inconsistencies. Each handoff adds friction, and even small miscommunications can set a project back days or weeks.

According to a study by Wohlers Associates, post-processing accounts for up to 55% of the total production time and cost in metal additive manufacturing. (Source: Wohlers Report 2023)

That’s why solving the post-processing puzzle is critical to scaling DMP and why Quickparts has made it a key part of our integrated service model.

This blog is originally published here: https://quickparts.com/gb/beyond-the-build-solving-post-processing-bottlenecks-in-metal-3d-printing/