What should I check before buying a 3D printing service business?

A 3D printing bureau is a technology business first. Machines change quickly, and a printer that was a good choice a few years ago may be hard to get parts for today. Commercial paper printing is a different trade, so this page sets out what is specific to additive work: the fleet, the materials, the customers and the files.

The printer fleet

List each machine by type, age and maker, and ask for service and failure records. Ask whether the maker still supports it with parts and software updates, and whether any unit is leased. Ask what the owner would replace first and when. An independent technician can tell you how much remaining life a machine has, which you can compare with what the seller says.

Materials and consumables

Find out where resins, filaments and powders come from, whether one supplier provides most of them, and whether a machine only accepts the maker’s own materials. Ask how materials are stored, since some are sensitive to moisture and light, and how waste is disposed of. Ask for supplier terms, and whether those would carry over to you.

Customers, files and confidentiality

Prototype work is often one-off, while repeat production parts can recur. Ask for the split by customer and how long each has ordered. Customer design files may be confidential, so ask what agreements the shop signed, how files are stored, who can see them, and what happens to them when ownership changes. Your lawyer can advise on how to handle that at closing.

People who run the machines

Operators know print settings, failure patterns and post-processing steps that are rarely documented. Ask who they are, whether they intend to stay, and whether their methods are written down. Read how to find undisclosed debts and personal guarantees before you settle the structure.