Custom Online 3D Printing Services
Plastic & metal printing on demand – Global delivery as fast as 3 days
What is 3D printing?
3D printing is an additive technology used to manufacture parts. It is ‘additive’ in that it doesn’t require a block of material or a mold to manufacture physical objects, it simply stacks and fuses layers of material.Â
It’s typically fast, with low fixed setup costs, and can create more complex geometries than ‘traditional’ technologies, with an ever-expanding list of materials. It is used extensively in the engineering industry, particularly for prototyping and creating lightweight geometries.
How Does 3D Printing Work?
It all starts with a 3D model. You can opt to create one from the ground up or download it from a 3D library.
3D Software
There are many different software tools available. We’ve created an overview on our 3D software page.
We often recommend beginners to start with Tinkercad. Tinkercad is free and works in your browser, you don’t have to install it on your computer. Tinkercad offers beginner lessons and has a built-in feature to export your model as a printable file e.g .STL or .OBJ.
Now that you have a printable file, the next step is to prepare it for your 3D printer. This is called slicing.
Slicing: From file to 3D Printer
Slicing basically means slicing up a 3D model into hundreds or thousands of layers and is done with slicing software.
When your file is sliced, it’s ready for your 3D printer. Feeding the file to your printer can be done via USB, SD or Wi-Fi. Your sliced file is now ready to be 3D printed layer by layer.
3D printing service
GreatLight provides a range of high-quality 3D printing (additive manufacturing) services, including FDM, SLA, SLS and SLM. This allows for the 3D printing of plastics and metals, and provides options for both prototyping and production.
3D printing is a great way to create one-off parts or small batches, and can be used to create complex geometries that could not be realised using traditional manufacturing processes.
Advantages of 3D Printing
Bespoke, cost-effective creation of complex geometries:
This technology allows for the easy creation of bespoke geometric parts where added complexity comes at no extra cost. In some instances, 3D printing is cheaper than subtractive production methods as no extra material is used.
Affordable start-up costs:
Since no moulds are required, the costs associated with this manufacturing process are relatively low. The cost of a part is directly related to the amount of material used, the time taken to build the part and any post processing that may be required.
Completely customisable:
Because the process is based upon computer aided designs (CAD), any product alterations are easy to make without impacting the manufacturing cost.
Ideal for rapid prototyping:
Because the technology allows for small batches and in-house production, this process is ideal for prototyping, which means that products can be created faster than with more traditional manufacturing techniques, and without the reliance on external supply chains.
Allows for the creation of parts with specific properties:
Although plastics and metals are the most common materials used in 3D printing, there is also scope for creating parts from specially tailored materials with desired properties. So, for example, parts can be created with high heat resistance, water repellency or higher strengths for specific applications.
3D Printing Products
Servicing multiple industries
We offer outstanding global on demand production services. Our biggest asset is our customer base, which has grown rapidly through customer’s word-of-mouth around the world; amongst them, it covers from independent inventors or designers to large scale Industrial, Commercial, Medical, Automotive, and even Aerospace companies.
3D Printing Industries
From prototype to production, our team of engineers is ready to help bring your idea to life.
3D Printing FAQs
While there have been great advances in 3D printing, it still struggles to match other manufacturing techniques for high volume production. Techniques such as injection moulding allow for much faster mass production of parts.
As 3D printing technology continues to improve it could democratise the manufacture of goods. With printers becoming faster, they will be able to work on larger scale production projects, while lowering the cost of 3D printing will help its use spread outside of industrial uses and into homes, schools and other settings.
Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is commonly deemed to be the most flexible material available to the 3D printing industry. TPU possesses bendable and stretchy characteristics that many other filaments do not have.
Polycarbonate is seen as the strongest 3D printing material, with a tensile strength of 9,800 psi, compared to nylon, for example, with just 7,000 psi.
3D printing is important for the many benefits it brings. It allows users to produce items that have geometries which are difficult or impossible for traditional methods to produce. It also allows users with a limited experience to edit designs and create bespoke, customised parts. On-demand 3D printing also saves on tooling costs and provides an advanced time-to-market. 3D printing is important for industries such as aerospace, where it can create lightweight yet complex parts, offering weight saving, the associated fuel reductions and a better environmental impact as a result. It is also important for the creation of prototypes that can advance industry.
3D printing has the capability to disrupt traditional manufacturing through the democratisation of production along with the production of moulds, tools and other bespoke parts. However, challenges around mass production mean that 3D printing is unlikely to replace traditional manufacturing where high volume production of comparatively simple parts is required.
3D printing fumes can be dangerous to your health as the process produces toxic filament fumes. These emissions are produced as the plastic filaments are melted to create the product layer-by-layer. However, correct procedures such as ensuring sufficient ventilation or using extractors can solve this issue.
Yes, there are ongoing advancements in the world of additive manufacturing, including 4D and 5D printing. While 3D printing focuses on creating three-dimensional objects layer by layer, 4D printing adds the element of time to the process. In essence, the printed objects can self-assemble or change shape in response to external factors like temperature or moisture after they have been created.
