3D Modeling

Production parts and assemblies

CAD built to real dimensions and tolerances. If a part has to slot into an existing assembly, seal against a surface, or take load in use, the geometry is built around those constraints rather than around how it looks on screen.

Size and build volume

We run two printers, so there are two ceilings. The large-format machine builds inside 330 × 320 × 325 mm (roughly 13.0 × 12.6 × 12.8 in); the standard machine builds inside 256 × 256 × 256 mm (about 10.1 in cubed). A part under 250 mm in every direction fits either one, which usually means a shorter wait. It is worth designing to these from the outset rather than finding out at the slicer.

What that means in practice:

• Design target: 320 × 310 × 315 mm. Staying about 10 mm inside the envelope leaves room for a brim or skirt, which tall or narrow parts often need to stay stuck down.
• The bed is not square. The long axis is 330 mm and the short axis is 320 mm, so a part at full length has to be laid out along the long axis. Tell us which orientation matters for strength or finish and we will build the model around it.
• Bigger than the envelope is still fine. Oversized pieces get split into sections with registration features — dowels, keys or lap joints — so they line up on assembly and hold together. We put the split lines where they will not show and will not take load.
• Nozzle from 0.2 mm to 0.8 mm. A finer nozzle holds finer detail, a wider one lays down material faster on large parts, and the choice sets the thinnest wall we can print. We pick it to suit the part.
• Layer height and tolerance. Fine features and press fits want a shorter layer; bulk geometry does not. If a dimension has to be accurate, mark it and we will design clearance into it rather than hoping it comes out on size.

If the model is heading somewhere else to be manufactured, none of these limits apply. In that case we build to your manufacturer’s process instead, and the envelope above is irrelevant.

Concept to model

You do not need drawings or the right terminology to start. We work out the details together, and we will tell you when something needs to change to survive manufacturing.

Assets for visualization

Models built for renders, product imagery and marketing work, where surface detail and topology matter more than printability.

Revision and iteration

Design rarely lands first time. You review each stage and ask for changes, and nothing is called final until you say so.

Start your project with whatever you have to hand.