Questions We Actually Get Asked
Every question below is one a customer has actually sent us, grouped so you can find yours. Answers are short on purpose; if yours is not here, ask it on the quote form and it usually becomes the next one added.
Ordering and quoting
6 questions.
How fast do I get a price?
The instant quote appears as soon as your model is read — seconds, in your browser. A firm written price from an engineer normally goes out the same working day and always within one.
Is the instant quote the price I pay?
No, and we are explicit about it: it is an indication, not an offer and not a binding price. It is calculated in your browser from the geometry of your file. An engineer reviews the model and we send you the exact price in writing, with the lead time, before any work starts. If the two differ, the written price is the one that counts.
What is the smallest order you take?
One piece. There is no minimum order and no account to open.
Can you quote from a 2D drawing instead of a 3D model?
Yes — send the drawing with the material and quantity and we will price it by hand. A STEP file is faster and more accurate for anything with curved or freeform surfaces.
I do not have a CAD file at all. Is that a problem?
It is usually solvable. Send photographs with a ruler in frame, or post us the part, and we will scan or measure it and rebuild it as a parametric model to print from. Ask for reverse engineering on the quote form.
Can you make production quantities, not just one-offs?
Yes. The same process that made your prototype scales to tens, hundreds or thousands of parts, and the price falls as the quantity rises because the setup is amortised across the run. Send the quantity and we will quote the volume price, not just the prototype one.
Files and design
6 questions.
Which file formats do you accept?
STL, OBJ and 3MF go straight into the quoting engine. STEP and IGES are welcome by email — for anything functional, STEP lets us review the real geometry rather than a mesh approximation of it.
My mesh has holes in it. Will you reject the job?
We will tell you, and we will normally fix it. Mesh repair is routine and a small repair is not charged for. If the damage is severe enough to change the part, we will show you what we found before quoting.
What is the largest file you can take?
100 MB through the upload box. Files over 26 MB arrive as a download link rather than an email attachment - they are stored either way. Any STEP file, by email.
Can you do the design work?
We are a manufacturer, not a design house. What we will do is tell you what will not print and why, which is usually the more useful conversation, and we will often make a simple change to the model ourselves and show you what we changed.
Do you sign NDAs?
Yes. Send yours and we will return it signed, or ask us for ours. We do not discuss what our customers are having made.
Do you work in millimetres or inches?
Our files are native millimetre, but we work to whatever unit your drawing is in - just state it clearly. If a model arrives with no unit stated, we treat it as millimetres, which is the usual reason a part comes back ten times the size you expected.
Processes and materials
6 questions.
How do I choose between SLA, SLS and SLM?
Tell us what the part has to do. SLA gives the finest detail and the smoothest surface. SLS is tough and needs no support structures at all. SLM is fully dense metal. If a cheaper process will do the job we will say so rather than quote the expensive one.
Are the parts printed in your own factory?
Every process we list is produced on our own lines in Guangzhou — same quoting, same inspection standard, same paperwork, one invoice, and we carry the responsibility.
What materials can you print?
Photopolymer resins in SLA (standard, tough, high-temperature, biocompatible, castable and clear), PA12 / PA12-GF / PA11 / TPU in SLS, Ti-6Al-4V / 316L stainless / AlSi10Mg aluminium / copper in SLM.
Can a part be printed in a colour?
Yes for resins, from a RAL reference. SLS nylon is dyed rather than printed, so we run black and a limited range. Metal comes out in its own colour and can be polished, bead-blasted or anodised.
Can you print transparent parts?
Yes, in SLA, and they can be polished to near-optical clarity. It is a finishing job with a real cost attached, so tell us at quoting time what the part has to be seen through.
Do you provide material certificates and traceability?
For metal parts we can supply a material certificate (mill test report or certificate of conformity) naming the alloy and the heat, and RoHS / REACH declarations on request. Resin and nylon are traceable to the supplier lot. Tell us at quoting time if your quality system requires documentation, because it is easier to capture it with the job than to reconstruct afterwards.
Design rules (DFM)
5 questions.
What is the minimum wall thickness I can print?
As a rule of thumb: 0.5 mm in SLA (1.0 mm is safer), 0.7-1.0 mm in SLS, and 0.8-1.0 mm in SLM. Thinner walls risk warping, breakage or simply failing to build, so we will tell you when a wall on your model is too thin instead of printing it and hoping.
What is the smallest hole or detail you can resolve?
Holes down to about 0.5-0.8 mm in SLA, 1.0-1.5 mm in SLS and 0.7-1.5 mm in SLM will print cleanly. Blind holes need to be a little larger than through holes, and round holes hold their size better than slots or squares at the limit.
How much clearance do fit-together parts need?
For parts that must slide or press together, leave about 0.2 mm in SLA, 0.15 mm in SLS and 0.1 mm in SLM between the mating surfaces. SLS and SLM hold tighter fits because they are more dimensionally stable; SLA shrinks slightly as the resin cures.
Do I need to add holes for the powder to escape?
If your SLS or SLM part traps a hollow space, add one or more drain holes of at least 3-5 mm so the unfused powder can be removed after the build. A sealed cavity also weakens the part and can trap gas during sintering, so we will flag it before quoting.
When do features need support structures?
In SLA and SLM, overhangs steeper than about 45 degrees from horizontal need support material that we add and remove. SLS needs none, because the surrounding powder supports the part as it builds. We plan the build orientation around your geometry to minimise supports and their marks.
Tolerances and quality
5 questions.
What tolerance can you hold?
As a routine: ±0.1 mm in SLA, ±0.3 mm in SLS and ±0.2 mm in SLM — so the tightest is ±0.1 mm. These are values we hold without a special conversation. Tell us which dimensions are critical and we will confirm them against your geometry before quoting.
Why will you not guarantee a single tolerance on the whole part?
Because on an additive process the achievable tolerance depends on the geometry. A long thin wall and a small boss on the same part do not hold the same number, and the layer direction changes it again. Quoting one blanket figure would be a promise we could not keep, so we quote the dimensions that matter.
How are the parts measured?
Against your drawing, on the features you marked critical, with calipers, micrometers and a coordinate measuring routine where the callout demands it. The results are recorded against the job and travel with it.
Do I see the parts before they ship?
Yes. Every job is photographed after inspection. Ask, and we will do a live video walkthrough instead, with the parts on the bench and a caliper in frame — which is closer to being in the room.
What happens if the parts are out of specification?
Tell us within 30 days of delivery, with the measurement you are unhappy about. If the part does not match the drawing we agreed, we reprint it or refund it. That is the whole of our obligation on it and we do not argue about it.
Payment, shipping and customs
6 questions.
What are your payment terms?
50% deposit to start production, and the balance before the parts are dispatched. Bank transfer. We do not dispatch before the balance has cleared — and we do not ask for the balance before you have seen the inspection photographs.
Which payment methods do you accept?
Bank transfer (T/T) to our company account is the default. For small orders we can also take Wise or PayPal — ask before paying, because card and platform fees are added at cost.
Can I inspect the parts before I pay the balance?
Yes, and we encourage it. Photographs and video after inspection come as standard. For a live walkthrough, book a time and we will have the parts ready.
Who pays the import duties and taxes?
You do, as the importer. Courier orders ship DAP, so the carrier collects duties and taxes before delivery. Freight orders are priced EXW Guangzhou — give us the destination port and we will quote the freight separately.
How long does the whole thing take?
Production runs from 2–4 days (SLA) to 7–10 days (SLM), depending on process and quantity. Express courier to most of Europe, North America and East Asia is typically a few days in transit. We will not quote you a transit time that is not ours to control.
Can you take a rush or expedited order?
Usually, yes. Tell us the date you need the parts and we will say whether it is achievable on the process you want. A rush job can carry a premium and may mean holding a machine open or reordering material, so the sooner you tell us the deadline, the better the price we can offer.
Your data and your files
3 questions.
What happens to the model files I send?
They are used to quote and to produce your order, and kept in the job record. They are never shared, resold or used to make anything for anyone else. You can ask us to delete them once the order is closed.
Will photographs of my parts appear on this website?
Not without your written permission. We photograph every job as part of our quality record, and we ask before any of it is published. Clients working under an NDA are not photographed at all.
Do you use cookies?
Only analytics, and only after you say yes. Nothing is loaded and nothing is stored before you make a choice. The complete list is on the cookie notice.
Still not sure which process you need?
Describe what the part has to do and we will tell you which one we would run — and say so if a cheaper process will do the job.
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