Methods and systems for enabling and scheduling 3d printing-based fabrication

A three-dimensional (3D) printing system comprising:

• a fleet of 3D printers;
• and
• a scheduling engine, executed by a set of processors, configured to:
• receive a plurality of print job requests, each print job request indicating a respective 3D print job of a respective 3D item to be performed by the fleet of 3D printers;
• for each print job request:
• determine a set of print job attributes corresponding to the respective 3D print job, the print job attributes including one or more properties of the respective 3D item indicated by the respective print job request, a print job completion time indicating a first amount of time required to complete the respective 3D print job, and a print job request time indicating a second amount of time until printing of the respective 3D item is to be completed;
• determine a respective priority score of the respective print job based on the set of print job attributes;
• maintain a 3D print job queue based on the respective priority score of the respective print job, wherein the 3D print job queue indicates an order to process the respective print job request with respect other print job requests;
• and
• selectively assign the respective print job request to the fleet of 3D printers according to the 3D print job queue.

A method for controlling a fleet of 3D printers comprising:

• receiving, by a processing system having one or more processors, a plurality of print job requests, each print job request indicating a respective 3D print job of a respective 3D item to be performed by the fleet of 3D printers;
• for each print job request:
• determining, by the processing system, a set of print job attributes corresponding to the respective 3D print job, the print job attributes including one or more properties of the respective 3D item indicated by the print job request, a print job completion time indicating a first amount of time required to complete the 3D print job, and a print job request time indicating a second amount of time until printing of the respective 3D item is to be completed;
• determining, by the processing system, a respective priority score of the respective print job based on the one or more properties of the respective 3D item, the print job completion time, and the print job request time;
• maintaining, by the processing system, a 3D print job queue based on the respective priority score of the respective print job, wherein the 3D print job queue indicates an order to process the print job request with respect to other print job requests;
• and
• selectively assigning, by the processing system, the respective print job to the fleet of 3D printers according to the 3D print job queue.