engineering-grade components manufactured by 3D printing service

Lightning-fast 3D printing service

Order custom 3D-printed plastic parts online. Upload a 3D model for an instant quote and receive your parts as soon as tomorrow.

5/5

Additive manufacturing on demand

No matter the scale of your project, our 3D printing services offer an affordable alternative to injection moulding for plastic part production.

first iteration of prototype parts

Rapid prototyping

Quickly bring your digital concepts into the physical world.

a series of plastic parts that have been batch produced with additive manufacturing

Batch production

Industrial quality end-use components at a lower cost per unit.

aesthetic 3D printed model of an owl

Bespoke one-offs

Custom prints made to your personal requirements, ready for any application.

Ordering your 3D printed parts

Safely upload your model to our online cost calculator. We support STL, OBJ & STEP file formats.

Configure your custom print specifications including material, colour, and lead time.

Receive an instant quote and pay securely online. Your items will then enter our manufacturing queue.

Our quality control team inspects and carefully packages your 3D prints, ready for next-day delivery.

We use the latest technology

Choose between our FDM and SLS services depending on the end-use and budget of your project. Not sure what you need? Our expert engineers are always on hand to offer transparent advice. 

FDM 3D printed parts

Fused Deposition Modeling

Often the more affordable option, FDM offers a wide range of materials and colours. Though slightly less accurate for complex prints, it creates strong parts with a selection of desirable properties. FDM also tends to be the go-to for larger prints.

Selective Laser Sintering

SLS produces industrial-strength parts with unrivalled quality. It is the preferred 3D printing technology for mechanical prototypes and low-volume batch production of functional components. Our PA12 Nylon is available in white or can be dyed black upon request.

sls printed nylon pa12 components

SLS vs FDM: 3D Printer comparison

FDM

SLS

Our 3D printing materials

Explore our catalogue of premium filaments to find the most suitable material for your 3D print.

DuraForm ProX PA12 Nylon

Our SLS printers use DuraForm ProX PA12 Nylon to produce the best quality parts possible. A highly durable thermoplastic suitable for complex assemblies and functional or load-bearing applications.

Colours: White, Black (Dye)

PLA

Our most popular filament, available in a wide selection of colours. PLA is incredibly versatile and considered to be more environmentally friendly than other plastics.  

Colours: Black, Grey, White, Blue, Green, Orange, Red

TPU

Perfect for flexible parts with good impact resistance. TPU is resistant to abrasion and many chemicals. Sometimes used in high friction environments like car interiors.

Colours: Black, Grey, White

PETG

A cheap way to print strong, durable parts in multiple colours. PETG has good shock resistance properties, is slightly flexible, and doesn’t deteriorate with water. Great for snap-to-fit components.

Colours: Black, Grey, White, Blue, Green, Red, Orange

ASA

Pick ASA for parts that will spend time outdoors or in direct sunlight. It boasts impressive resistance to UV and chemicals, and good water absorption. ASA is often seen as a step up from ABS.

Colours: Black, White  

Carbon Fibre PETG

Reinforcing PETG with carbon fibre greatly enhances its mechanical integrity. Expect high tensile strength and stiffness with a sleek matte black finish. Heat tolerant up to 80°C and resistant to chemicals.

Colours: Black

High-performance plastics

Our engineering-grade materials offer advanced strength, heat resistance, and chemical resistance properties. 

Suitable for the most demanding of industrial applications.

Customers who trust us...

Shape

Want us to implement your latest design iteration mid-order? Let us know and we’ll start using it for the next batch.

Make changes on the fly

Shorter lead times

Go directly from digital design to physical part, without any complex tooling or setup. Your order goes straight into our print queue as soon as payment is made.

Minimise cost-per-part

Additive is cheaper than traditional manufacturing methods for lower volume production. This is typically the case up to several thousand units, especially for smaller commercial components.

Design flexibility

Enjoy increased design freedom with fewer restrictions. Manufacture complex shapes at no additional cost and easily update your models at any time.

Supply chain simplification

True on-demand manufacturing means less resources spent on storage and inventory management. Promptly replace hard-to-source damaged parts, reducing any operational downtime.

Crowdfunding campaigns

Create working prototypes to offer potential investors something tangible when raising funds. A physical product is essential for marketing materials, ads, and validating new ideas.

Fluid customisation

3D printing lets you tailor goods to individual needs with high levels of detail and precision. Think a healthcare device built to fit a customer’s body, or a mod for a specific model of car.

Offer personalised products that set your brand apart from competitors. With no minimum order quantities, you can make each part unique.

Stand out from the crowd

What our clients are saying...

We required some parts for ear defenders that were no longer available and for some adaption of already existing parts to allow them to be compatible with our MRI scanner. The parts produced fitted exceptionally well and have so far stood up to constant use, 13 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Gareth Locke

NHS

NHS logo
Non-disclosure agreement graphic

Non-disclosure agreements

Working on an unrevealed project? We are happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement to ensure the confidentiality of your designs. 

Feel confident that your ideas are safe from the eyes of your competitors. Regardless of an NDA, your data remains protected at all times.

Save more by nesting SLS parts

How much does it cost to 3D print something? Several factors can affect prices, but the main ones are: How large the object is, what material you choose and whether you need multiples or a one-off.

The easiest way to reduce your SLS print costs is to nest your models. This involves combining multiple objects to reduce their total bounding volume.

example of nesting models to reduce SLS production costs
An example of nested 3D models. With SLS, you may be able to print multiple parts for the same price as the largest one!

Streamline your business operations with additive manufacturing. Accelerate product development and gain an edge on the competition. Book your free consultation today!

Benefits of 3D printing

Looking to get something 3D printed today?

Order before 12 PM for same-day UK shipping

Buy now with our lightning service and your parts will begin manufacturing immediately. Subject to manual review. 

next day delivery

Every print matters

We take great pride in the quality and consistency of our service. That's why every single order undergoes strict quality assurance procedures.

Model assessment

We manually slice your file to ensure the best results. If we foresee any potential issues with the design we’ll get in touch to discuss your options.

Quality control

Our printers are regularly calibrated and printing profiles optimised. Each print receives a final inspection before being carefully packaged.

Post-processing

All prints are cleaned in-house and supports removed. Some customers go on to apply additional finishing techniques themselves, such as sanding, painting, and polishing.
a CAD file being prepared for fabrication

Can you 3D print my design?

Yes! We just need an STL, OBJ, or STEP file to print from. Don’t worry if you haven’t got one yet, there are a few ways we can help.

Reproduce a physical object

We’ll 3D scan your item and reverse engineer it into a clean printable file. This includes digitally removing any unwanted wear and tear.

CAD

Our specialists may be able to create a model for you. Alternatively, they can convert an unsupported format or edit your existing CAD files.

3D marketplaces

Marketplaces like Thingiverse and Printables have a wide range of 3D files available to download.

Design guidelines

Please review our design guidelines before ordering to ensure a successful print.

Frequently asked questions...

Please upload your 3D model in an .stl, .obj, or .step format. Not sure if your file is printable? Email it over to info@surfacescan.co.uk and we’d be happy to advise.

The maximum file size is 290.73 Mb.

If you don’t have a suitable file but have the physical object, we can scan it and create one for you.  

The cost of a 3D print is determined by many factors. These include: the material you require, the size of the model, and any post-processing required. 

The number of parts you require also contributes to the total budget. We offer discounts for orders of 25+, 50+, & 100+ units. If you require a larger batch order, get in touch for a bespoke price.  

There are ways to make things cheaper, such as nesting your parts together. Use our online pricing tool to get a specific figure for your project.

We offer three different manufacturing speeds:

  • Express (1-3 business days)
  • Standard (3-6 business days)
  • Economy (10 business days)

Choose from the following shipping options:

  • Royal Mail Tracked 24 (£6.95)
  • Royal Mail Special Delivery Pre 1PM (£8.50)

Yes, of course! Our minimum order value is just £13.50 plus VAT and shipping. 

Once you receive your prototype, let us know if there are any changes you’d like to make. When you’re ready, we can go ahead with a larger batch order using the same printing setup to ensure you get the exact same results. 

Our FDM printers have a precision tolerance of approximately 0.1 mm on the Z-axis and 0.3 mm on the X and Y. 

In some cases, they can be as accurate as 0.05 but this depends on choice of material and printing conditions. 

High-performance materials like SLS Nylon PA12 and carbon fibre PETG allow for the creation of parts with robust mechanical properties that stand up against injection moulded alternatives. Moreover, 3D printing’s layer-by-layer additive process permits precise control over material deposition, enabling the optimization of internal structures and load-bearing capabilities.

SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) 3D printing operates by using a high-powered laser to selectively fuse successive layers of powdered material into a three-dimensional object. This additive manufacturing process allows for the creation of complex and intricate structures by melting and solidifying the powdered material one layer at a time, without the need for support structures.

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing functions by extruding a continuous filament of thermoplastic material, such as PLA or ASA, through a heated nozzle onto a build platform. The nozzle moves in a precise path, depositing layer upon layer of melted material, which rapidly cools and solidifies, building up the desired three-dimensional object from the bottom up.

This differs from traditional manufacturing methods as it offers greater design freedom and customization and can produce highly intricate, complex geometries with reduced material waste. Traditional methods typically involve more extensive tooling and setup for mass production, which is significantly more expensive and time consuming. 

3D printing allows you to create all kinds of objects, both functional and for prototyping purposes.
Here are some of the things people use it for:

  • Replacement & Spare Parts
  • Jewellery
  • Art
  • Fashion
  • Manufacturing
  • Prototyping
  • Construction
  • Car Parts
  • Miniatures

We also offer a 3D laser scanning service which we can use to print accurate models of buildings and other large structures for visualisation. 

The only limit is your imagination!

Our company print shop is local to Ramsgate, Kent. We can send orders anywhere in the UK fast with cheap shipping rates.

We don’t currently offer printer rentals. However, if you upload your file you can rely on our expert team to bring your vision to life. We’re always happy to discuss the finer details before going ahead, just reach out via the contact information below.

Have you seen our list of 5 lucrative side hustles you can try without owning a printer?

Lets Talk

If you’d like to talk more about 3D printing, please get in touch. We’re ready to answer any questions you might have.

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