SLS print farm automation

A manufacturer running five SLS printers needed more output without adding operator shifts. With manual unloading and reloading, throughput depended on when operators were available, so machines sat idle overnight and between builds.

We modeled manual and lights-out tending side by side, covering run time, operator and robot cycle time, throughput, and shift parameters. That model shaped a robotic tending cell sized for all five printers. Hardware was sourced from that model, and cycle timing was validated against the schedule before commissioning.

The print farm now runs overnight unattended, increasing output without adding labor.