3D printing uk service

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) | Nylon 3D Printing Service — 3D People UK

+ How does SLS 3D Printing work?

SLS 3D Printing works by spreading a 0.1mm thin layer of Nylon powder over the build surface. A laser is used to selectively heat areas of the powder, fusing some of the particles together. The process is repeated with further layers added on top, bonding the fresh powder to the layer below. The fused areas are built up layer by layer resulting in solid plastic parts.

+ What is the largest part I can print with SLS?

The build volume of the ProX 6100 SLS machine is 280 x 330 x 420 mm. We frequently print larger models that have been split into sectioned to be assembled after printing.

+ What Applications can I use SLS 3D Printing for?

SLS is great for applications such as:

Consumer Products
Robotics
Medical Devices
Prototyping
Low Volume Batch Production
Injection Moulding Alternative

+ Does SLS 3D Printing require support material?

No, the parts are produced while surrounded by loose powder. Therefore the loose unmelted powder acts as a supporting material. This method of 3D printing is fantastic for producing complex geometries that would otherwise be impossible with technologies that require support.

+ What colours and finishes are available for SLS materials?

SLS parts come out of the machine white in colour with a powdery finish similar to an extra strong mint. Nylon parts can be post-processed with services such as Vibro-Polishing & Black Dye

+ Can I Hand Finish SLS Materials?

Yes you can, we have some tips on some common finishing solutions.

Sanding
Try using wet & dry sandpaper of around 400 grit. The black paper can sometimes stain the parts so make sure to use lots of water and change over the paper regularly.

Painting
Our SLS prints come in white as standard, which is great for painting but they come with a powdery texture which needs to be sorted before painting. Always start with primer and sand a little before painting with acrylic paint. We would suggest taking advantage of the free vibro-polishing service before painting your part.

Dyeing
We are specialists in dyeing white SLS parts black, but there are many other colours out there that you can try out. We recommend using rit dye for synthetics and a pressure cooker, though a normal pot should work fine. There is an amazing academic paper on SLS Nylon dyeing from Goldsmiths University.

Glueing
Due to the powdery nature of Nylon prints, it requires a thicker glue to bond parts together. We recommend a 2 part epoxy resin like Araldite or a thick super glue like mitre glue. Standard superglue will not work well as it dries too quickly on the surface of the parts.

+ Is PA12 Nylon Food Safe?

3D People’s PA12 material is certified as biocompatible and can be food safe under certain conditions. Though due to the porous nature of parts via the SLS printing method we can not certify our materials as food safe. Please use it at your own risk.

+ Can I Choose the Orientation of my SLS parts?

The best orientation for your part is one that reduces stepping and warping. This is chosen for you by expert technicians. If you require a special orientation for your part, then please send an email to [email protected] after ordering and we will manually orientate your part in the build.

+ How can I make my SLS order cheaper?

The best way to save money with SLS printing is by using 3D nesting. Geometry dependent, you can group multiple files together to get a cheaper price. Here is our guide to 3D nesting which shows when and when not to utilise nesting to your advantage.

About Us | 3D Printing Service — 3D People UK

why us

Specialising in production-grade parts, we deliver unique designs to our customers using a wide range of 3D printing technologies. Orders are placed via our online portal and made in our London 3D printing facility. Many one-off designs, as well as large batches, are manufactured to precise standards and delivered on time, every time. Our service allows our customers to get their products to market faster, disrupting traditional manufacturing methods. Our many clients vary across industries such as engineering, automotive, product design, architecture, art, film and more.

Our advice is honest. Many customers come to us with limited knowledge of 3D Printing and believe it is the solution for everything. 3D Printing is just like any tool in a workshop, highly effective for specific applications and not the ultimate solution to everything.

Our expertise encompasses design and manufacturing. Our in house designers work with our machines giving us the unparalleled experience to optimise designs for additive. We know how to take advantage of their strengths and mitigate their weaknesses.

We are continually learning and therefore improving our service daily. We are very comfortable to constantly test, rapidly fail and move forward with what works. Consequently, we stay at the forefront of technological advancements in industry 4.0.

MEET THE FOUNDERS

Sasha Bruml

Sasha is an industrious character with a passion for creating. After studying design engineering at Brunel and product design at Central Saint Martins. He gained experience working with top design companies such as Therefore Consultancy. Sasha is a keen cyclist and in his spare time likes to build custom bicycle frames. His award-winning design for a digitally manufactured bicycle seat sparked his interest in additive manufacturing.

Felix Manley

Felix is a curious mind and strategic thinker. He studied product design at Central Saint Martins and began work in the additive manufacturing industry in 2013. As a 3D Printing consultant, he saw the design opportunities for mass personalisation and started several businesses around this theme. By night Felix can be found busy developing new skills such as taking coding classes and learning Japanese. He also spins wax.

OUR TEAM

We keep our team small as we like machines to do most of the work.

Daniel Greenwell
Production Manager

Lachlan Kosaniuk Innes
Software Engineer

Ben Lyons
3D Printing Technician

Boz Pagliaro
3D Printing Technician

Bradley Humphrey
Technical Consultant

Dylan Pierpoint
3D Printing Technician

OUR HISTORY

Established in 2015, we started small and grew by delivering high-quality products and outstanding customer service. Word of mouth has always been our greatest marketing tool.

We’ve had the opportunity to see the revolutionising effects of 3D printing technology and therefore, the dramatic changes in design and manufacturing. Over the past five years, we have grown from a basement with a few desktop machines to a state-of-the-art factory specialising in industrial polymer additive manufacturing.

FOUNDERS STATEMENT

While exploring our passion for design at university, we had our eyes opened to the possibilities for new manufacturing technologies to inspire innovation. We dreamed about the digitisation of manufacturing and the impact this would bring to the world. However, found that the experience of working with 3D printing services was intimidating and restrictive. After some learning experiences, we turned our attention to how this process could be improved and made more accessible to a broader audience.
We knew that if we applied our methodology to an industrial manufacturing service, we could connect with designers, engineers and innovators to inspire and collaborate on future innovation. At this moment, 3D People was born.
At 3D People, we’re building a straightforward and stress-free platform for ordering custom parts online. It is our goal to provide a human experience. We share our know-how to guide our clients and ensure your ideas come to life. 3D People helps engineers and designers to save time and money, giving you the headspace and freedom to innovate, no matter your industry.
Thank you for joining us on our journey to make this vision a reality.
Felix & Sasha

OUR LOCATION

3D People Limited is headquartered in London, UK

📍 3D People UK

Unit 10
Bow Enterprise Park
17 Fittleton Gardens
E3 3TZ
London

⏰ Opening Hours

Monday - Friday
10am - 6pm

📞Contact

Tel: 020 3051 2298
Email: [email protected]

DMC Brings Silicone 3D Printing Back to the UK

The Digital Manufacturing Center (DMC) 3D printing service bureau or "Digital Manufacturing Center" has introduced a process in the UK called Silicone Additive Manufacturing (SAM). The technology, developed by the Swiss company Spectroplast, is intended for the automotive, industrial and medical sectors.

High quality elastomeric parts are still quite rare in 3D printing compared to hard materials. This is due to the limited range of elastomers that can be processed with various 3D printing technologies. In extrusion engineering, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is a key resource. The same applies to powder bed sintering, where there are even more restrictions on the types of raw materials that can be worked with. nine0003

As a thermosetting resource, silicone is rare in the industry, but exhibits physical properties not available with TPU and other thermoplastic elastomers. In particular, its resistance to chemicals, a wide range of temperatures and UV radiation is useful for certain applications such as sterilizable medical equipment.

Spectroplast is a subsidiary of the renowned Swiss public research university ETH Zurich. The specifics of the SAM technology have yet to be revealed, but the firm describes it as a process that is similar to SLA using a concentrated light source. DMC explains that printing silicone molds on a 3D printer involves selectively exposing liquid silicone to a light source to form very thin, solid layers that coalesce to create the finished object. nine0003

Photo: https://spectroplast.com/

In addition, parts made using SAM are described as isotropic. This means they exhibit uniform physical properties in all directions, unlike most 3D printed items. This suggests that silicone additive manufacturing includes the option of continuous DLP technology, which is confidential information.

The company currently offers four types of silicone with hardness A20, A35, A50 and A60 respectively. All four options are considered biocompatible and comply with ISO DIN EN109 standards93-05/10. This means that the compound is not only safe for skin contact, but can also be implanted, allowing the material to be used in medical devices, prostheses and more. With temperature resistance ranging from -50 to +200°C, SAM products can be used as gaskets, seals, bushings, dampers and pipes for industrial applications. The achievable layer thickness is currently 0.1mm and the working volume of the current platform is 120x130x75mm, but Spectroplast is working on increasing the printable area to 200x440x300mm. nine0003

DMC is now developing this technology in the UK. DMC opens a subsidiary of the engineering company KW Special Projects with a production area of 2000 sq.m., which has been offering 3D printing services since the first quarter of this year. The company is setting up work on printing three-dimensional objects, including mass production of parts.

Although DMC claims to be the first to offer silicone 3D printing in the UK, Picsima developed the silicone 3D printing method around 2014. Unfortunately, the organization announced the sale of its patents in 2020 as the founder began his teaching career. nine0021 Meanwhile, Wacker Chemie, an international silicone company, has developed its own method for 3D printing silicone. Its 3D printing department continues to operate using inkjet technology, so UK customers can order parts from that organization as well. However, compared to what Spectroplast and DMC offer, the possibilities of Wacker Chemie are very limited.

Now that there are several players involved in silicone 3D printing, maybe Picsima will return to the game ...

UK government to invest $25 million to set up 3D printing center

Siemens 3D printer for gas turbine parts

Secretary of the Treasury George Osborne yesterday unveiled a plan to build an additive technology, or 3D printing, center that will significantly reduce costs production of difficult-to-manufacture products. According to the minister, the state will allocate 15.3 million pounds (about $25 million) for this, the BBC reported.

3D printing technology is the build-up of material on an object layer by layer. Historically, production has consisted not of layering, but of removing material, most often by cutting or drilling parts. The UK 3D Printing Center will be located in Coventry next to the Manufacturing Technology Center (MTC), which is funded by both public and private funds and supports new manufacturing technologies. nine0003

The 3D Printing Center will, among other things, develop new components for jet engines, an industry in which the UK is a major player thanks to Rolls-Royce's leadership position. Its creation will also support the automotive and medical industries. However, the aerospace industry will still receive the main benefit - state investment is made as part of the authorities' strategy aimed at supporting this sector, writes the Financial Times. The strategy calls for £2bn ($3.3bn) from the government and industry to go into research to build the next generation of passenger aircraft. nine0003

The government will also provide £15 million to a new aerospace center at MTC that will develop technologies for new materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastics for aircraft fuselage and wing parts.

The companies will invest an amount equal to the government allocation. As a result, a total of 60 million pounds ($98 million) will go to finance both projects. The money will also be used for vocational training and advanced training for 1,000 engineers. nine0003

The UK aerospace industry is the second largest in the world in terms of revenue after the US.

The 3D printing center is due to open in 2015. The government will "feel free" to support the success of British manufacturers, Osborne said.

3D printing technology is beginning to be used more and more in production. At the end of last year, the German Siemens announced that from January it would use it to produce spare parts for gas turbines. This will allow it to speed up the repair work (in some cases, for example, when repairing propulsion systems - from 44 weeks to four) and reduce costs. nine0003

Siemens will be one of the first industrial companies in the world to apply 3D printing to everyday metal production. Meanwhile, a number of the largest industrial companies, from EADS to General Electric, are also preparing to introduce this technology into production; the latter said last year that it plans to produce jet fuel injectors in this way.

In July 2013, the US space agency NASA announced that it had successfully tested a 3D printed engine part for a rocket engine.