As the third most common naturally occurring element on the earth’s surface, aluminium is used in 3D printing due to its strength and versatility. It has the advantage of being very lightweight and can handle precise details of 0.25mm. The 3D printing service works by using aluminium powder sintered together with a powerful laser and is a good choice for creating both functional and spare parts. It is also commonly used in manufacturing jewellery. 

Stainless steel has a wide variety of applications and is widely used within the mould-making industry. The main advantage of stainless steel is that its properties can be easily adjusted to exact specifications by adding alloy constituents. The material is highly affordable and can be used to produce large components due to its strength. Our 3D printing service produces stainless steel parts that are durable, lightweight, and highly heat resistant.

Maraging steel is a stainless-steel alloy used for its enhanced physical properties. The material contains up to 25% nickel, which allows for an improvement in its strength and toughness without compromising steel’s natural ductility. Combined with a reliable 3D printing service, maraging steel can produce tool components for high-performance industrial and engineering applications. It is particularly popular within the aerospace and motorsport industries.

Titanium is a popular choice of material across all major 3D printing services due to its excellent strength to weight ratio and high resistance to corrosion. Popular applications of the material are medical implants and automotive parts. Using a 3D printing service to produce titanium components can help you create a variety of complex structures, such as lattices and other highly intricate and detailed moving parts.

Cobalt chrome is an additive manufacturing alloy commonly used for the production of parts in the medical and dental industries. The other main advantages are its heat and corrosion resistance, which makes it a highly biocompatible material. Due to its hardness, the material is usually cast rather than machined. A 3D printing service is used to create the cast, which is then used in producing the final product made from cobalt chrome.

Inconel 625 is a nickel-based superalloy used to produce materials suitable for exposure to high temperatures and rapid temperature fluctuation. It is also highly corrosion-resistant. Using a 3D printing service to produce parts from Inconel 625 has traditionally been costly but is now gradually becoming more widespread in manufacturing across a variety of industries.

Inconel 718 is a popular choice for producing parts for aircraft engine components or chemical processing environments. It is best suited to the manufacture of materials with service temperatures up to 650°C and for the manufacture of ductwork, valves, and heat exchangers. These components can be reliably and efficiently produced using a specialised 3D printing service.

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) is a thermoplastic polymer, commonly used in FDM 3D printing services, which are most suited for personal manufacturing processes. ABS can be used easily with desktop 3D printing and has the advantage of being lightweight, and highly affordable. It also has good impact strength, and a glass transition temperature of around 105°C, making it safe for household use.

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a renewable thermoplastic material, commonly made from corn starch, tapioca roots, or sugar cane. Due to its origins as a natural material, it is a common choice for 3D printing services used for medical applications or within the food industry. PLA is an excellent choice for beginners in 3D printing, and has a greater resistance to heat than ABS, although it is not as flexible. The post-processing stage of the manufacturing process is fairly simple, making it an ideal choice for projects without complex mechanical requirements.

PA12 Nylon is an excellent choice as a manufacturing material if you require strong parts with a degree of flexibility. It can be used in 3D printing services with a standard resolution of 100 - 150µm, or a high definition of 60µm. With thin objects PA12 Nylon retains a high degree of flexibility, making it a useful choice for designs with enclosed or interlocking parts. It also offers a wide range of colour and finish options, although the most cost-effective design choice is a raw state, which also allows for the production of larger components.

PA2200 is a polyamide that appears as a white powder. It is a popular manufacturing material for use in 3D printing services as it balances a high degree of mechanical strength with both flexibility and heat resistance. It offers great chemical resistance and can be biocompatible at certain levels, making it ideal for use within the manufacture of medical parts.

Stereolithography (SLA) is a manufacturing process used in 3D printing services in which the layers are created using an ultraviolet laser aimed at the surface of a molten thermoset resin. It is ideal for the quick manufacture of prototype and concept parts. Black resin is a popular choice for its neutral colour. Other ideal characteristics to look for are low odour, a quick curing time, and low shrinkage.

Castable resins are an ideal choice of material for the creation of jewellery of dental parts using a 3D printing service. Its main advantages are faster iteration and lower costs through the production process. The thickness of the material is highly customisable, which makes it a great choice for the creation of wearable materials with a high level of detail, such as rings or bangles.

SLA 3D printing services have the major advantage of being compatible with clear resins, which are excellent for creating translucent parts. These allow internal details and cavities to be viewed, meaning that this manufacturing option is often ideally suited to prototype designs. Clear resins have a variety of applications within 3D printing services, including optics, light pipes and fluidics.

Grey resin is a suitable choice when using 3D printing services to manufacture models requiring a high level of visible detail, but limited functionality. It is not recommended for use in designs with moving or interlocking parts. It can also be used as a base for materials that will later have colours and finishes added on top.

Tough resin mimics the properties of ABS plastic and is ideal for the manufacture of parts subject to high degrees of mechanical strain and stress. It has printing capabilities of 50 - 100 microns, making it ideal for creating prototypes with functional parts. Due to its mechanical properties, it can be more difficult to work with than standard resins, meaning that it is best to use in conjunction with a professional 3D printing service.

Similar to black and grey resins, white resin is a popular choice for printing basic 3D prototype models that can later be painted over or subjected to other design enhancements. Depending on the resin used, it can be presented without the need for finishing or post-processing, making it an efficient and inexpensive design option.

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a process that creates three-dimensional objects by layering material on top of each other using a computer-controlled printer. It allows for the production of complex and customized designs.

3D printing involves creating a physical model or prototype using a machine that builds up the model layer by layer based on a CAD file. The process typically uses molten plastic or powder materials that are fused to create the model. The technology allows for the production of complex and customized designs with relative ease and speed.

3D printing can be done using various materials, including plastics (such as ABS and PLA), metals (like stainless steel and titanium), resins, ceramics, and even food-grade materials like chocolate.

The printing time for an object depends on its size, complexity, and the chosen 3D printing technology. Simple objects can take a few hours, while larger or intricate designs may take several days to complete.

• Highly flexible, allowing for the production of complex and intricate designs.
• Speed of production, with the ability to create complex designs in hours.
• On-demand production, eliminating the need for inventory and enabling manufacturing as needed.
• Strong and lightweight results, with the ability to tailor materials for specific applications.
• Cost-efficient, as it is a single-step process that doesn't require extensive manual labor.

• Limited materials, as some metals and plastics are not suitable for the process.
• Size limitations, with constraints on the dimensions of the printing chambers, requiring larger parts to be printed separately and assembled.
• Less suited to mass production, as the process doesn't benefit from economies of scale.
• Potential for structural errors, as parts are produced layer-by-layer, which can result in delamination under stress.
• Additional post-processing costs, as parts often require the removal of support material and finishing.

The general principles of 3D printing involve modeling the design using CAD software, slicing the model into layers readable by the printer, manufacturing the layers by depositing materials and finishing the printed object. The materials used can range from polymers to metallic powders, and the process allows for multi-material printing and potential advancements like 4D printing.

3D printing has a wide range of applications across industries, including:

• Prototyping and manufacturing
• Aerospace
• Robotics
• Medical and health industries
• Construction
• Transportation
• Education
• Food industry

3D printing is used for various purposes, including rapid prototyping, manufacturing customized or personalized products, creating complex geometries that are difficult to produce using traditional methods, producing architectural models, medical applications like creating prosthetics and implants, and even printing food or artistic objects.