OEM Services
HRS 3D Printing Processing Services: Pioneering the Future of Manufacturing
In the ever-evolving landscape of manufacturing technology, 3D printing stands out as a revolutionary force reshaping industries across the globe. At HRS, we are at the forefront of this technological revolution, offering state-of-the-art 3D printing processing services that cater to a diverse range of industries.
3D Printing Design Guidelines (Key Features Of 3D Printing)
☑ The fabrication of 3D printed products is based on the design files. There are some details and features that always need to be taken into account when designing a 3D printing part, but the best result varies depending on the different 3D printing services.
| Supported Walls | Unsupported Walls | Support & Overhangs | Embossed & engraved details | Horizontal bridges | Holes | Connecting or moving parts | Escape holes | Min. feature size | Min. pin diameter | Max. tolerance | |
| FDM | 0.8mm | 0.8mm | 45° | 0.6mm wide & 2mm high | 10mm | ⌀2mm | 0.5mm | – | 2mm | 3mm | ±0.5% (lower limit ±0.5mm) |
| SLA | 0.5mm | 1mm | Support always required | 0.4mm wide & high | – | ⌀0.5mm | 0.5mm | 4mm | 0.2mm | 0.5mm | ±0.5%(lower limit ±0.5mm) |
| SLS | 0.7mm | – | – | 1mm wide & high | – | ⌀1.5mm | moving parts: 0.3mm Connections: 0.1mm | 5mm | 0.8mm | 0.8mm | ±0.3% (lower limit ±0.3mm) |
| MJ | 1mm | 1mm | Support always required | 0.5mm wide & high | – | ⌀0.5mm | 0.2mm | – | 0.5mm | 0.5mm | ±0.1mm |
| BJ | 2mm | 3mm | – | 0.5mm wide & high | – | ⌀1.5mm | – | 5mm | 2mm | 2mm | Metal:±0.2 Sand:±0.3mm |
| DMLS | 0.4mm | 0.5mm | Support always required | 0.1mm wide & high | 2mm | ⌀1.5mm | – | 5mm | 0.6mm | 1mm | ±0.1mm |
Design Guidelines For All 3D Printing Techniques
☑ The 3D printing design is important as it influences the difficulty, cycle time, and cost of follow-up manufacturing. When it comes to design tips, some rules are applicable to all 3D printing processes, and some will be limited to a specific technology.
FDM | 200 x 200 x 200 mm for desktop printers, up to 900 x 600 x 900 mm for industrial printers |
SLA | 145 x 145 x 175 mm for desktop printers, up to 1500 x 750 x 500 mm for industrial printers |
SLS | 300 x 300 x 300 mm, up to 750 x 550 x 550 mm |
DMLS/SLM | 250 x 150 x 150 mm, up to 500 x 280 x 360 mm |
MJF | 380 x 285 x 380 mm |
Supports in 3D printing
Supports are a type of structure of a part, that can help to prevent deformation and secure the part to the printing bed during the 3D printing process. Can you print without supports and when do you need that? Yes, you can 3D print without support. Take the FDM 3D printing as an example, when a feature is printed with an overhang of more than 45 degrees, it may sag enough to destroy the part, at this point you need a support structure. In another case, bridging allows parts to be printed without the use of support material and with minimal sag because hot materials can be stretched out. But if the bridge is longer than 5 mm and you need a good surface finish, a support structure is required. In addition, SLA and DLP 3D printers generally use supports.
Part orientation in 3D printing
Another critical parameter in 3D printing manufacturing is the part orientation, which refers to the way in which the part is in contact with the build plate, it has an impact on the accuracy, time, strength, and surface finish of a 3d printed product. The best build orientation would be different in various examples, however, here are some tips that may be helpful for choosing the way of the part orientation.
☑ Find the face that can provide the best adhesion to the build plate and the highest stability.
☑ If the product needs to be subject to stress, then it should be oriented to ensure the direction of the minimum applied stress is parallel to the build direction, which is usually the vertical direction.
☑ Be clear about the build volume of the 3D printer.
☑ FDM prints are easier to delaminate and fracture in the Z direction than in the XY direction when subjected to tension.
☑ Orient the part to make overhangs of less than 45° are minimized.
☑ In the vertical direction, cylindrical features print more precisely than in the horizontal.
☑ Find the face that can provide the best adhesion to the build plate and the highest stability.
☑ If the product needs to be subject to stress, then it should be oriented to ensure the direction of the minimum applied stress is parallel to the build direction, which is usually the vertical direction.
☑ Be clear about the build volume of the 3D printer.
☑ FDM prints are easier to delaminate and fracture in the Z direction than in the XY direction when subjected to tension.
☑ Orient the part to make overhangs of less than 45° are minimized.
☑ In the vertical direction, cylindrical features print more precisely than in the horizontal.
Dimensional accuracy in 3D printing
The dimensional accuracy refers to how accurate the size and form of the printed part are compared to that in the CAD design. Factors that affect dimensional accuracy include material quality, equipment, post-processing, and more. Dimensional tolerance, shrinkage, and support requirements are three key elements to measuring dimensional accuracy. Below are the dimensional tolerance of different 3D processes.
FDM dimensional tolerance | prototyping (desktop):±0.5% (lower limit:±0.5 mm), industrial:±0.15% (lower limit:±0.2 mm) |
SLA dimensional tolerance | prototyping (desktop):±0.5% (lower limit:±0.10 mm) industrial:±0.15% (lower limit:±0.01 mm) |
SLS/MJF dimensional tolerance | ±0.3% (lower limit:±0.3 mm) |
Layer height in 3D printing
Layer height is a measurement of the amount of material extruded by the printer’s nozzle for each layer of your part. It is measured in microns or millimeters. The selection of layer height is important for some 3D printing technologies, such as SLA and FDM. Below are the typically applied layer height for different processes.
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3D Printing Metal Materials Guide
| Metals | Applications |
| Stainless steel | Utensils, cookware, and other items that could ultimately come into contact with water |
| Bronze | Vases and other fixtures |
| Gold | Rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces |
| Nickel | Coins |
| Aluminum | Thin metal products |
| Titanium | Strong, solid fixtures |
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3D Printing Plastic Materials Guide
| Plastics | Features | Applications |
| ABS | Tough, strong, durable, heat-resistant, cost-effective, flexible, reusable, not biodegradable | Car bodies, appliances, and mobile phone cases |
| PLA | Easy to work with, environmentally friendly, biodegradable, available in resin and filament with a variety of colors | Food packaging, biodegradable medical devices and implants |
| PVA | Water-soluble | Often use to create a support structure for portions of a product that may warp or collapse |
| PP | Affordable, chemical resistant, flammable, and degrades with UV light | Household containers, lab equipment, and textiles |
| Nylon/PA | Strong, lightweight, durable, heat and impact-resistant, but not resistant to strong acids and bases | Applications that require high mechanical properties and functional prototypes |
| PEI | Can withstand high heat | Injection mold tools and heat-resistant components |
| PC | Heat resistant up to 135 °C, durable, impact and shatter resistant, moderately flexible, transparent, electrically non-conductive | Prototype windows and other clear products |
| PMMA/Acrylic | Good impact strength, comparable clarity, and UV absorption properties | Automobile headlights, commercial aquariums and other alternatives to glass |
| CPVC | High heat distortion temperature, chemical inertness, dielectric, and flame and smoke properties | Chemical processing, power generation, semiconductor, wastewater treatment |
| PEEK | Wear-resistant, good weight-to-strength ratio, high thermomechanical properties | Medical custom-made implants, devices, aerospace and automotive parts |
| PETG | High impact resistance, excellent chemical and moisture resistance | Compliant mechanisms, water bottles, electronic enclosures |
| TPU | Flexible, abrasion-resistant, resistant to impacts and many chemicals | Sporting goods, aerospace and automotive |
| PETP/Ertalyte | High dimensional stability, mechanical strength, low moisture absorption, physiologically inert | Thin films, containers for liquid drinks |
Types Of 3D Printers
SLS (Selective Laser Sintering)
the materials used are nylon, metal powder, PS powder, and resin sand. The powder is turned into a tightly integrated whole by sintering, rather than melting it into a liquid state. Under laser scanning, the parts are covered layer by layer, and finally, the parts are submerged in a pile of powder. After cooling for 12-14 hours, the remaining powder can be recycled.
SLA (Stereolithography)
SLA 3D printers utilize an excess of liquid plastic that eventually solidifies into a solid product. Typically, the surfaces of parts produced by stereolithography 3D printers are smooth. the material used is photosensitive resin. The laser with a specific wavelength and intensity is focused on the surface of the photocurable material to solidify it from point to line and from line to surface in order to complete the drawing of one layer. Then the lifting table moves one layer in the vertical direction and solidifies another layer. In this way, the layers are stacked to form a three-dimensional entity.
FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)
Thermoplastic filament is heated and extruded by FDM 3D printers to manufacture items layer by layer, from the bottom up, using a bottom-up construction method. the printing materials used are polylactic acid and ABS plastic. This technology extrudes filamentous materials, such as thermal plastics, wax, or metal, from heated nozzles, and deposits the melt at a fixed rate according to a predetermined trajectory of each layer of the part.
DLP (Digital Light Processing)
photosensitive resin is used. DLP laser forming technology is similar to SLA technology, but it uses a high-resolution digital optical processor projector to cure liquid photopolymer and photocured layer by layer.
SLM (Selective Laser Melting)
SLM accounts for the main part of metal 3D printers, the materials used are titanium alloy, cobalt chromium alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum alloy. The metal powder is melted by a high-energy ytterbium fiber laser to form multi-purpose three-dimensional parts.
Applications And Uses Of 3D Printing
3D printing technology can be used for rapid prototyping, tools, fixtures, and other parts in the automotive and transportation fields. For the automotive industry, compared with other development processes, 3D printing services can take ideas from the design studio to the production workshop in less time, and quickly print prototypes of various available parts through 3D printers, which is more convenient for enterprises to test and produce.
Automotive 
due to the requirements of weight reduction and strength, the proportion of complex structural parts or large heterogeneous parts in aerospace equipment is increasing, which is the advantage of 3D printing. It is highly sensitive to the performance requirements of parts and relatively insensitive to price, which is also conducive to the adoption of 3D printing technology.
Aerospace 
most of them are core printing of injection molds, part manufacturing on some non-standard equipment, and the application of auxiliary tooling on the production line.
Industrial 
it makes use of the customization advantage of 3D printing to give products more personalized features to attract different groups. - Medical: customized medical devices, in particular, matches the characteristics of 3D printing very well. At present, they have good prospects in dentistry, orthopedic implants, rehabilitation orthosis, etc.
Consumer goods 
3D printing technology can be used as technical support for educational research, college and university teaching in the field of education, and also as a learning tool for professional skills in vocational schools. It can enable students to gain important academic experience, establish interdisciplinary collaboration, and even cultivate students' entrepreneurial spirit.
Education 
3D printing technology is mainly used for the production of orthodontic models in the field of dentistry. Because of its small size and powerful functions, even a small laboratory can directly scan from the mouth to the internal production through a seamless digital workflow. Save time, materials, and storage space, and the produced appliances are more accurate and comfortable.
Dentistry 
Case Studies: Success in Action
We offer 3D printing capabilities for plastics including but not limited to PLA, ABS, Nylon, PETG, TPU, PEI, PP, PC, PMMA, PVA, etc.
Many factors affect the cost of 3D printing. First of all, without a 3D model, it is impossible to evaluate the price. Even experienced engineers can not quote accurate prices without a 3D design. The total volume of the part can be calculated based on the design, including the supports. Then the required materials are calculated. The more materials are used, the higher the cost. The prices of different materials are also very different. The major categories, there are mainly plastics, metals, ceramics, biological cells, etc. There are many kinds under each major category, and the price of metal is much higher than that of plastic. Now plastic is the most widely used material in 3D printing. In addition, the printed parts need to be cured, cleaned, polished, colored, and other surface treatments before they can be considered for use. The use of post-processing will also generate corresponding costs.
3D printed plastic is strong, particularly when specific filaments like PEEK or PC are employed. These materials are also utilized in the production of bullet-proof glass and riot shields. It is possible to increase the strength of the print by adjusting the infill density, wall thickness, and print orientation.
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3D Printing Resources and FAQs
Difference Between Metal And Plastic 3D Printing
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What Is 3D Printing?
How Does 3D Printing Work?
3D printing is a type of additive manufacturing process in which a 3D solid object created based on a computer-aided design through a layering method.
– First of all, a three-dimensional digital file of the object you want to print is needed. There are three different ways to get a 3D digital model: design, scan, and download. CAD is a common software to design a 3D model, popular CAD software includes AutoCad, SolidWorks, Tinkercad, and more. 3D scanning is a technology to analyze a real-world object and create a digital replica. You can also download one from a 3D library.
– Once you get a 3D model, you need to convert it into a proper file format. The most common 3D printing file format is STL, which is a usable file extension. Alternatives to STL are .OBJ and .3MF, these formats do not contain color information, if you need colored 3D printing objects, .X3D, .WRL, .DAE, and .PLY can be used. Ensure the file is printable.
– Slicing is the process of dividing the three-dimensional model into hundreds or thousands of layers, then generating the G-code to tell the machine how to execute the operation step by step. G-code is the most widely used CNC programming language applicable for CNC machines and 3D printers.
– Use 3D printers to complete the printing process according to automated G-code instructions.
– Remove the finished 3D printed parts from the printer. For some machines, it is easy, while the removal of 3D prints for some industrial 3D printers requires professional skills and specialized equipment.
– In some cases, additional steps or post-processing are needed to finish the production. For example, various surface finishing methods are used to improve the aesthetics and mechanical properties of 3D printed components.
Advantages Of 3D Printing
Supports are a type of structure of a part, that can help to prevent deformation and secure the part to the printing bed during the 3D printing process. Can you print without supports and when do you need that? Yes, you can 3D print without support. Take the FDM 3D printing as an example, when a feature is printed with an overhang of more than 45 degrees, it may sag enough to destroy the part, at this point you need a support structure. In another case, bridging allows parts to be printed without the use of support material and with minimal sag because hot materials can be stretched out. But if the bridge is longer than 5 mm and you need a good surface finish, a support structure is required. In addition, SLA and DLP 3D printers generally use supports.
Part orientation in 3D printing
☑ Speed up the prototyping or production process greatly, prints objects within hours.
☑ Allows the design and creation of more complex geometries.
☑ Fewer machines and operators are needed to manufacture.
☑ High flexibility and versatility allows almost everything to be created.
☑ Allows the inclusion of multiple materials into a single object.
☑ Layer-by-layer assembly enhances the design and ensures better quality.
☑ Each successive individual part can be monitored to reduce failure and errors.
☑ Does not need lots of space for inventory, print on demand based on the design.
☑ Plastic 3D printed parts offer advantages in applications where lightweight is important.
☑ Minimize the used materials, with little or no waste compared to cutting from large chunks.
☑ 3D printing systems are much more accessible and require no additional person to run.
☑ The technology is environmentally-friendly and sustainable.
☑ Allows the design and creation of more complex geometries.
☑ Fewer machines and operators are needed to manufacture.
☑ High flexibility and versatility allows almost everything to be created.
☑ Allows the inclusion of multiple materials into a single object.
☑ Layer-by-layer assembly enhances the design and ensures better quality.
☑ Each successive individual part can be monitored to reduce failure and errors.
☑ Does not need lots of space for inventory, print on demand based on the design.
☑ Plastic 3D printed parts offer advantages in applications where lightweight is important.
☑ Minimize the used materials, with little or no waste compared to cutting from large chunks.
☑ 3D printing systems are much more accessible and require no additional person to run.
☑ The technology is environmentally-friendly and sustainable.
Difference Between Metal And Plastic 3D Printing
☑ No minimum order quantity.
☑ Metal or plastic 3D printed prototype and production parts in 7-10 days.
☑ Precision custom 3D printing parts at affordable prices.
☑ Online free quote in the shortest time.
☑ Single prototypes or complex shapes are both allowed.
☑ A wide selection of metal or plastic materials.
☑ Metal or plastic 3D printed prototype and production parts in 7-10 days.
☑ Precision custom 3D printing parts at affordable prices.
☑ Online free quote in the shortest time.
☑ Single prototypes or complex shapes are both allowed.
☑ A wide selection of metal or plastic materials.
☑ No minimum order quantity.
☑ Metal or plastic 3D printed prototype and production parts in 7-10 days.
☑ Precision custom 3D printing parts at affordable prices.
☑ Online free quote in the shortest time.
☑ Single prototypes or complex shapes are both allowed.
☑ A wide selection of metal or plastic materials.
☑ Metal or plastic 3D printed prototype and production parts in 7-10 days.
☑ Precision custom 3D printing parts at affordable prices.
☑ Online free quote in the shortest time.
☑ Single prototypes or complex shapes are both allowed.
☑ A wide selection of metal or plastic materials.
