8 Reasons to Use a Robotic Arm for 3D Printing

Robotic arms—motorized, programmable and designed for precision—have long been a staple of industrial automation. With joints and articulations mimicking a human arm, they enhance efficiency in manufacturing by streamlining repetitive tasks. Sound familiar? These advantages parallel those of additive manufacturing. So why not combine the two?

Integrating 3D printers with robotic arms introduces new opportunities, offering greater flexibility, adaptability and workflow optimization. In this article, we explore eight reasons to adopt robotic arm 3D printing. Note that while non-3D printing robotic arms can be used within an automated additive manufacturing process, in this article, we will focus primarily on robotic arms that directly perform 3D printing. There are many robotic arm 3D printing solutions on the market, so familiarize yourself with their benefits here!

A robotic nonplanar 3D printer creating a curved pipe (Photo Credit: Emil Johansson)

1. Increased Flexibility and Multiplanar Toolpaths

Most 3D printers operate on the cartesian plane, a two-dimensional plane that is defined by the perpendicular x and y axes. Some robotic arms also are limited to a cartesian plane—but not all of them. Many robotic arm 3D printers can follow multiplanar toolpaths, printing not just on one flat plane, but in multiple directions. By not being restricted by traditional layer-by-layer, horizontal 3D printing, users are allowed greater design freedom.