Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Engineering-Grade Plastics
Q: What are Engineering-Grade thermoplastic parts?
A: Engineering-Grade plastics are aimed at the professionals requiring the most out of functional testing using 3D printed parts. These parts have tolerances within +/- .010", allowing for more precise applications. These parts are suitable for use as final components of a end-product, or as test fixtures within a production environment. Please see our Plastics section for more information.
Q: What materials are offered in the Engineering-Grade plastics?
A: Please see our Plastics section of our site for more information.
Q: What are typical tolerances for your Engineering-Grade plastic parts?
A: Our process allows for parts to be within a range of +/- .010"
Q: How fast can I get my parts?
A: Lead times are typically 1 week depending on current orders.
Q: Should I send individual files or are assemblies OK?
A: We prefer individual files as it allows for faster quoting and less confusion.
Engineering Ceramics
Q: What is different from your Alumina Ceramics versus traditional manufacturers and current 3D printed ceramics?
A: The Alumina Ceramics that we offer are aimed to fill the gap between current 3D printed ceramics and traditional technical ceramics. Typical lead times of traditional ceramic manufacturers are between 8 and 12 weeks, and can be prohibitively expensive. Although are parts are not as precise, designs can often be changed in order to accommodate our tolerance ranges. The ceramics we provide offer superior mechanical performance as compared to 3D printed ceramics.
Q: What are typical tolerances for your ceramic parts?
A: Our standard tolerance is +/- .010" or +/- 3% (whichever is greater) of any dimension in the design. Please contact us for more information as tighter tolerances may be possible.
Q: What kind of porosity should we expect with your process?
A: Porosity on our ceramics is typically lower than 10%
Q: Why are there steps in my parts? I thought they were going to be perfectly smooth?
A: Because our process utilizes current rapid prototyping technologies, the stair-stepping effect still applies to the parts.
Q: Sharp edges of the ceramic parts appeared to be chipped. Why is that?
A: Chipping may occur on sharp edges due to their being burned away during the sintering stage. Please avoid sharp edges if possible. Refer to our Ceramics Design Guide for more information.
Q: What is the minimum part size?
A: We've manufactured parts as small as 0.250", but would welcome smaller challenges.
Q: What is the maximum part size?
A: We will welcome any part size, however, we suggest staying within a 12" x 12" x 10" box (bounding box) due to the mechanical strength of the part before firing.
Q: How fast can I get my parts?
A: Lead times are typically 3 to 4 weeks depending on current orders.
Q: I received a quote and noticed that your ceramic pricing is significantly higher than other 3D ceramic printing services. Why is that?
A: Our ceramics are engineering-grade, meaning that the mechanical properties such as abrasion resistance, hardness, and compressive strength are far superior to traditional pottery-type ceramics. If you are looking to make a flower pot for your house, do not use this material. Choose this material If you're developing a component that is exposed to compressive loads, scraping, sliding, friction, chemicals, and high heat.
Q: What are Engineering-Grade thermoplastic parts?
A: Engineering-Grade plastics are aimed at the professionals requiring the most out of functional testing using 3D printed parts. These parts have tolerances within +/- .010", allowing for more precise applications. These parts are suitable for use as final components of a end-product, or as test fixtures within a production environment. Please see our Plastics section for more information.
Q: What materials are offered in the Engineering-Grade plastics?
A: Please see our Plastics section of our site for more information.
Q: What are typical tolerances for your Engineering-Grade plastic parts?
A: Our process allows for parts to be within a range of +/- .010"
Q: How fast can I get my parts?
A: Lead times are typically 1 week depending on current orders.
Q: Should I send individual files or are assemblies OK?
A: We prefer individual files as it allows for faster quoting and less confusion.
Engineering Ceramics
Q: What is different from your Alumina Ceramics versus traditional manufacturers and current 3D printed ceramics?
A: The Alumina Ceramics that we offer are aimed to fill the gap between current 3D printed ceramics and traditional technical ceramics. Typical lead times of traditional ceramic manufacturers are between 8 and 12 weeks, and can be prohibitively expensive. Although are parts are not as precise, designs can often be changed in order to accommodate our tolerance ranges. The ceramics we provide offer superior mechanical performance as compared to 3D printed ceramics.
Q: What are typical tolerances for your ceramic parts?
A: Our standard tolerance is +/- .010" or +/- 3% (whichever is greater) of any dimension in the design. Please contact us for more information as tighter tolerances may be possible.
Q: What kind of porosity should we expect with your process?
A: Porosity on our ceramics is typically lower than 10%
Q: Why are there steps in my parts? I thought they were going to be perfectly smooth?
A: Because our process utilizes current rapid prototyping technologies, the stair-stepping effect still applies to the parts.
Q: Sharp edges of the ceramic parts appeared to be chipped. Why is that?
A: Chipping may occur on sharp edges due to their being burned away during the sintering stage. Please avoid sharp edges if possible. Refer to our Ceramics Design Guide for more information.
Q: What is the minimum part size?
A: We've manufactured parts as small as 0.250", but would welcome smaller challenges.
Q: What is the maximum part size?
A: We will welcome any part size, however, we suggest staying within a 12" x 12" x 10" box (bounding box) due to the mechanical strength of the part before firing.
Q: How fast can I get my parts?
A: Lead times are typically 3 to 4 weeks depending on current orders.
Q: I received a quote and noticed that your ceramic pricing is significantly higher than other 3D ceramic printing services. Why is that?
A: Our ceramics are engineering-grade, meaning that the mechanical properties such as abrasion resistance, hardness, and compressive strength are far superior to traditional pottery-type ceramics. If you are looking to make a flower pot for your house, do not use this material. Choose this material If you're developing a component that is exposed to compressive loads, scraping, sliding, friction, chemicals, and high heat.
