From 1 to 50 Printers: How We Scaled Utah's Largest 3D Supply Store
William Davis
From 1 to 50 Printers: How We Scaled Utah's Largest 3D Supply Store
The inside story of Forgely's growth from a high school project to 27,000+ monthly print hours
When Tyler started his high school capstone project with a single 3D printer and an Etsy shop called "TDawg's World 3D," neither of us imagined we'd one day be operating 50 printers in Utah's largest 3D supply store. Today, Forgely produces over 27,000 print hours monthly with 150,000+ hours of combined experience. Here's the real story of how we scaled from $100 monthly sales to a thriving manufacturing operation.
The Humble Beginning: One Printer, Big Dreams
It all started with Tyler's vision during his high school capstone project. Armed with a single printer and determination, he launched TDawg's World 3D on Etsy, focusing on what we now know as our specialty: articulated models and miniatures.
Those early days taught us everything about quality control, customer service, and the importance of precision. Every print mattered because we could only produce a few pieces per day. We learned to perfect our settings, troubleshoot issues quickly, and build relationships with customers who appreciated handcrafted quality.
Key Lesson #1: Master your craft with limited resources before scaling. Those early constraints forced us to become experts in print quality and customer satisfaction.
The Game-Changing Partnership: Storm Bowling
The turning point came when Storm Bowling approached us for interactive bowling ball core displays. This wasn't just another order – it was a complete shift from individual consumer sales to B2B manufacturing.
Storm Bowling needed something no traditional manufacturer could provide: detailed, interactive models that showcased their bowling ball technology, plus miniature versions for trade shows and events. Our 3D printing expertise was the perfect solution.
This single partnership transformed our business model and proved that 3D printing could serve serious manufacturing needs, not just hobbyists and collectors.
Key Lesson #2: One major client can change everything. Be ready to pivot and scale when the right opportunity presents itself.
Scaling Challenges: From 1 to 50 Printers
Growing from 1 to 50 printers wasn't just about buying more equipment. Every milestone brought new challenges:
Equipment Management (5-15 Printers)
- Learning to maintain multiple machines simultaneously
- Developing systematic quality control processes
- Managing filament inventory across different colors and materials
Workflow & Facilities Optimization (15-30 Printers)
- Creating efficient order processing systems
- Balancing print queues across different printer capabilities
- Major facilities updates: Upgrading electrical systems for increased power needs and installing enhanced cooling systems to manage heat from multiple printers running 24/7
- Training team members on consistent procedures
Production Systems (30-50 Printers)
- Implementing SimplyPrint for scheduling and monitoring
- Managing 27,000+ monthly print hours
- Coordinating between retail location and production facility
- Facility expansion: Renting the building next to us and removing the wall between buildings, expanding from 1,150 sq ft to 3,500 sq ft – more than doubling our space
Current Fleet:
- 47 Bambu A1 printers (our workhorses)
- 7 Bambu Labs H2D printers
- 1 OrangeStorm Giga (large-format printing)
- 1 FlashForge AD5X
Key Lesson #3: Systems matter more than equipment. You can't manually manage 50 printers the same way you managed 5.
The Numbers Behind Our Growth
Here's what 150,000+ hours of printing experience looks like:
- Monthly Production: 27,000+ print hours
- Success Rate: 95% (as of January 2025)
- Current Utilization: Print queue often exceeds 10,000 hours
- Materials: 300+ PLA colors, plus PETG, ABS, TPU, ASA, PP, PA, and specialty filaments
- Storage Capacity: 3,500 filament spools
- Facility Size: 3,500 sq ft (expanded from original 1,150 sq ft)
Revenue Diversification:
- Retail partnerships (Quilted Bear, Gamers Asylum, Cosmic Collectibles)
- B2B clients (Storm Bowling, local businesses)
- Direct sales (Shopify, Etsy)
- Trade shows and events
- Filament manufacturing for internal use and retail
What We'd Do Differently
Start with Better Systems Earlier We wish we'd implemented proper inventory management and order tracking systems sooner. Manual processes that work for 5 printers become nightmares at 50.
Plan for Power and Cooling Earlier The electrical and cooling upgrades we needed between 15-30 printers were significant. Planning for these infrastructure needs from the beginning would have saved time and money.
Invest in Team Training Scaling equipment is easier than scaling expertise. We should have developed formal training programs earlier to maintain quality standards across all operators.
Anticipate Space Requirements Our facility expansion to 3,500 sq ft was necessary but required careful planning. Understanding space needs for both equipment and inventory earlier would have streamlined the process.
Current Operations: Inside Utah's Largest 3D Supply Store
Daily Workflow:
- Morning: Clear print boards, review overnight jobs
- Ongoing: Queue management, quality control, post-processing
- Evening: Load new jobs, prep for overnight printing
Quality Control:
- Spot checks on every batch
- Articulation testing for moving parts
- 20-second average QC time per piece
- 20% of prints require manual adjustments
- 95% success rate across all printers
Team Structure:
- Bill (Co-Founder): Operations, business development
- Tyler (Co-Founder): Technical leadership
- Mike (Sales Director): B2B relationships, 20 hrs/week
- Cyrsten (Printer Manager): Daily operations, 18 hrs/week
The Vision: 1,000 Printers and Beyond
We're not stopping at 50 printers. Our vision includes:
- Facility Expansion: 50,000 sq ft warehouse
- Equipment Scale: 1,000 printers
- Team Growth: 100+ employees
- Revenue Target: $15-20M annually
Current Expansion Projects:
- Filament manufacturing for internal use and retail sales
- Local premium filament production at $21/spool
- Educational partnerships with CTE programs
- Maintenance service offerings for other print farms
Lessons for Aspiring Print Farm Operators
1. Master Quality Before Quantity
Perfect your processes with a few printers before scaling. Quality issues multiply with volume.
2. Plan Infrastructure Early
Power, cooling, and space requirements grow exponentially. Plan these upgrades before you need them.
3. Diversify Your Revenue Streams
Don't rely on a single sales channel. We balance retail partnerships, B2B clients, direct sales, and now filament manufacturing.
4. Invest in Relationships
Our partnerships with Storm Bowling, Quilted Bear, and others provide stable revenue and growth opportunities.
5. Systematic Maintenance is Critical
50 printers require systematic maintenance. Budget accordingly and develop clear procedures.
6. Location Matters
Utah's business-friendly environment and our Roy location provide access to both Salt Lake City and Ogden markets.
The Future of 3D Print Farming
The industry is evolving rapidly. We're seeing:
- Increased Automation: Better monitoring and queue management systems
- Material Innovation: Sustainable filaments and specialty applications like PP and PA
- Market Maturation: More businesses understanding 3D printing's manufacturing potential
- Local Manufacturing: Reduced shipping costs and faster turnaround times
- Vertical Integration: Companies like ours adding filament manufacturing to control quality and costs
Ready to Scale Your Own Operation?
Whether you're running 1 printer or 10, the principles remain the same: focus on quality, build systems, nurture relationships, plan for infrastructure needs, and be ready to adapt when opportunities arise.
Our journey from Tyler's high school project to Utah's largest 3D supply store proves that with dedication, smart scaling, and the right partnerships, 3D printing can become serious manufacturing.
Want to learn more about our operations or explore partnership opportunities? Visit us at 5519 S 1900 W, Roy, UT 84067, or contact us through forgely.co/pages/contact.
At Forgely, we're not just printing objects – we're building the future of local manufacturing, one layer at a time.
About Forgely: Utah's largest 3D supply store and premier printing service, operating 50 printers with over 150,000 hours of production experience. From rapid prototyping to high-volume production, we bring ideas to life with precision and speed.