3D Printing

Why Choose 3D Printing?

Since its invention in the mid 1980s, 3D printing has come a long way. The technology has significantly gained popularity over the last 10 years due to its increased efficiency, reliability and affordability. Hobbyists and large-scale manufacturers have discovered the benefits of using a tool that allows users to tailor products to their customers' specifications and cater for the use of a range of materials, all whilst minimising waste.

There are many reasons why 3D printing may be the best option for you, whether you are looking for a gift or planning to batch-print a product.

The Ability to Create Unique Items

With the option to have bespoke designs created and the object then printed in the size, colour and texture that you would like, your item will be truly unique. Access to thousands of colours and materials will ensure that we'll be able to find a material that matches your vision.

Cost-Effective

Creating tailor-made products can become increasingly expensive with each requirement that you have. 3D printing minimises the cost of creating a bespoke item whilst being able to satisfy all of your requirements.

Whether you've created your own 3D model or found your perfect design on a site such as Thingiverse, Cults3D or Free3D, by using 3D Printing Studio's services you'll obtain the item you want without investing in the 3D printing hardware yourself.

Minimising Environmental Impact

Unlike many other manufacturing processes, 3D printing only uses the amount of material that is needed to print your item and minimises waste by up to 90%. This huge reduction in waste material significantly reduces our impact on the environment.

Fast Turnaround Time

The 3D printing process is very flexible, so creating your bespoke item does not require any significant hardware or software changes. This means that your product will take a matter of days to print, instead of weeks.

What is 3D Printing?

3D printing uses a digital 3D design model to create a physical object layer by layer. There are a couple of commonly used 3D printing technologies; Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) and Stereolithography (SLA).

3D Printing Studio exclusively uses FDM printers due to their ease of use, minimal post-printing requirements and the relatively short production time from the creation of a design to the shipping of the final product.

In using FDM printers, there are a number of factors that customers will need to consider due to their affect on the look-and-feel of a print:

Layer Height

Depending on what kind of visual effect you are aiming for with your object, the layer lines can range from being very visible to almost imperceptible. You may choose to have lower layer lines because your item has small details and you are looking for a smooth surface for your product; alternatively, you may opt for higher layer lines if your product is more functional than fashionable and a smooth surface finish is not your top priority. Changing the layer line height has a knock-on affect on the level of detail possible in the final object as well as significantly affecting the print time (the lower the layer lines, the longer the print will take to complete).

Material

There are a wide range of materials that can be used in 3D printing and each one has its unique characteristics. Materials range from matte colours to rainbow, metal and even glow-in-the-dark plastics. This topic is discussed in more detail in our blog Choosing which material to use for your 3D print.

Size

The dimensions of your print will have an impact in all the ways that you would expect; the amount of material used, the overall print time and the space requirements for the finalised print.