Highest accuracy and smoothest surface finish of all 3D printed parts. Print highly detailed parts ranging from just a few mm in size, all the way up to 1.5 m, with exceptional resolution and accuracy and virtually no part shrink or warping.
Stereolithography (SLA) utilises a vat of liquid photopolymer resin cured by an Ultra Violet (UV) laser to solidify the pattern layer by layer to create a solid 3D model from customer supplied 3D data. The SLA process addresses the widest range of rapid manufacturing applications.
Tolerances for standard resolution:
Tolerances for high resolution:
SLA printers are able to print highly detailed parts ranging from just a few millimetres in size, all the way up to 1.5 meters, with exceptional resolution and accuracy and virtually no part shrinkage or warping.
Key Features: Smooth surface finish, high precision, short lead times, a wide variety of materials and post-processing options.
The SLA process’ high accuracy, the large variety of material selections, smooth surface finish, and a wide variety of post-processing options make it the perfect choice for a wide range of rapid manufacturing applications.
Rapid Prototypes:
• Design Appearance Models
• Proof of Concept Prototypes
• Design Evaluation Models (Form & Fit)
• Engineering Proving Models (Design Verification)
• Wind-Tunnel Test Models
Tooling and Patterns:
• Investment Casting Patterns
• Jigs and Fixtures
• Cast Urethane Master Patterns
Custom industry applications such as healthcare with biocompatible materials for surgical tools, dental appliances, hearing aids.
SLS uses a high-powered C02 laser to fuse small particles of powdered material to create 3-dimensional parts. The laser selectively fuses powdered material by scanning X&Y cross-sections on the surface of a powder bed. The model is built one layer at a time from supplied 3D CAD data. SLS is capable of producing highly durable parts for real-world testing.
Tolerances for standard resolution:
SLS produces parts from impact-resistant engineering plastic, great for low- to mid-volume end-use parts, enclosures, snap-fit parts, automotive components and thin-walled ducting.
SLS produces complex geometries, for low-volume parts that would typically require assembly using traditional manufacturing methods.
Direct Metal Printing (DMP), also commonly known as Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), is an additive manufacturing technology that builds high-quality complex metal parts from 3D CAD data. In the machine, a high precision laser is directed to metal powder particles to selectively build up thin horizontal metal layers one after the other. This cutting-edge technology allows for the production of metal parts with challenging geometries, not possible using traditional subtractive or casting technologies. A variety of functional metals are available to print designs, from prototypes to production series of up to 20,000 units.
Vacuum Casting provides high-quality parts production at low- to mid-volumes without the cost and time of hard tooling, using 3D printed masters and silicone moulds that defy traditional production timelines.
Key Features: Wide range of polyurethane materials, smooth surfaces, colours available with RAL or Pantone number.
From product development models and prototypes to low-volume production runs, this rapid prototyping process allows us to produce parts that accurately mimic the colour, texture, feel and physical properties of injection moulded parts.
Cast Urethane parts can be completed and delivered in days after completing SRM tooling (Silicone Rubber Molds). Short runs of several hundred pieces can be delivered within weeks in most instances.
One of the most significant benefits of the Cast Urethane process is the ability to over-mould existing parts or hardware with a second material.
Fused Deposition Modeling is a solid-based rapid prototyping method that extrudes material layer-by-layer to build a model. The system consists of a build platform, extrusion nozzle, and control system. This is a fast and cost effective process great for proving designs, fit and function testing, small production runs, jigs, and fixtures.
Tolerances for standard resolution:
Using engineering-grade thermoplastics such as ABS and polycarbonate materials, this technology builds parts in an additive process that enables complex geometries that are often difficult to duplicate with traditional manufacturing methods such as CNC machining.
Customers in aerospace, automotive, healthcare and other industries rely on our capabilities for rapid delivery of dimensionally accurate, functional prototypes and small-quantity production parts that are able to resist high temperatures, mechanical stresses and chemical degradation. This process allows parts to be made directly from 3D CAD to thermoplastic materials without tooling.
CNC refers to cutting material with a computer numerical control machine. The CNC machining process interprets your 3D CAD model and translates data to CNC machines. The main benefit of the process is that CNC will produce parts that can replace the additive manufactured prototypes with production grade materials. This method allows you to build your parts in the featured material that you intend for use in production. CNC machining is the best choice for rapid prototyping of high-quality metal and plastic parts requiring the highest degree of dimensional accuracy, critical surface finishes, material-specific properties.
Whether for rapid prototypes or production parts, we have the right CNC machining options for your metal and plastic part needs.
Tolerances for feature size:
Tolerances for hole diameter:
Tolerances for Flatness, Run Out, Cylindricity, Perpendicularity, and other Geometry:
The tolerances above will not apply when machining a weldment, or a plate below 1/4″ thick at length above 20″ or 1/8″ thickness at length exceeding 10″ long. In that case the tolerances need to be reviewed by the MFG team.
CNC Finishes
CNC machining is a subtractive manufacturing process by which material is cut away from the source to create a finished component. Our standard surface finish is 63-125 RMS. However, we can grind or polish the part to 4-8 RMS.
Investment casting, often known as lost-wax casting, is a manufacturing methodology that has been around for thousands of years. While there has been some degree of automation in the foundry industry, the need for the pattern around which to make the cast shape remains a constant – and waiting for tooling to create the patterns can take weeks or months, costing tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
3D printed casting patterns offer a tool-free, fast, reliable and accurate alternative to patterns created using tooling, reducing the costs of creating a pattern by as much as 90%, and produced in one-tenth of the time. With two key 3D printing materials – SLA plastic and wax – that are fully industry-tested, your casting patterns can be completed in days or a couple of weeks, with little to no restriction on the size of the casted part.
3D Technology On-Demand Manufacturing offers rapid production of casting patterns from its partner production facilities in the UK. With expert teams who have been producing investment casting patterns for more than 20 years, using additive platforms and materials that are being continually refined and updated to meet ever more rigorous standards, On Demand Manufacturing can meet your needs for prototype and production-grade casting patterns.
3D printed patterns can be created quickly, and deliver more complex parts than injection moulded wax patterns. We use both a plastic process and a wax process depending on the needs and applications of our customers.
The SLA Cast build style consists of a hollow SLA pattern with an internal hexagonal support structure that adds strength to the pattern, allows for easy drainage, and facilitates collapse of the pattern during thermal expansion to help avoid shell cracking. SLA Cast patterns offer invaluable shrink and gating information before hard tooling, large pattern size, smooth surfaces, and accelerated timelines over tooling to create wax patterns.
Many foundries like working with wax patterns. Whether only one or hundreds of patterns are needed quickly, you can count on our ProJet® 3D printed wax patterns to fit into your foundry processing procedures, just like any injection moulded wax pattern. We provide high detail, high-resolution ProJet wax patterns with the highest levels of surface finish required for demanding casting applications.
The QuickCast build style for investment casting is preferred in medical, aerospace & defence applications because of accuracy and high-level surface finish.
Preferred by the jewellery, medical and aerospace industries, ProJet Wax patterns are built by printing thin layers of wax materials to quickly create the highest levels of surface finishes for casting patterns.
