3D Printing Services

In general, 3D printing works by cutting a 3D CAD model model of the part to be printed into many slices. The 3D printing machine will take a layer of data at a time and manufacture that slice or layer. Different technologies exist, however they all produce one layer at a time, simultaneously bonding it to the preceding layer.

The process continues right through the extents of the part until all digital slices have been “printed” into the physical form.

With 3D Printing on professional machines taking only a few hours, here are just some of the advantages these processes have to offer:

• Reduce time to market: By using a 3d printing service, Models and prototypes of components can be produced in hours. Concepts can be tangible objects around a table instead of images on screen. Product development cycles can be vastly reduced due to the speed of 3D printing, compared to other traditional methods.
• Save money and reduce risk: 3D printing prototypes before costly injection mould tooling can lead to eradicating design errors which can lead to expensive tool mods or delays to product release. Many studies have shown that it pays to use a 3d printing service.
• Get valuable Market Research: 3D printing market research models yield valuable market perceptions about your product often months before production batches are ready. The market research that is gathered by using a professional 3d printing service, either gives you added confidence about your product or enables feedback to influence design changes before production tooling is finalised.
• Excellent communication tool: 3D Printed parts provide a perfect tangible product that offers no alternative to the design intent. it simply is-what-it-is, something that drawings, images or video cannot beat.
• Assembly trials: 3D print multiple components from an assembly and test the assembly procedure. Production lines can be streamlined and design improvements made from feedback from assembly line trials.
• Improve your packaging: with 3D printed parts available at the packaging design stage, greater design flare and/or improvements lead to better design presence in retails situations.
• Greater design freedom: with 3D printing services used as a low-volume manufacturing method, design constraints traditionally associated with mass production can be eradicated.
• Customise your parts: with 3D printing services used as a low-volume manufacturing method, niche markets utilise 3D printing for bespoke components including jewellery, dental, medical, art etc.
• Engage your imagination: 3D printing can make virtually any geometry you can imagine, the possibilities are endless…

As we are based in the UK, we can provide you with fast turnaround times, clear communication and the ability to quickly answer any questions you may have with no need to wait. We also offer a quality finished product and the ability to easily understand your requirements. We have been a 3d printing service provider since 1996.

As we are a 3D printing service based in the UK, we pride ourself on fast turnaround times. Depending on the size of the “print” or build, it take from as little as a few hours. As you will appreciate, our large 3D printing service can take several days.

We also offer a three tier costing system with turnaround times to suit different budgets and timeframes.

The simple answer is no.

New 3D printers hit the news frequently. There are many different types especially at the lower, hobbyist end of the market. They are all layer based technologies but that is where the similarity ends.

Resin based systems are often the most accurate, with good surface finish. Plastic extrusion or filament based systems offer great material choice but can be limited with surface finish. Powder based systems offer a compromise of surface finish and accuracy.

Apart from the technology differences, 3D printers vary greatly in the size of the build envelopes available. Some are limited to very small areas (many less than 100mm cube) others offer systems above 500mm in all axes, whilst other bespoke systems venture into several metres in available size.

Build speeds are another crucial factor in 3D printers, and are often one of the major deciding factors when buying professional systems.

Other factors that also influence the “points to note” about 3D printers are: Accuracy, surface finish and material choice.

With such a variety of 3D printers available, it is for this reason that we have have technology consultants on hand to help you in getting the best out of 3D printing, whether you require a one-off product or a large 3D printing service.

We provide all major 3D printing technologies. As each available 3D printing technology has various pros and cons; Our in-house technology consultants will draw upon 40 plus years’ experience in the 3D printing and engineering world to select the most appropriate technology for your application.

Our technology consultants will give an unbiased opinion on the best process to use to match your application, as a long-standing 3d printing service provider we offer advice dependent upon the following:

• Function
• Material
• Speed of process
• Budget
• Size of part
• Quantity

Ideally we need 3D CAD for each part that you need to be quoted. We can supply estimates based upon sketches or photos of existing parts. If you are supplying photos we would also need overall dimensions.

For the ideal CAD format see here.

If CAD data does not exist, don’t worry we can cost to create it from your sketches, or we can arrange partners to laser scan existing parts.

MNL have a minimum charge – £100 this will give you a part approx. 70mm cubed, MNL will try to maximise this volume with as many components as possible to give you the maximum for the minimum cost.

All projects are quoted in advance from CAD data supplied by customers.

MNL operate a three-tier costing system. The philosophy of the tiered costing system is thus:

Premium route, builds are organised by MNL so that customers can utilise an entire machine solely for their project. This means that parts are built in the shortest amount of time possible. In some cases multiple machines may be used to spread the load, reducing build time once again.

Standard route, builds are organised so that several jobs are built at once with a good balance of efficiency and speed.

Budget route, builds are organised by MNL so that machines are stacked out for maximum efficiency, these are longer builds however  30% off standard pricing in exchange for a few extra days is often strongly utilised.

CAD or Computer Aided Design, is essentially digital design data, usually of solid objects.

CAD is referred to as either the system that creates the data or the data itself, confusing I know!

For 3D Printing you need 3D CAD data. For the formats that MNL can take see here.

The CAD department at MNL offer the following:

2D to 3D data conversion:

Our CAD department can convert “fag-packet” sketches or any 2D data into suitable data for 3D printing.

Design work:

We can offer a basic design assistance service. We also have links with many designers and agencies for larger projects.

Believe it or not we have been asked this question many times. At the moment there are no UK 3D printing service providers that offer this magical offering.

No.

At Malcolm Nicholls Ltd., we offer a wide range of materials to bring your vision to life, including:

• Plastics: PLA, ABS, PETG, Nylon, TPU
• SLA: Somos Watershed, Taurus
• SLS: PA2200, PA3200, PA 11, PA1101, PP R-201, Duraform Flex, Polyamide 12 and more.
• FDM: Nylon-CF10, ABS-CF10, Antero 840CN03, Diran 410MF07, TPU 92A, Antero 800NA PEKK, PLA, Nylon 6, Nylon 12 CF, ST-130, ULTEM™ 1010 High temp Filament340° F (supports are not soluble), PPSF, ULTEM™ 9085 High Temp 340° Filament (supports are not soluble), PC- ABS, PC-ISO, PC, Nylon 12, ABSi, ABS ESD7, ABS M30i, ABS M30, ABS Plus P430, ASA
• CNC Machining: Buff ABS, Black ABS, 94V0 flame retarding ABS, ABS+30%PC

Black Polycarbonate, Transparent Polycarbonate, Acrylic, NYLON 6, NYLON 66, PA6+30%, GF, POM, PP, PP+20% GF, PE, TEFLON, PPS, PEEK, PPO, PPE, PEI, PAI, PES etc.

The strength of your 3D printed parts depends on the material and printing process chosen. Here’s a breakdown:

• SLA: While offering exceptional detail, SLA parts like Somos Watershed can be brittle in extreme temperatures and require careful handling. Its also worth noting that SOMOS is not UV stable so you need to be careful in the sun that it doesn’t cause yellowing.
• SLS and FDM: These processes generally produce stronger and more durable parts suitable for end-use applications.

The lifespan of your parts also hinges on material and care:

• Somos Watershed: Requires protection from extreme temperatures and UV light to maintain its clarity and strength. We can work with you to add extra strength to your parts where applicable – particularly with scale models, we can add extra steel rods for strength or look at Carbon Fibre lay ups to stop your scale model sagging giving you a longer lifespan of your part.
• FDM and SLS parts: Generally, more durable and can last for years with proper care.

We’ll provide specific care instructions based on the material and process used. Generally, avoid extreme temperatures, harsh chemicals, and direct sunlight for optimal longevity.

We’re not limited by size! As we are home to two of the largest 3D printers we have excellent build capabilities, we also have a team of skilled model makers on hand who can fabricate your parts to create large, complex geometries. So, dream big, and we’ll make it happen!