-
Which 3D Printing Processes Are Watertight?
Different additive manufacturing processes can be used for different applications. The properties of parts can differ greatly simply based on how they are made, even when the part geometry is identical. When designing a part that will be used with liquids, it is important to know which processes can produce watertight…
-
Is there any carbon, or carbon fiber, in Carbon DLS 3D printing?
Carbon is a brand name for a company that makes machines and materials around Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) 3D printing. These materials have great properties and can be highly stiff or rubbery, depending on which material is chosen. Carbon DLS materials do not contain any carbon chop, carbon fiber, etc. The Xometry team…
-
What font sizes work best for printing text?
Text adheres to the same 0.6mm wall and gap rules that govern other features for 3D printed parts. With letters that contain knife edges and other acute angles this can become a little tricky. We went to Thingiverse to find a great file to test the accuracy of printed text in the 3D printing processes in which we see it…
-
What 3D printing technologies do you currently offer?
Xometry's 3D printing capabilities include: Thermoplastics: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) HP Multi Jet Fusion (HP MJF) Thermoset plastics (photopolymer): Carbon DLS Stereolithography PolyJet 3D Nexa LSPc Metal 3D Printing Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) Binder Jetting Learn more about…
-
What's the maximum size of a part you can print?
The maximum build volume of a part depends on the 3D printing technology used. SLS Unfilled: Nylon 12 build area up to 13" x 13" x 20" (13" max dimension preferred) SLS Glass Filled: Glass Filled Nylon 12 build area up to 26" x 15" x 23". HP MJF: Build area up to 15" x 11" x 15" (14" x 11" x 13" is the recommended usable…
-
Can you 3D print in metal?
Yes, we can 3D print fully dense metal parts in aluminum and stainless steel using Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS). These parts have a fit and finish similar to cast parts. Binder jetting is also another option for cost-effective metal 3D printing. It is often used to produce metal parts at fraction of the cost of…
-
Can you 3D print transparent plastic?
The best option for 3D printing in near-transparent plastic is SLA Accura ClearVue, Quick Clear finish. This auto-quoting option prints the part in a clear resin then has a post-process treatment of a clear coat (paint) to even the surface and leave a gloss clear. Think clear ice as a finish. This is not the same as a full…
-
Tolerances and Build Area for 3D Printed Plastics
Please use the following links for tolerances and build area limitations of 3D printed (additive manufactured) components. Note that this is based on typical results; additional notes on each process are at the bottom of this article. Are you looking for design tips? Check out our free design guides. SLS: HP MJF: FDM: SLA:…
-
What is the smallest feature that you can print?
Minimum feature size and print accuracy can vary across 3D printing processes. We were curious to see how SLS, FDM, PJ3D, and DMLS compared, so we ran several benchmark tests over various platforms and recorded the results. Where did we look for cool models to test our processes? Thingiverse, of course! There are a ton of…
-
What 3D Printed Materials can be Sterilized?
Watch our video on "food safe" materials: Sterilizable Materials Xometry offers a wide array of materials that can be sterilized to allow for many different applications of your 3D printed part! An overview of the materials that can be sterilized, the process that each material comes in, its method of sterilization, and…