Does anyone know of a good 3D printing manufacterer? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: SenSeS
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2014, 03:39:59 pm
content: Hi,I made a prototype in FreeCAD which I want to get printed in 3D. I mailed a local 3D print shop about this and it would cost 56 euros for a part with dimensions 36x36x38mm. I was surprised by this high cost but I'm new to 3D printing and don’t know what this usually costs. Am I getting ripped off or is this a normal price?Also I would like to know some good manufacturers. It was easy to find a list with good PCB manufacturers but I can’t seem to find something similar for 3D printing manufacterers. It would be nice to find a cheap manufacterer with reasonably high quality prints, because chances are that my local 3D print shop is suboptimal in both regards…Thanks!

author: ElektroQuark
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 30, 2014, 03:46:31 pm
content: A friend of me was charged 45€ for a similar sized piece.I own a printer now, feel free to PM me, maybe I can help you.

author: 8086
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2014, 03:50:57 pm
content: 56 euros sounds like a very good price for a one-off piece.You could always buy a 3D printer and then you can print them for free.**Plus cost of printer

author: rollatorwieltje
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 30, 2014, 03:54:40 pm
content: Shapeways and i.materialize are the big ones. They use high-end machines, not those shitty diy things. 3d printing is expensive, the trick is to use as little material as possible. Make everything hollow etc. Also be aware the plastics aren't that great, the cheapest type is very hard and brittle, not really usable for stuff like cases.

author: 0xdeadbeef
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2014, 03:56:54 pm
content: You could tryTrinckle. The SLS prints there look better than what you could achieve with a normal FDM printer. They also offer FDM with a professional machine though.You can calculate the costs online with an STL model. Probably won't be much under 50€ though I fear. But that depends on various factors.

author: SenSeS
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2014, 04:29:21 pm
content: I uploaded my design on i.materialise and it was only 13 euros, that's a huge difference. I didn't realise they offered 3D printing services to hobbyists as well, good to know. I will definitely try them out, since I live less than 5kms from their headquarters.Thanks!

author: StefanHamminga
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2014, 05:11:21 pm
content: My vote goes to Shapeways, I've been using several different suppliers over the years, but on average they do the best job for a very good price (they are at the i.materialise level, but unless i.materialise improved lately Shapeways is better on quality).Your costs are probably in the volume, see if you can hollow out some parts, honeycomb-like structures on the inside of walls work well and offer a very good polygon/strength ratio.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2014, 07:01:38 pm
content: interesting to see this 3d printing service so i check it out...i uploaded my model to i.material (attached capture screen) 4pcs in the batch... and 300+ euro can buy me my diy printer and few rolls of 1kg filaments. and i have another 3-4 batches print of that model size, thats worth 4 prusa i3 + probably 8kg of filament.some posted models of shapeways seem to be good, dont seem like to be 3d printed, but i guess its photographed from far under the right lighting and right color? because looking at one of closeup, it doesnt look so tempting...fromhttp://www.shapeways.com/model/1124816/motor-mounts-for-cs-freefly-gimbal-only.html?li=curatedproductGroup&materialId=25probably just post-processed acetone treatment? and the price is a little on the high side for my taste, 30 dollars can get me one complete roll of filament.for comparison i also attached what i currently printed, under the hood not so high tech, but i'm happy with the costing and the investment. guestimating less than 2 rolls total usage so far.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2014, 07:31:49 pm
content: Quote from: Mechatrommer on December 30, 2014, 07:01:38 pmThe nice thing about having your own 3d printer, even a simple one, is that you can do quick design iterations. I often print only tricky parts of the design and perfect them before printing the entire part.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2014, 08:42:25 pm
content: Apropos 3D printer, I just posted here my parametric generator of PCB holders for SMT stencil printing. Click on the customizer button to set thickness, dimensions, etc.http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:530949