3D printer jobs uk

3D printing technician | Explore careers

How to become a 3D printing technician

You can get into this job through:

a university course
a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role

University

You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or a degree in a relevant subject like:

3D design
product design
engineering
materials science

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

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College

You could take a course in creative design, model making or engineering. This could help you to find a job with a manufacturing or 3D printing company. Courses include:

Level 2 Certificate in Computer Aided Design
Level 3 Award in 3D Computer Aided Design
Level 3 Diploma in Engineering Technology
T Level in Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing

Entry requirements

You may need:

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and computing
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T level

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Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships relevant to this role include:

Lean manufacturing operative intermediate apprenticeship
Digital engineering advanced apprenticeship
Engineering technician - product design and development advanced apprenticeship

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

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Work

You may be able to start as an assistant in a 3D print workshop and take training on the job to become a technician. Skills and qualifications in manufacturing, model making, printing, technology or design will be useful.

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Career tips

Learn more about the basics of 3D printing.

Further information

You can get details about working in 3D printing and design engineering from the British Printing Industries Federation and Neon.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

knowledge of manufacturing production and processes
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
knowledge of engineering science and technology
the ability to operate and control equipment
analytical thinking skills
the ability to work well with others
the ability to analyse quality or performance
knowledge of maths
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

In your day-to-day duties you may:

create estimates and quotes for parts and materials
set up machines and schedule print jobs
create digital models and prototypes based on customer requirements
operate 3D scanning and printing machinery
clean, sand, polish or apply finishes to products
inspect products to check quality
pack items for delivery and update paperwork
service and repair equipment

Working environment

You could work at a manufacturing plant, in a factory or at a research facility.

Your working environment may be noisy.

You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.

Career path and progression

You could move into research, investigating new materials for use in 3D printing and how to make them commercially workable. You could also train to work in 3D printing software and hardware development.

You might work for a company that specialises in printing particular items, for example custom-made prosthetics, construction prototypes, or models of archaeological remains and historical buildings.

There are also opportunities in print equipment sales and training.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

Print Line Operator Apprentice

Wage: £9,504. 56 Annually
Location: Cheslyn Hay, Walsall

Lean Manufacturing Operative Apprentice

Wage: £10,735.15 Annually
Location: Wallsend, Tyne And Wear

Find apprenticeships near you

Courses In England

Level 3 Award in 3D Computer Aided Design (Eve)

Provider: NEW CITY COLLEGE
Start date: 21 September 2023
Location: Rainham

Computer Aided Design

Provider: SOLIHULL COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY CENTRE
Start date: 01 September 2023
Location: Smith's Wood

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Jobs In the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

Printing Jobs - Printing Vacancies

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15 November by Select Appointments

£21,273 per annum
Cambridge Cambridgeshire
Permanent, part-time

Are you looking for a part time role in printing or reprographics? Maybe you’ve worked in an office or administration and are looking for a change? Our client’s Printing Assistant role in Cambridge could be your perfect opportunity Day to day you’ll be. ..

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1 week ago by The Recruitment Co

£20,800 - £21,840 per annum
Blackpool Lancashire
Permanent, full-time

We are looking for a Trainee Printing Operative to join our great workforce Trainee Printing Operative Salary 20,800 - 21840 Trainee Printing Operative hours: 8am - 4:30pm Monday to Friday (37. 5 hour week) Trainee Printing Operative Roles and responsibilities:...

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5 hrs ago by The Recruitment Co

£9.50 per hour
Blackpool Lancashire
Temporary, full-time

Our client is currently looking for Trainee Printing Operatives . They will start off as temporary roles and a permanent role would be offered to the successful candidates. Trainee Printing Operatives required Blackpool FY4 9.50 per hour Hours for Trainee...

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1 December by Ernest Gordon Recruitment Limited

£35,000 - £45,000 per annum
Banbury Oxfordshire
Permanent, full-time

Production Manager (Printing) 35,000 - 45,000 Bonuses Company Events Company Benefits Banbury Are you a Production Manager or Similar from a Print background that's looking for the next technical challenge which will propel your career in a new direction. ..

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15 December by Adecco

£48,346 per annum
Peterborough Cambridgeshire
Permanent, full-time

Printing / Decorating Engineer - Beverage-can Manufacturing Employer : Crown Packaging Salary : 44,000 - 48,346 including shift premium Hours : Continental Based Shift Rota, attending 2 x 12-hour days followed by 2 x 12-hour nights, then 4 days off. Location...

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9 December by Photocentric

Competitive salary
Peterborough Cambridgeshire
Permanent, full-time

Technical Sales Manager – 3D Printing Photocentric Ltd based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire and Phoenix, USA is an award-winning innovator and manufacturer of 3D printing and resins. We have invented a patented new method of 3D printing that we are starting...

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7 December by Reed Business Support

£21,000 - £22,000 per annum, inc benefits
High Wycombe Buckinghamshire
Permanent, full-time

Production Operative/Print Minder - High Wycombe - Full time, Permanent - 21,000 to 22,000 per annum A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a Production Operative/Print Minder to join a well-established printing business that has been running for over. ..

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21 November by Enterprise Recruitment Ltd

£55,000 - £85,000 per annum
Cambridge Cambridgeshire
Permanent, full-time

Opportunity for Mid-level and Senior C# Software Engineers to join a Queen's Award winning company, known for innovation and sustainable development within the industrial level printing market. Get involved in a wide range of collaborative projects across...

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29 November by Louis~Hampshire

€60,000 - €80,000 per annum
Barcelona, Spain Catalonia
Permanent, full-time

Application Specialist, Inkjet and Commercial Print Up to €80,000 plus Bonus and Benefits The client is a leading international player in the design, manufacture and sales of digital and hybrid inkjet printers, both mid-range and large format printers. ..

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25 November by Louis~Hampshire

£58,000 - £70,000 per annum
Cambridge Cambridgeshire
Permanent, full-time

Application Specialist, Inkjet and Commercial Print To 70,000 plus Bonus and Benefits The client is a leading international player in the design, manufacture and sales of digital and hybrid inkjet printers, both mid-range and large format printers, and. ..

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18 November by First Recruitment Services Limited

£23,000 - £28,000 per annum
Eastbourne East Sussex
Permanent, full-time

START ASAP An exciting brand new opportunity for a digital printing expert to join a global printing company is on offer in Eastbourne as my client seeks a talented Pre-Press Co-ordinator. If you also have experience in websites, corporate identity and. ..

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9 December by Science Solutions Recruitment Ltd

Salary negotiable
Bathgate West Lothian
Permanent, full-time

Science Solutions are currently recruiting for a Research and Development Chemist on behalf of a market leader in UV printing inks in the West Lothian area. The company is dedicated to innovation, following 30 years within the UV market. You will be working...

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Yesterday by Interaction Recruitment

£10.50 per hour
Syston, Leicester Leicestershire
Contract, full-time

Temporary to permanent contract - Syston - Immediate start Experienced Warehouse Administrator required in Syston to deal with all warehouse administration such as preparing paperwork to despatch goods from the warehouse, printing paperwork for goods to. ..

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7 December by Reed Business Support

£21,000 - £23,000 per annum, inc benefits
High Wycombe Buckinghamshire
Permanent, full-time

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2 December by Talent Finder

Competitive salary
Long Eaton Nottinghamshire
Permanent, full-time

Trainee Stencil Maker | Long Eaton, Nottingham | 8. 15am to 4.45pm Monday to Thursday, 7.45am to 4.00pm Friday | Overtime is available | Salary will be negotiable depending on experience Our client has been manufacturing superior screen printing since 1948...

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Yesterday by Kairos Recruitment Group

£25,000 - £32,000 per annum
Aylesford Kent
Permanent, full-time

Lithographic Printer - Weekends Location: Aylesford, Kent Salary: 14-18 PH Hours: Friday- Sunday 6AM- 6PM Job description Due to continued business growth an opportunity has arisen for a Permanent Lithographic Printer The successful applicant will be experienced. ..

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7 December by Reed Business Support

£21,000 - £23,000 per annum, inc benefits
High Wycombe Buckinghamshire
Permanent, full-time

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7 December by Reed Business Support

£21,000 - £22,000 per annum, inc benefits
High Wycombe Buckinghamshire
Permanent, full-time

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29 November by Louis~Hampshire

€60,000 - €80,000 per annum
Brussels, Belgium Brussels-Capital Region
Permanent, full-time

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2 days ago by Workwales

£23,000 - £28,000 per annum
Bridgend Mid Glamorgan
Permanent, full-time

Trainee Pre -Print Specialist Pyle 23000 - 28000 Negotiable The Company This dynamic organisation provides printing services for the race and event industry. With their production facility based in Pyle they make use of the latest technology, to offer. ..

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9 December by Talent Finder

Competitive salary
Long Eaton Nottinghamshire
Permanent, full-time

Trainee Screen Print Stencil Maker | Long Eaton, Nottingham | 8. 15am to 4.45pm Monday to Thursday, 7.45am to 4.00pm Friday | Salary negotiable after the trial period Our client has been manufacturing superior screen printing since 1948. Working in the...

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2 December by QA Ltd

£11,000 - £13,000 per annum
Kirriemuir Angus
Permanent, full-time

Mike Watt Construction is a Principal Contractor based in Kirriemuir, Angus, specialising in the commercial and domestic sectors. They are a growing business, looking to bring a junior member to the busy Administration team. 8am - 5pm What will my day...

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22 November by CV Consulting Ltd

£40,000 - £50,000 per annum
Thatcham Berkshire
Permanent, full-time

COMPANY: Dynamic 3D Additive Manufacturing company using state of the art technology for the Aerospace and Automotive sectors Lead Application Engineer - Additive Manufacturing Salary: 40,000 - 50,000 Working hours Monday to Friday Commutable from. ..

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28 November by Platform Recruitment

£35,000 - £45,000 per annum
Reading Berkshire
Permanent, full-time

Mechatronics Engineer - PCB - Electro-Mechanical - 3D Printing - Berkshire - 35K - 45K I am currently working with an exciting start-up in the Berkshire area who specialise in finding eco-friendly, sustainable, intelligent & sustainable solutions for. ..

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1 week ago by Reed Accountancy

£24,000 - £25,000 per annum
Stansted Mountfitchet Essex
Permanent, full-time

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A NEW FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR ROLE IN STANSTED? Our client is an established business in Stansted who are currently looking for a Finance Administrator. You will have a strong administrative background. This is a permanent full-time position...

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UK Army to 3D Print Explosives / HBO Events / Nezavisimaya Gazeta

Newspaper HBO events Internet version

17.03.2020 15:31:00

Alexander Sharkovsky
Reviewer

Tags: 3d printer, explosives, UK

The Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) has begun developing 3D-printed explosives. This organization works in the interests of the UK Department of Defense and receives funding for R&D from it. The described research is aimed at creating new compounds using complex 3D-printed structures that will have greater (or given) destructive power. The new charges will be more powerful than currently known explosives, if required. In addition, the use of 3D printers will allow in the future to significantly reduce the cost of transporting and storing explosives. The use of additive technologies for the production of new detonating compositions is part of the Future Energetics project, which is controlled by the UK Department of Defense. Its essence lies not only in the development of new technologies, the creation of the final product and equipment for its production. On the basis of this project, training of very high-level specialists is organized. DSTL aims to ensure the contribution of innovative science and technology to the UK defense and security sector. Work on this project has been ongoing since 2015. Since then, the British Ministry of Defense has invested about 10 million pounds in it. nine0003

Within the framework of the Energy of the Future project, multi-stage research and relevant laboratory and production work are underway. Initially, the final result itself was modeled, that is, an explosion with a given power and destructive properties. Proceeding from this, further scientific and technical actions were carried out: chemical synthesis, explosive tests, incidental research of applied significance, and so on. One of the conditions for acceptance of the final product is its safety from the initial stage of production to the moment of detonation. Agree, it will be unpleasant if a new explosive being developed detonates during its printing on a 3D printer. nine0003

By the way, the use of 3D printing for the production of detonating compositions is of key importance, since explosive effects depend on the geometric shapes of the charge. Researchers conduct their research, focusing on the extrusion of materials and the capabilities of the printer. The project is aimed at developing specific forms of warhead that will correspond to the purpose of its use. To make the process of mixing explosive materials safer, DSTL uses acoustic energy instead of physical propellers. Therefore, the compositions are made in a LabRAM resonant acoustic mixer. nine0003

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experience of the largest laboratory in the UK

In this article you will learn about the use of digital technologies in dentistry using the example of a large British company Ashford Orthodontics. In particular, about the use of Formlabs 3D printers and cloud storage. nine0003

Through self-printing, the laboratory offers its patients high quality products at prices lower than competitors.

In this review, we describe how Ashford produced 1,200 clear aligners and retainers per month using twelve Form 2 3D printers.

About the company

Ashford Castle in County Mayo, Ireland; photo Ericci8996

Sean Thompson named the orthodontic laboratory after the 13th-century medieval Ashford Castle, which is now a five-star hotel. nine0003

More than 20 years ago, Sean saw the huge potential of orthodontic laboratories and the lack of quality services in this area. He founded his business in 2001, started working in his own garage. Today the company has grown to 50 employees, covers over a thousand square meters and is the largest dental laboratory in the UK.

Advancing technology has always been an important part of Sean's business, especially now that traditional ways of manufacturing are being replaced by digital technologies. nine0003

Video in English, Sean talks about process automation in his lab.

Establishment and Development of the Digital Technology Department

Today, the Ashford laboratory is staffed with twelve Form 2.

Ashford Orthodontics began research and experimentation in the digitalization of orthodontics more than five years ago. The first printing devices were two Stratasys Objet30 3D printers. This equipment is designed specifically for the orthodontic industry. nine0003

The company began to take orders from clinics, but the costly and complex operation of industrial machines did not allow to achieve the desired results. Expensive software upgrades, calibration, maintenance and cost of materials made it impossible to create models at a competitive price and in the required volumes.

As practice has shown, for uninterrupted work it was required to have two printers and load each one no more than half. In case of failure of one, the other could take over the second half of the work. It was expensive to expand the fleet with Stratasys models, so the laboratory specialists began to search for new equipment. After analyzing the market offers, we opted for a Formlabs 3D printer, and still use the products of this manufacturer. nine0003

Originally bought one car. The specialists quickly realized that it fully met their requirements, and increased the fleet to 12 units. The staff employs 8 highly qualified employees.

Sean said that he is not afraid to build his business with Form 2 because these printers are very reliable. At the end of the working day, employees leave tasks for printing and go home - they are sure that in the morning they will receive finished products of a given quality and quantity.

Speed up the process: Printers work themselves at night

Digital communication reduces time by 24 hours; doctors receive ready-made orders no later than 48 hours from the moment the scans are sent.

All technological processes in the laboratory are clearly planned: at about three o'clock in the afternoon, specialists sort out customer orders, prepare tasks for processing and night printing. The next day starts with the finished prints being cleaned and dried, after which the technician molds the clear mouthguards. By the time most employees arrive at work, the aligners are ready for finishing. nine0003

In the afternoon, finished products are sent to customers. Lead time is 48 hours.

Sean says the night shift is the perfect solution for his company. It saves staff time and improves laboratory productivity.

Technicians use multiple 3D printers simultaneously when needed, and the lab is constantly looking for ways to streamline workflows. For example, to increase speed, they distribute models to ten or twelve printers at once and print an order in a few hours. nine0003

Cloud Storage Benefits

With a digital workflow, technicians can digitally remove braces and create multiple splints on the same 3D printed model.

Laboratory staff have access to models at any time, which helps in various situations. For example, if a child has damaged or lost a retainer, replacement should occur as quickly as possible to prevent teeth from moving. Fast production of a new retainer is possible due to the free access of laboratory technicians to cloud storage. It is enough to find the file and print the model to create the necessary object. nine0003

The use of digital technology in orthodontics allows you to create multiple objects based on the same digital model. Modern treatment programs involve the installation of retainers immediately after the removal of braces. Using digital equipment, you can make different types of retainers: Essix, Hawley or fixed retainers and whitening trays based on the same model.

Customer centricity and marginality

First, new customers order retainers and mouthguards, soon moving on to more complex products, on which the laboratory has a higher margin. nine0003

Traditional technologies used in orthodontic laboratories can give way to digital only if it makes economic sense. To do this, the cost of services provided through digital processes should not be higher than usual. Ashford laboratory offers polymer models at the price of plaster models, but with a reduction in the delivery time of finished products by a day.

The offer attracts new customers from the UK and other countries. Despite the fact that Essix digital models and retainers have a small markup, these products open up prospects for further cooperation with customers. nine0003

Sean shared: “New customers, in order to test the quality of services, offer to complete the simplest orders first, and then move on to more complex ones. As a result, the volume of work is growing, because the laboratory can satisfy any request.”

The volume of work involving digital technology has grown from 2% of the total, at the beginning of their development, to 15% today.