2025
We've expanded our FDM automation system with a vertical storage unit, capable of storing and organizing any type of filament spool. The result: fully unattended material changeovers and scalable, high-mix production.
3D Printing
Filament
Overview
At DHR Engineering, we don’t stop at partial automation. In our earlier proof of concept we demonstrated full-cycle FDM automation with robotic bed loading, part removal, and automated filament loading. Running our own automated farm with a custom robot has also given us practical insight into what matters most for long-term reliability at scale.
One gap remained: material logistics. Even with automated changeovers, filament storage and supply still required manual handling. To address this, we built a custom vertical lift module (VLM) and tested it in a small setup. Even at that scale, it showed the benefits a larger farm could realize: a single VLM supporting a fleet of printers with unattended material changeovers, potentially removing one of the last manual bottlenecks in FDM production.
Problem
The Bottleneck: Manual Filament Supply in an Automated Workflow
Even with automated print beds and filament changeovers, traditional material storage remains a weak point.
In our initial implementation, we had successfully deployed a robotic system that could:
Swap out build plates autonomously.
Load filament via modular spool units and docking stations.
Trigger print jobs in sequence across a multi-printer rack.
The issue was storage. Spools were limited to what could be pre-mounted at the machines. Adding materials meant manual resupply, downtime, and shorter job queues.
This hits hardest in high-mix production. Switching between colors or polymers within a shift causes interruptions and idle printers. Automation of the machines may be effective, but without automated material supply it cannot scale across large fleets.
Solution
A Custom-Built Carousel Storage System for Robotic Filament Management
The VLM centralizes filament inventory in a compact, indexed carousel that the robot can reach at any time. Each spool container is tracked in software and tied to job scheduling, so the system always knows what is available before a print begins.
Key capabilities
Robotic pick and return: spools are retrieved and redocked automatically.
Inventory visibility: every slot is indexed and logged for material traceability.
Compatibility: can support any spools across polymers and brands.
Scalable layout: the carousel design can be extended to hold as many spools as the farm requires.
What changes in practice
Even in a small test setup, it became clear how the system could change day-to-day operations. A large print job that occupies 40 machines could finish, and then the farm could switch directly to another order in a different material without anyone on site. How cool is that?
Conclusion
Toward Fully Autonomous, High-Mix Additive Manufacturing
This proof of concept closes one of the last gaps in automated FDM. By merging storage, robotic handling, and scheduling, filament logistics move from manual resupply to integrated part of the system.
On the floor that means:
longer unattended production runs,
predictable changeovers across entire fleets,
fewer operator hours spent on routine resupply.
The advantage grows even further when the robot runs on rails and a single VLM supplies 50 or more printers. That is when unattended material changeovers shift from a convenience to a core capability of the entire farm.
At DHR Engineering we design these systems to match each client’s layout, printer mix, and production goals. The modular architecture scales with demand, and the principle is straightforward: when material flows automatically, the rest of the workflow runs at full capacity.
If you’re exploring automation for your print farm, get in touch with our team to discuss what a custom material storage solution could look like for your operation.
If you're facing throughput challenges or planning your next production ramp — let’s talk. We work with hardware teams who build things that matter, and need their automation to move fast and perform flawlessly.