WHAT WE DO

custom manufacturing +
precision 3D printing services

Manufacturing and 3D printing services

Looking to manufacture and need some advice on which solution to use?

If volumes are low, 3D printing services might be an option. Additive Engineering can help guide you on which 3D printer, 3D printing materials and 3D printing services. The team has worked extensively with plastic and metal technologies.  For an instant quote estimate, we need  the volume of your part and your choice of  material. 

What we excel in is to understand your requirement first before providing you with solutions.

Don’t have a 3D model? 3D CAD design, 3D scanning and 3D modelling are options depending on the complexity. Your 3D model may need fixing before the 3D printing process.  Need precision with better surface finish quality for your plastic parts? SLS nylon without support structures could yield better results than the layer effect from fused deposition modeling plastic. Scaling up from one 3D printed object to production parts? Barring complex geometries and depending on volumes, CNC machining, injection molding are alternatives.

For your next manufacturing project and a professional 3D printing service, contact Additive Engineering today.

Prototypes that are production quality

Every 3D printed model starts with a 3D design file. If you have an idea for a new design and have access a similar 3D object, 3D scanning to adjust a 3D model is usually faster for the first prototype, factor in additional 3D design time to make adjustments.

Not all 3D printers are created equal. There are nuances across 3D printing technology, materials and 3D printers. Just as not all SLS nylon have the same properties, it is even more so with metal 3D printing. Whether it is a large format or precision 3D printer, the Additive Engineering team has the expertise and access to production quality 3D printers.
Metal versus plastic 3D printing services

Direct Metal Laser Melting or Sintering?

There are many powder bed fusion technologies for metal 3D printing, of which Direct Metal Laser Melting (DMLM) or Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) have been around for as long as metal 3D printing has existed.
DMLM is an additive manufacturing process that uses lasers to melt ultra-thin layers of metal powder to build complex 3D objects. A CAD model generates a STL file which is then sliced with software to be uploaded to a machine to build the part one cross section layer at a time. The use of a laser fully melts selective sections in the layer of metal powder to form complex end use parts that are fine, dense and homogenous. Parts build using DMLM have excellent mechanical properties and are comparable to wrought materials, high detail resolution and exceptional surface quality. The final metal parts require little, if any, finishing.

What's the difference between DMLM and DMLS?

While DMLS is often used to refer to both processes, DMLS uses lasers to heat particles below melting point so they adhere to one another. DMLM while similar, has the material completely melted to create ultra -thin liquid pools, which solidify as they cool. DMLM is becoming the preferred method where complete melting occurs.
additive manufacturing

Why use Additive Engineering's manufacturing or 3D printing service?

Advanced manufacturing requires the use of innovative technology to improve products

 Additive Engineering is a member of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC). Our team is experienced in rapid prototyping, conventional manufacturing for production parts such as CNC machining, injection moulding, vacuum casting and a range of 3D printing / additive manufacturing technologies that have been tried and tested in aerospace airworthy parts as well as medical devices.

Whether your requirements involve one prototype, transitioning from traditional manufacturing processes or 3D printing a complex lattice structure, the Additive Engineering team has the expertise in both traditional manufacturing methods and additive manufacturing processes to advise on the optimal manufacturing method for your parts.

Lattice structure

Clean-room environment to meet industry standards

To meet the stringent requirements of both medical, electronics and aerospace customers, the facility set up is modelled to manufacture parts in a clean-room environment with the objective to meet the highest standards as required by industries.

Proven technology and designed for manufacturing

Additive Engineering utilises  industry proven 3D printers such as EOS and GE Concept Laser printers to 3D print repeatable products with high surface quality and outputs the finest part structures. The Additive Engineering team can assist you in improving design for additive manufacturing in complex components that are too difficult and costly to manufacture using subtractive manufacturing methods.

Simplified delivery for ready to use products

Drawing on our extensive knowledge in materials from GE to our industry experience in the medical industry, we combine design, simulation, additive manufacturing, heat treatment, testing, sterilisation and packaging to ensure the complete part is delivered, ready to be used.

Qualified materials

Materials we can additively manufacture include:

  • Biocompatible Nylon PA2200 (Foodsafe, sterilisable)
  • Titanium Ti6Al4V ELI Grade 23
  • Stainless Steel 17-4 PH
  • Nickel 718 Inconel
  • Cobalt Chromium alloy
  • Hastelloy

If there is a metal alloy or material that is not listed, contact us to discuss your 3D print service requirements.

Capabilities

Design for manufacturability assistance
Additive manufacturing conducted in a clean-room environment
Manufacturing modelled to meet AS9100 standards and client-audited to meet ISO13485 standards for medical devices
Powder to product traceability
Product inspections
DMLM in bio-compatible titanium Ti6Al4V, stainless steel 17-4PH, CoCr alloy, Inconel Nickel 718, Hastelloy, SLS in medical grade PA2200
Tamper-proof packaging
Sterilisation
Heat treatment
Hot isostatic pressing
CNC Machining
Polishing and full finishing
Tooling
Injection moulding
Vacuum casting
Our certified powders undergo stringent quality control to meet performance requirements. We offer mechanical data for material selection and an optimised design to manufacture process.
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