Commercial 3D printer businesses?

[Highpower]

Are there any companies for hire out there that will do 3D printing for Joe Schmoe's like me? Cheaper for me to hire out to make a couple of small parts vs. buying a printer myself that I don't have space for anyway.

When I was a kid they used to have heat/vacuum forming machines (sort of like gaming consoles / claw machines) in shopping malls etc., that would spit out formed toys/figures from a small sheet of plastic. I would like to find a place that does something similar for 3D prints if I provide the print file(s).

[Dr Stan]

Yes there are. Just do a search for 3D printing companies. At some point Strasys transitioned from being a 3D printer supplier (machines) to offering 3D printing services. emachineshop is just one of several machine shop suppliers making their services available on line.

[Highpower]

Thanks Stan. I found a place somewhat local to me and I put in a request for a quote, but I'm not sure if it's going to work out.

First off, they want a 3D CAD file uploaded. All I've got is a .stl file.

Then they only give 3 choices for material. Standard, Flexible or Durable. The maker file specifies PLA. So which category does that fall under?

I guess I'll wait to see how badly they berate me for being an idiot before I request any more quotes from other places.

[rleete]

Standard would be a form of PLA. Durable would probably be ABS.

[vtsteam]

You're smart, they're dumb. You have specifics of a design and material requirements, they use generalized undefined terms for materials in their advertising.

[EdK]

If they can't work with an STL file they're not worth messing with.  

Ed

[EdK]

Out of curiosity, what is it you need printed? I may be able to print it for you.

Ed

[Highpower]

I took a look at Xometry's page too. They have a material choice of "Prototyping PLA (FFF)"
OK, cool! They even accept a .stl file to work from - even better!

Then you have to pick a "process". Under 3D printing they list 8 different types.

Binder Jetting
Carbon Digital Light Synthesis (DLS)
Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS)
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF)
PolyJet
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
Stereolithography (SLA)

I can't seem to find a choice that says "hey - I just want a small plastic tray".
Looking further it turns out FDM is the only process that offers PLA as an option so that pretty much narrows it down. I guess now I just have to decide if I want to spend 100 bucks after sales tax and shipping on a 7 inch square piece of plastic. I have a feeling the local place will want even more.

[Highpower]

(02-27-2022, 08:17 PM)EdK Wrote: Out of curiosity, what is it you need printed? I may be able to print it for you.

Ed

It's a small tray to sit on top of a wet grinder to catch water drips and funnel them back down into the water trough the stone runs in. It's got a 5 inch long 'down spout' that sticks down from the back corner of the tray. Pretty slick idea from whomever came up with it. Definitely not a 'must have' but it would be nice to not have stray water running down into the machine's housing.









   

[EdK]

Can you post the STL file and I can take a look at it.

Ed