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Hi everybody,

I’m new to 3D priniting. I am seeking to do a prototype of an object my colleagues and I have designed. Two of the peaces we wish to print are small. In the 2D drawings the smallest tolerance we have is +/-0.02 mm and the smallest wall thickness is 0.3 mm.

Ideally we would like to print in stainless steel, titanium or bronze. Do you know of any 3D printing service that provides such an accuracy?

Thanks.

Aurèle

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the tolerance and design guidelines from shapeways are good starting points for materials.Shapeways: Steel

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I forgot to mention that I already checked a few sites such as shapeways and i.materialise. They can’t do that precision. That’s why I was wondering of there is any other 3D pronting service someone here knows about that have more precise printers.

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Hi there!

The 0.3 mm wall thickness could be possible with a DMLS printer (direct metal laser sintering), but part orientation and geometry is going to be the determining factor as to if the print will fail or not. That low wall thickness could also result in brittle walls that will be very fragile, depending on the part application and where those thin walls are located. Your biggest issue will be the tolerances you need. Tolerances that tight are really too demanding to definitively achieve with 3d printing; for DMLS, at best you can get around +/-0.025 mm but that’s dependent on the printer. While printing your parts might be possible depending on it’s geometry, it very well may have to be created using more conventional methods, like casting.

I would suggest reaching out to several prototyping shops that have DMLS printers/technology and see what they can do for you. I don’t know where you are located, but I would suggest reaching out to Proto Labs or Interpro (both prototyping shops).