Build to Print
Our metal additive manufacturing build-to-print service is optimized to deliver engineered metallic products in the minimum possible lead time without compromising on quality.
We excel in complex projects, where the product functional requirements can only be met through the application of our expertise and strong in-house and trusted supplier capabilities.
We take end-to-end ownership of your project in order to deliver finished products which meet your specific requirements, including any special processes necessary.
We don’t just deliver metal 3D-printed parts ; we deliver engineered products which exploit Additive Manufacturing (AM) as part of the manufacturing process chain in order to enable a short lead time and minimize cost.
With all of our operations managed in according to our DIN EN9100 certification, you can trust in our quality.
REQUIREMENTS CAPTURE
Our first step is to capture your requirements and translate them into a suitable production process. Normally we require a 3D CAD model and a technical drawing of the final part. In addition you may also provide additional specifications which you require us to comply with.
No CAD or Drawing?
No Problem - check out our Design & Build Service
PRODUCTION
Our standard manufacturing route starts with Additive Manufacturing using Selective Laser Melting. This results in a semi-finished product which is inspected prior to post-processing. We specialise in Titanium and Aluminium alloys, but we can also support you with other material requests thanks to our partner network.
POST PROCESSING
We apply a range of post-processing methods both in-house and through a qualified supplier network which we use to achieve your final part requirements. Key interfaces usually require machining to achieve specified tolerances.
We pride ourselves in delivering high quality finished products, not just printed semi-finished products.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
We apply strict quality controls to ensure both the quality of the material we produce and the dimensional confomance of the part to the requirements specified.
Depending on your quality assurance requirements we can also perform Non-Destructive testing such as Computed Tomography (CT)
REQUIREMENTS CAPTURE
We know that a part is more than just it's shape. We want your part to do the job it is intended to do and so the more information you can provide us regarding your requirements, the better we will be able to meet your expectations.
The following information can be useful in understanding your needs:
PRODUCTION
Our standard process route includes Additive Manufacturing using Selective Laser Melting, stress relief heat treatment, support removal, surface fettling and abrasive blasting.
If a technical drawing is provided, then we will apply the appropriate post processing to meet the drawing requirements.
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The table below is a guide as to the product characteristics achievable without special post-processing:
*Depending on the part geometry wall thickness below 0.8mm is possible
POST PROCESSING
Most parts require some form of post processing to achieve the engineering tolerances required for functional applications. Machining is the most common post-process we apply, along with Wire-EDM. Similar to a casting, stock material is included in the printed part to allow for machining operations on key interfaces.
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We have qualified a number of surface treatments for smoothing and corrosion protection, as well as for aesthetic purposes.
We also have experience of welding together AM parts to produce larger assemblies, on customer request.
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If you have unusual requirements don't hesitate to contact us.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
We apply a regime of process quality control as standard to ensure the quality of the material we produce is consistent. This includes testing of incoming materials and statistical process control of the material properties we generate through tensile testing with every process batch.
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As standard we inspect all parts using 3D scanning to verify the profile tolerance is achieved as defined in our product specification. If a technical drawing is supplied with tighter than standard tolerances, we will perform CMM verification and provide the CMM report as part of the quality assurance data pack.
