Commercial 3D printing service in UK?

[Alex]

Hi guys, I am after 3D printing (FDM using ABS) small parts in 1-offs. I am looking for a company that offers 3D printing as a service, in particular FDM as it is very cost effective for non-critical and geometrically simple parts. They need to be based in the UK.

I have looked at 3D Hubs but, unless I am doing something wrong, they don't seem to have a manufacturing base in the UK.
Another one is Protolabs; they are UK based but dont offer FDM.
I guess I could visit the hackerspaces etc but I am looking for a semi automated ordering system, ideally.

Anything that comes to your mind? Where do you guys go if you need 1-off 3d printed parts in high grade FDM printers?


Alex

[HalFET]

While not UK based, Materialise in Belgium is very nice for industrial 3D printing. Should still arrive before the reintroduction of customs if you order within the next days.

[Alex]

100 Euro for a small ABS part printed using FDM? 

[Alex]

I expect about 8 Euros for this part, as quoted by a supplier that doesnt have a base in the UK, see attached.

[hagster]

I would suggest you are better off buying a 3D printer and doing it in house. Remember it needs to be fully enclosed and with a heated bed to print ABS.

I use a Robox Dual and its very plug and play. Works brilliantly with their TitanX ABS. The printer has some software limitations that annoy some advanced users, but you dont get to choose these things from a bureau anyway.

The big advantage of going in house is speed. For small parts i can easily do 5 or 6 design itterations in a day. You will never get that speed from a bureau.

[SMTech]

I know very little (nothing) about 3D printing but when a project I am working on needed something we went to Sci-Tech Daresbury and the printed manifold that came out of there was brilliant, leagues better than the grotty looking ABS crap you see come out of those units people like to buy.
FabLab in Bangor university N.Wales allegedly has something a bit special - it certainly has something from Stratasys.

[HalFET]

100 Euro for a small ABS part printed using FDM? 

Actually, they're quite cheap for an industrial 3D printing service with quick turn-around, they also do metal parts by the way. But their laser sintered polyamide is cheaper than FDM I think.

[Monkeh]

I expect about 8 Euros for this part, as quoted by a supplier that doesnt have a base in the UK, see attached.

You expect a UK manufacturer to price-match a Chinese one?

[alanambrose]

Shapeways has slow turnaround, spotty service, medium price but OK prints.

digits2widgets has good service and medium price.

3dhubs is an aggregator and very variable in quality.

There are some UK-based full-service guys, but they're not cheap.

There's an east London service that are meant to be good, name escapes me atm.
 
Alan

[HalFET]

You expect a UK manufacturer to price-match a Chinese one?

I always find in certain fields (metal/ceramic 3D printing, specialized HDI PCBs, etc.) where the scale of economy doesn't apply exactly, you can sometimes find cheaper price from the west than China.

WE-Direkt PCB shop is a good example. $600 for a fully customized, any-order HDI board is not bad at all.

Same for certain 3D printing service, most DMLS and other advanced processes.

What's funny though is that it's often cheaper and quicker to get a simple part CNC machined out of metal in China and shipped to Europe by DHL than it is to get it 3D printed out of plastic here. :')  I remember we initially messed with plastic prototype moulds that deformed after a few tries. Then I started asking for quotations at Chinese mould makers, never made a plastic prototype mould ever since. Bonus point was that you could stick it in the mill and modify it slightly, that usually didn't end well with 3D printed parts. You probably wouldn't want to do that with critical mechanical parts though.

[martin1454]

What's funny though is that it's often cheaper and quicker to get a simple part CNC machined out of metal in China and shipped to Europe by DHL than it is to get it 3D printed out of plastic here.

can you share the cnc company?

Weerg is okay - they almost always have a cupon or discount

[HalFET]

What's funny though is that it's often cheaper and quicker to get a simple part CNC machined out of metal in China and shipped to Europe by DHL than it is to get it 3D printed out of plastic here.

can you share the cnc company?

Weerg is okay - they almost always have a cupon or discount

http://www.eplastech.com/ was usually the cheapest for simple parts.