Print farm handbook
What running a 3D print farm really involves, useful whichever software you use. We print the parts for our own motorcycle shop, Revsticks, in Thun, Switzerland. Where a number here comes from our own files, the page says so.
What is a print farm? What it takes to run one
A print farm is several 3D printers run as production, with no official minimum. Starting prints on our seven took 45 minutes every morning.
Updated 31 October 2026
Bambu LAN-only and Developer Mode: what you lose
Third-party control of a Bambu needs both LAN-only and Developer Mode. You lose Handy and cloud printing, and Bambu does not support the mode.
Updated 30 October 2026
No Moonraker connection: a real diagnosis order
Fluidd shows this when it cannot reach Moonraker. Check the service, port 7125, trusted_clients and cors_domains, the log, the IP, then Klipper.
Updated 30 October 2026
Cost per plate: formula and real 3D print example
Plate cost = (filament + power + machine + labour) / (1 - failure rate). A real 205 g, 9 h 16 min plate works out at CHF 14.76 at Swiss prices.
Updated 31 October 2026
How to start a 3D print farm: first steps
Start with one printer and a part that sells, time every plate, then add a second. What to buy in order, power limits, ventilation and when not to start.
Updated 31 October 2026
P1S or X1C for a print farm, and where P2S fits
P1S Combo CHF 446, P2S Combo CHF 569, X1C out of production since March 2026. What matters in a farm, what does not, and what we can't tell you.
Updated 31 October 2026
When do you need print farm software?
At CHF 42 an hour, one minute saved per printer per day is worth CHF 14.70 a month. Break-even by fleet size, free options, and when to use no software.
Updated 31 October 2026
Filament storage and drying for a print farm
Bambu, Prusa and Polymaker drying temperatures and times side by side, humidity targets for storage, and why a farm should not dry spools on a printer's bed.
Updated 31 October 2026