Manufacturing and processing: Inventory software for 3D printing services
Inventory software for 3D printing services that tracks filament spools and resin batches with remaining amount, opening date and shelf life, so a long print never runs dry halfway.
Where stock drifts for 3D printing services.
At 3D printing services, material is a quiet cause of failed prints. A spool looks full enough but runs out twelve hours into a fourteen-hour print. Filament has absorbed moisture because it sat open on the shelf, and the print comes out brittle. A resin bottle has been open for months and cures differently from a fresh one. A customer asks for the same colour as last year, but that batch is gone and the new one is slightly off. Purchasing only reorders when someone notices a colour is nearly out, and then the supplier has none in stock. Tracking stock per spool and per batch, including what is reserved for planned prints, prevents those surprises.
Inventory software for 3D printing services
Example- 1
Register spools and batches
DoneEvery spool or bottle gets a label on arrival with material, colour, supplier, batch and date.
- 2
Reserve for print jobs
In progressWhen a print job is scheduled, the amount needed according to preparation is reserved against a specific spool or batch.
- 3
Record actual usage
NextAfter printing, actual usage is deducted, including any failed attempt.
From receipt to use.
Register spools and batches
Every spool or bottle gets a label on arrival with material, colour, supplier, batch and date. When opened, that date is recorded, and for filament also whether it has been dried. Remaining weight is tracked by weighing or by deducting usage from preparation.
Reserve for print jobs
When a print job is scheduled, the amount needed according to preparation is reserved against a specific spool or batch. If no spool has enough, the planner sees it in advance and can open a new spool or move the job before anything starts.
Record actual usage
After printing, actual usage is deducted, including any failed attempt. Nearly empty spools go on a list for small prints or tests. Material that has expired or been open too long is flagged, so someone decides whether it is still usable.
Alongside your purchasing and suppliers.
Material stock at print services is often kept in a spreadsheet, on a whiteboard or simply by eye. Some printers track how much material is left in a cartridge. We start with a count and weigh-in of what is there now and convert it into spools and batches. You print labels on a simple label printer. Purchasing stays responsible for ordering, the operators for recording usage.
Weigh or deduct from preparation
Weighing spools gives the actual remaining weight but adds a step. Deducting based on the slicer estimate is automatic but drifts with failed prints or purging. A combination works well: deduct per print and weigh now and then to correct the difference, so the overview stays reliable.
Customer material kept apart or pooled
Some customers supply a specific filament or have a colour ordered specially. That material should not quietly disappear into other prints. A separate status per customer prevents that, and once the job is done you discuss with the customer what happens to the remainder. The colour stays available for them meanwhile.
Use up remnants or write them off
Spools with a small remainder are useful for tests, calibration or small prints, but not for a long job. Decide at what remaining weight a spool goes to the remnant bin. That keeps stock manageable without throwing away material that is still useful, and you set the threshold yourselves.
Clients in other industries.
No customer story from this industry yet. This is how the software works for businesses elsewhere.
All customer stories
Hotel Aadam Wilhelmina
Online check-in, even at two in the morning.
Read the story
L'Artiste Barbershop
A full calendar starts with easy booking.
Read the storyNovaw Pilates
Focus on the class. Let the booking take care of itself.
Read the storyWhich stock we record.
From the start, spools and resin batches are recorded with remaining weight, opening date and shelf life, reserved for planned print jobs and booked out on use. Together we walk through an ordinary week, and a long print for which the reserved spool turns out to be damp so that a spool from another batch has to be opened. Purchase suggestions and usage booked straight from the job card are ready to switch on later.
View pricingSupport and updatesGood to know.
Explore pricing and optionsHow do we know how much material a print needs?
From the slicer preparation, which calculates usage including support. That is an estimate. Over time you see how it compares with actual usage and can set a margin accordingly, so reservations become more dependable. Failed attempts are deducted too.
Can we track when filament was dried?
Yes. For each spool you can record when it was dried and how long it has been open since. For moisture-sensitive materials you can set a warning when a spool has been open too long.
What do we do with resin that has been open a long time?
The system flags bottles open longer than the limit you set. You decide whether the resin is still usable, for example after a test print. That decision is recorded, so it is clear why the batch was still used.
Can we see which batch went into which part?
Yes. When a print starts, the spool or batch is linked to the job card. If a question about colour or strength comes up later, you can see which batch was used and which other parts came from it.
What often connects to this.
- Digital job cards for 3D printing servicesDigital job cards for 3D printing services that record the checked model version, print settings and finishing steps per order, with sign-offs and photos from printer to packing.
- Website for 3D printing servicesA website for 3D printing services that explains what each process and finish level can achieve, so a designer or engineer knows which material suits their application before sending a file.
- Enquiry form for 3D printing servicesAn enquiry form for 3D printing services that asks for the application, tolerances, quantities and finish alongside the model file, so preparation can start straight away.
Know what is really there.
Start with a short intake. Then we schedule a call to show the software with your services, team and way of working.
WhatsAppinfo@vorlyo.com Inventory software for 3D printing services: filament spools and resin batches with remaining weight, shelf life and reservations for planned prints.
- Register spools and batches
- Reserve for print jobs
- Record actual usage