Make use of our state-of-the-art 3D printing capabilities to avoid the upfront costs associated with purchasing equipment, maintenance, and training. Let us produce your parts hassle-free. From design consultation to post-processing and finishing, we offer guidance and assistance throughout the entire process.
3D print bureaus make perfect economic sense for those who can’t yet justify bringing additive manufacturing in-house. It’s also a brilliant solution when your build requirements exceed your 3D printer’s capabilities.
For example, if you want to print PEEK or PEKK, you need a much higher extrusion temperature than standard desktop printers can manage (e.g., the 3DGence Industry F421). Or if your build calls for no support structures, you’ll need SLS technology rather than FFF, such as with the Formlabs Fuse 1+ 30W.
Flexibility to Scale Up or Down
Using our UK 3D print bureau lets you scale production up or down as needed without being limited by in-house capacity. Need a single prototype one week and a hundred parts the next? No problem. Outsourcing can handle sudden demand spikes and tight deadlines to keep projects moving.
Print services also provide access to many materials, from everyday plastics to advanced polymers, composites, and metals. We continuously expand our offerings as new printable materials emerge, giving you the latest options without buying new equipment.
Access to 3D Printing Metal
Metal 3D printing requires industrial-grade machines like the Markforged Metal X or Markforged PX100, which can prove expensive for small businesses.
Outsourcing is a cost-effective way to print metal in two ways:
- Metal FFF / Bound Powder Extrusion: Uses metal-infused filament with metal particles bound in a polymer carrier, which the printer melts and lays down layer by layer in a high-temperature environment.
- Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS): This technique uses a high-powered laser to selectively fuse or sinter metal powder particles together, layer by layer, until the complete object is formed.
High-performance machines like the PX100 also bring engineering advantages, such as printing parts without heating, curing, or drying steps, eliminating lengthy warm-up and cool-down cycles between prints to speed up turnaround.
Saving Money While Accessing Premium Tech
Buying industrial 3D printers is simply too expensive for many companies, especially if production needs are limited or sporadic. Outsourcing to our 3D print bureau makes premium equipment and materials accessible without ownership's upfront costs and ongoing maintenance expenses. Paying per part printed helps businesses match costs to actual production needs more efficiently.
Complementing In-House Capabilities
While outsourcing to a 3D print bureau has many perks, it also plays nicely with in-house 3D printing. Many businesses like having a desktop 3D printer around for quick turn prototyping and design iterations. Engineers can rapidly test and tweak concepts without waiting on external services and running into bottlenecks.
Then, as projects advance and require specialised materials, larger parts, or tighter tolerances, they can turn to UK print bureaus for those specific needs.
Opening New Doors
Working with a professional 3D printing service gives businesses the tools to explore new designs, create custom products, and enter new applications. From fast prototyping and functional testing to short production runs and end-use parts, outsourcing allows businesses to access the full scope of additive manufacturing.
Many UK print bureaus also offer additional services like design support, finishing, and assembly as a one-stop shop for streamlined manufacturing.
Summing Up
Outsourcing 3D printing can be a great solution for businesses that want to operate an agile and resourceful production line. It unlocks appropriate technologies, materials, and know-how without significant investment or training.
The bottom line? Partnering with a UK 3D print bureau like ours is a smart way to elevate manufacturing capabilities, seize opportunities, and thrive in industries reshaped by additive manufacturing, like aerospace and consumer technology.
If you want to get 3D printing done, get a quote.