3D Printing

Parts built layer by layer straight from a digital model, with no tooling at all.

MaterialsResin, nylon, PLA and ABS

ProcessSLA, SLS and FDM

Best forFast concept models and one-offs

File formatsSTEP, IGS, STP, IGES, X_T

What Is 3D Printing?

3D printing builds a part layer by layer directly from a digital model, using adhesive powder or resin and no tooling at all. That makes it the fastest way to get a design into your hands, often overnight, and the only economical route for geometry that cannot be machined — internal channels, lattice structures and deep undercuts.

We run SLA and SLS alongside FDM and choose between them on what the part actually has to do, not on what is quickest to set up.

Which 3D Printing Process Should You Choose?

SLA gives the finest surface finish and the sharpest detail, which suits appearance models, clear parts and the master patterns used for vacuum casting. SLS produces tougher nylon parts that survive functional testing and needs no support structures, so it handles complex geometry well. FDM is the cheapest option for larger, simpler parts where finish matters less.

Layer heights run from 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm depending on the process. Finishing options include sanding, priming, painting, dyeing and vapour smoothing.

3D printing is not always the right answer. Above roughly fifty parts, or where the part must be cut from a specific production polymer or metal, CNC machining or vacuum casting will usually be cheaper and stronger. We will say which we would use and why before quoting, rather than printing something that should have been machined.

For a fuller account of the resin and powder processes, see our SLA & SLS 3D printing page. Send an STL, STEP, IGS, STP, IGES or X_T file and we will quote against it.

Parts printed for clients by SLA, SLS and FDM, in resin and nylon.