Xianheng 3D Printing Services
– Plastic & Metal 3D Printing Service and 3D Printed Parts
Xianheng offers online 3D printing services for rapid prototyping and production in volume. Our clients are across a wide variety of industries and companies, including automotive, construction, aerospace, defense, electronics, machinery, industrial automation, medical, healthcare, consumer production, oil & gas, etc. Accelerate your product development and manufacturing process with our industry-leading metal & plastic 3D printing service and 3D printed parts. We’ll find the best 3D printing solution for your projects, to lower your cost and shorten the lead time based on your needs, while maintaining the quality. From 3D prototyping to end-use parts production, multiple materials are available for custom 3D printing parts. Need an alternative to the traditional solution? Submit your 3D CAD file to get an online quotation quickly. Our 3D printing service ensures accuracy and speed. We can help you choose the most appropriate technology and material to match your applications or request.
What is 3D Printing?
3D printing is an additive manufacturing process of creating three dimensional solid parts from a CAD design or digital file by laying down successive layers of material. Each of these layers can be regarded as a thin cross-section of the object. 3D printing is a type of rapid prototyping technology, which uses powder metal or plastic, or other adhesive material to construct objects based on the model file. 3D printing was often used in mold manufacturing, but now we can found 3D printed components in jewelry, footwear, industrial design, architecture, engineering and construction, automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries, education, GIS, civil engineering, firearms and other fields.
Advantages of 3D Printing
- Speed up the prototyping or production process greatly, prints objects within hours
- Allows the design and creation of more complex geometries
- Fewer machines and operators are needed to manufacture
- High flexibility and versatility allows almost everything to be created
- Allows the inclusion of multiple materials into a single object
- Layer-by-layer assembly enhances the design and ensures better quality
- Each successive individual part can be monitored to reduce failure and errors
- Does not need lots of space for inventory, print on demand based on the design
- Plastic 3D printed parts offer advantages in applications where lightweight is important
- Minimize the used materials, with little or no waste compared to cutting from large chunks
- 3D printing systems are much more accessible and require no additional person to run
The technology is environmentally-friendly and sustainable
Additive Manufacturing Capabilities
FDM
The FDM uses the extruded melted filament through a nozzle to build parts layer by layer. It has the advantage of the broad range of material selection makes it ideal for prototyping and end-use production.
Maximum build size
Up to 500 x 500 x 500 mm (19.68” x 19.68” x 19.68”)
Lead time
From 3 business days
Dimensional accuracy
± 0.5% with a lower limit of ± 0.15 mm (± 0.006″)
Layer height
100-300 μm
Infill
20-100%.
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SLA
The SLA uses light to crosslink monomers and oligomers to form rigid polymers photochemically, this method is suitable for marketing sample, and mock-ups, basically non-functional conceptual samples.
Maximum build size
Up to 145 × 145 × 175 mm (5.7″ x 5.7″ x 6.8″)
Lead time
From 6 business days
Dimensional accuracy
± 0.5% with a lower limit of ± 0.15 mm (± 0.006″)
Layer height
25-100 um
When is SLA used for 3D printing prototypes?
SLA is applicable to concept models, visual models, functional prototypes, masters for vacuum casting and patterns for investment casting.
Most SLA parts we produce are prototypes for components that will ultimately be injection moulded from engineering plastics.
Characteristics of SLA 3D printed parts
SLA produces accurate parts with detailed features and excellent surface quality, as well as good strength, stiffness and dimensional stability.
Depending on the technical requirements and the material used, SLA parts are clear, translucent or white, and resistant to elevated temperatures and moisture.
SLA parts are not porous and their material properties are essentially isotropic – which is in contrast to SLS and FDM 3D printing.
Our medical cell has a Viper machine that produces parts in Accura ClearVue, which has been tested for USP Class VI use. These parts are therefore suitable for patient contact (Subject to client verification for its specific application)
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SLS
The SLS uses a computer-controlled laser to sinter a powdered material (such as Nylon or polyamide) layer by layer. The process produces accurate, high-quality parts that require minimal post-processing and supports.
Maximum build size
Up to 300 x 300 x 300 mm (11.8” x 11.8” x 11.8”)
Lead time
From 6 business days
Dimensional accuracy
± 0.3% with a lower limit of ± 0.3 mm (± 0.012”)
Layer height
100 um
When is SLS used for prototyping?
SLS is accurate and is used to 3D print parts for concept models, visual models for presentations, and functional prototypes for testing or usability trials. SLS parts benefit from high strength and stiffness, so they are often used for simulating components that will ultimately be injection moulded.
In some cases, SLS is economical for producing end-use parts, depending on the finish applied, operating environment and anticipated usage.
SLS prototyping capabilities
We use P1 and P3 SLS machines manufactured by EOS GmbH because these are among the most technically advanced and versatile plastic 3D printers in the world. They produce high-quality, high-accuracy parts from PA2200 Nylon material (base PA12) in layers of 0.1mm. Build speed is relatively fast, even with highly complex geometries. The build volume on our machines is up to 340 x 340 x 620 mm (Z axis).
Characteristics of SLS 3D printed parts
SLS parts have high strength, stiffness and long-term dimensional stability thanks to the properties of the PA2200 material and the good powder fusion. Consequently, detailed parts can be used in visual models, functional prototypes or finished products. Abrasion resistance is good, so SLS 3D printed mechanisms can have parts moving relative to each other.
SLS parts printed from PA2200 have good chemical resistance and are biocompatible according to EN ISO 10993-1 and USP/level VI/121 °C for use in medical applications. The material is also approved for food contact in compliance with the EU plastics directive 2002/72/EC. Note that our SLS machines operate in a dedicated section of our 3D printing suite but they are not installed in our medical cell.
How Does 3D Printing Work? – Steps of 3D Printing Process
How to create a 3D printing part and what is required? Let’s explore the process of 3D printing.
1) First of all, a three-dimensional digital file of the object you want to print is needed. There are three different ways to get a 3D digital model: design, scan, and download. CAD is a common software to design a 3D model, popular CAD software including AutoCad, SolidWorks, Tinkercad and more. 3D scanning is a technology to analyze a real-world object and create a digital replica. You can also download one from a 3D library.
2) Once you get a 3D model, you need to convert it into a proper file format. The most common 3D printing file format is STL, which is a usable file extension. Alternatives to STL are .OBJ and .3MF, these formats do not contain color information, if you need colored 3D printing objects, .X3D, .WRL, .DAE, and .PLY can be used. Ensure the file whether is printable.
3) Slicing is the process of dividing the three-dimensional model into hundreds or thousands of layers, then generate the G-code to tell the machine how to execute the operation step by step. G-code is the most widely used CNC programming language applicable for CNC machines and 3D printers.
4) Use 3D printers to complete the printing process according to automated G-code instructions.
5) Remove the finished 3D printed parts from the printer. For some machines, it is easy, while the removal of 3D prints for some industrial 3D printers requires professional skills and specialized equipment.
6) In some cases, additional steps or post-processing is need to finish the production. For example, various surface finishing methods are used to improve the aesthetics and mechanical properties of 3D printed components.
