Appearance Models
Sanded, primed and painted to a colour you specify, so the model reads as the finished product rather than as a 3D print.
INDUSTRY · DESIGN & PROTOTYPING
Product Design & Prototyping — Hold the Design Before You Cut Tooling
The whole point of a prototype is to find out that you were wrong while it is still cheap to be wrong. We print the appearance model, the functional prototype and the bridge parts that sit between the two — in the process that suits each one, not in whichever machine is free.
±0.1 mmResin tolerance
50 µmTypical layer
1 pcMinimum order
2–4 daysModel turnaround
OVERVIEW
What prototyping work actually looks like here
A design review usually needs three different things at once, and they are not the same part. The appearance model has to look right in a photograph and in the hand — that is SLA, printed fine and sanded until the layer lines stop showing. The functional prototype has to survive being bolted onto the real assembly and handed to a tester — that is SLS nylon, which is tough, has no support structure and does not care how complicated the geometry is. The fit check just has to be the right size next week on a small budget — that is the same file run in the cheapest material that still holds the dimension.
Most of our prototyping clients run several rounds before they commit to tooling, and the value is in the round being fast. We quote from the file, so the answer comes back before you have finished writing the email; a resin model is typically in our finishing queue the same week it is approved.
Where we are genuinely useful beyond printing is in saying which of the three you actually need. Teams often ask for SLA on a housing that only has to close properly — SLS is half the price, stronger, and indistinguishable once it is on the machine. Send the part and the purpose and we will tell you which one we would run.
WHAT WE PRINT
What We Print for Design Teams
Seven things that account for most of the prototyping work we take in. If your part is adjacent to one of these, the same approach will usually apply.
Functional Prototypes
Printed in PA12 nylon or a tough resin so they can be used — bolted on, cycled, dropped, handed to a user who is not being careful.
Enclosures & Housings
Thin walls, snap-fits, mounting bosses, vents and cut-outs printed as one piece instead of assembled from panels.
Silicone-Casting Masters
Smooth printed patterns for a mould box, printed in a resin that releases cleanly and tolerates the curing temperature.
Fit & Assembly Checks
Full-size mock-ups of a part or a whole stack, so the interference you could not see on screen shows up in your hand.
Bridge Parts
Small runs for beta units and trade shows, printed while the injection tool is still being cut. Same geometry, different process.
Display & Packaging Mock-ups
Point-of-sale models, mock packaging and presentation parts for a pitch or a photo shoot.
See the parts gallery for examples across SLM, SLA and SLS, grouped by process.
PROCESS FIT
Which Process We Would Use
The tolerance and lead time columns are the same figures the quote engine works to — they are not restated here, they are read from the process pages.
| Process | Why it fits this sector | Typical tolerance | Typical lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLA Resin 3D Printing | Looks and detail. Fine features, transparent parts, class-A surfaces and anything that will be photographed or shown to a client. | ±0.1 mm | 2–4 days |
| SLS Nylon 3D Printing | Function and short runs. Tough nylon with no supports, so internal geometry and moving parts print as one piece. | ±0.3 mm | 3–5 days |
| SLM Metal 3D Printing | Proof-of-concept in real metal — a single bracket, a hinge, a heat path, before you commit to a machined or cast route. | ±0.2 mm | 7–10 days |
These are typical values we hold routinely, not absolute limits — send us the drawing and we will confirm what is achievable on your geometry. Compare all processes, or see post-processing & finishing for what happens after the print.
MATERIALS
Materials for Prototyping
Two materials cover the large majority of prototyping work. Both pages carry the full property table, including where the material is the wrong choice.
Photopolymer Resins
Six resin families covering detail, toughness, heat, transparency, casting and medical models. The finest surface finish we offer, and the only process that reaches class-A straight off the machine — and the most sensitive to picking the right grade.
Full material data →Nylon PA12
Tough, chemically resistant and dimensionally stable, and it prints with no supports to remove. The default material for functional prototypes, brackets, housings and low-volume end-use parts.
Full material data →Titanium Ti-6Al-4V
The reference SLM alloy. Highest strength-to-weight of anything we print, and effectively immune to salt water. The default for robot joints, aerospace brackets and non-implant medical instruments.
Full material data →Anything that has to be welded, anodised or used at temperature needs a different conversation — send the requirement and we will point you at the right one.
QUALITY
Before a Prototype Leaves the Building
A prototype that misleads you is worse than no prototype. These are the checks that decide whether the model in your hand is telling the truth.
- Print orientation chosen for the feature that matters, not for the fastest build — layer lines land where they will not be read as a fault.
- Critical dimensions verified against the model before shipping; a dimensional report on request.
- Support contact points dressed back so the model does not read as rough in a photograph.
- Painted and primed models cured fully before packing — no tacky finish arriving in the post.
- Material grade and build date recorded per part, so a second round can be printed the same way.
HONEST LIMITS
Where 3D Printing Is the Wrong Answer
The honest side of the table. None of these are reasons not to prototype with us — they are reasons not to take the prototype to production unchanged.
Strengths
- No tooling, so round two costs the same as round one
- Geometry is free — internal channels, undercuts and moving parts print as one piece
- Three processes quote against the same file, so you can see the price of "looks right" versus "works right"
- One-piece minimum, which suits a design review with four attendees
- Finishing in-house, so a painted model does not mean a second supplier
- Tolerances quoted from a published table, not a promise made to win the job
Limits to know
- Not a production process at volume — the economics never beat moulding
- Printed surfaces need finishing to look like moulded surfaces
- Material properties are close to, but not identical to, the moulded equivalent
- Anisotropy is real: a part is weaker across the layer direction, so load paths have to be considered
- Threads and bearing fits should be machined or inserted, not printed
- A prototype is not a validation of the production process — tooling brings its own problems
FAQ
Product Design & Prototyping — Common Questions
Which file formats can you quote from?
STL, OBJ and 3MF are read automatically and priced in the browser. STEP and native CAD files go to an engineer, because a solid model usually means there is a dimension worth discussing — a wall that is too thin to print, or a snap-fit that needs a clearance.
How fast can I get a model back?
A resin model approved on a Monday is normally shipping within the week. Complex finishing — a full paint match, or a polished transparent part — adds a few days, and we will tell you the date before you commit rather than after.
Do you offer design help, or do I need to send a finished file?
We will tell you what will not print, and we will say it before we take the order. For genuine design work — building the model, adjusting a wall for printability — we quote that separately, and we would rather tell you the change you need than print something that fails in your hand.
Can you match a colour, and can I see it first?
Yes. Painted models are matched to a RAL or a Pantone reference, and on a batch we will send a sprayed coupon for approval before the parts go in. Unpainted resin is a translucent off-white — it is not a colour match for anything.
Can you print fifty pieces, not just one?
Yes, and it is common: beta units, trade-show stock, or a first pilot run. Fifty pieces is a manufacturing job rather than a prototyping one, so we quote it that way and tell you plainly when the cost per part starts to argue for tooling instead.
Is a printed prototype strong enough to actually test?
Usually, if it is SLS nylon or a functional resin, and if the load path respects the layer direction. What it will not do is behave exactly like the moulded part — a glass-filled production material is stiffer and stronger. Test for function and interference, not for fatigue life.
GET STARTED
Send the Model, Not the Specification
Upload the STL and we will quote it in seconds, or send the STEP file with a note on what the part has to do. We will tell you which process we would use, what it will cost, and where the design will give you trouble.
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