Frequently asked questions
You will find here the answers to the questions that we often receive. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information. We will be very happy to answer your questions and offer you a tailor-made service.
Key points
Where are the parts made?
Thanks to a distributed network of qualified 3D printers, parts are produced at the location where they are needed, which enables us to shorten the supply chain to the last mile.
How do we protect your intellectual property?
SP3D protects your data. We send encrypted production instructions to our manufacturers, therefore no one gets access to your design.
Are 3D printed parts identical to original ones?
All parts match exactly the OEM design specifications. Tolerances, as well as aesthetic aspect are perfectly respected. We focus on quality to make sure the spares produced will fully satisfy your customers.
How does SP3D convert spare parts to a digital model that can be 3D printed?
Once we receive a part, we analyse its geometries and dimensions, prepare and test the optimum set of instructions to produce it using 3D printing.
How do we ensure quality?
We perform mechanical and dimensional tests on every single part to ensure a repeatable quality, which we guarantee in any location, under any set of environment conditions, thanks to an end-to-end process control, from engineering to production.
Technical focus
What is 3D printing?
Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is defined as a process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies. The major difference with traditional technologies rests on flexibility: with one 3D printer, you can produce a large variety of different parts. The tooling investment is reduced to a minimum; thus, the flexibility and responsiveness of manufacturing are increased.
What parts can we produce?
We make all kinds of spares, such as wheels, clips, buttons, covers, brackets, etc.
What materials do we offer?
We offer plastic parts, using thermoplastic polymers commonly used in the industry.
For example: ABS, HIPS, PA6.6, PP, POM, ASA
For metal parts, we work with use stainless steel, aluminium and titanium to produce your spares with the highest level of requirements.
What is maximum part size?
300x300x300 mm – 11.8×11.8×11.8 inch
Larger parts can also be considered with a case by case study.
What tolerances do we offer?
Our production processes are standardized to achieve +/- 0.1 mm on all dimensional and geometrical tolerances without post-processing.
However, we adjust our manufacturing precision, depending on your needs.
Our Technologies
FDM (Plastic)
+/- 0.150mm or +/- 0.050mm per inch, whichever is greater. Build area up to 220mm x 130mm x 100mm.
Minimum resolvable feature size, including positive text features, is at least 1.5mm (2mm or greater is safest).
Theoretical maximum build volume of 250mm x 150mm x 150mm.
SLA (Plastic)
+/- 0.100mm, or +/- 0.0250mm per mm, whichever is greater. Build area up to 150mm x 150mm x 170mm.
Theoretical maximum build volume of 110mm x 110mm x 150mm.
Minimum feature size of 0.050” can be built with consistency. Rubber-like materials represent an approximation of shore A values and may vary between geometries.
SLS (Plastic)
+/- 0.150mm or +/- 0.050mm per mm, whichever is greater. Build area up to 330mm x 330mm x 400mm.
Parts with thicker geometries, large broad parts, and parts with uneven wall thicknesses may deviate due to thermal shrinkage and stress.
Theoretical maximum build volume of 250mm x 250 x 230mm. (100mm max dimension preferred).
Vacuum Casting (Plastic)
+/- 0.250mm or +/- 0.080mm per mm, whichever is larger, is typical. Irregular or overly-thick geometries may cause deviances or deflection due to shrinkage.
A shrinkage rate of +0.15% can be expected due to thermal expansion of the liquid, and the response of the flexible mold.
Surface finish is external smoothed to a satin or matte surface. Grow lines may be present on internal or difficult-to-access features. Polishing or custom finishes must be clearly defined and agreed upon at the point of order. We can offer urethane casted parts as large as 600mm long.
CNC (Metal)
+.150mm/-.150mm local tolerances across most geometries. +.010/-.010mm for plastics. Will vary for large parts, specifically when holding flatness over large parts after heat treatment.
Finish requirements for “As Milled” finish will have a minimum 125 surface finish for CNC parts.
Tapped holes not explicitly called out as Features on the quoted CAD model may be machined to the diameters specified in that model.
Minimum wall thicknesses are expected to be 0.5mm for metals, 0.8mm for plastics.
No surface treatments (e.g. anodize, bead blast, iridite, powder coat, etc.) will be applied unless you have paid for them and we have specifically acknowledged them.
DMLS (Metal)
+/- 0.050mm is typical for positive features, and +/- 0.100mm – 0.150mm for negative features such as holes, but will vary between geometries and materials (e.g. stainless versus aluminum).
Stress, supports and other geometry considerations may cause deviation in tolerances and flatness. Items and geometries which require strict flatness are not a good fit for this process.
Theoretical maximum build volume of 250mm x 250mm x 230mm.
SLM (Metal)
+/- 0.050mm is typical for positive features, and +/- 0.100mm – 0.150mm for negative features such as holes, but will vary between geometries and materials (e.g. stainless versus aluminum).
Stress, supports and other geometry considerations may cause deviation in tolerances and flatness. Items and geometries which require strict flatness are not a good fit for this process.
Theoretical maximum build volume of 250mm x 250mm x 230mm.
Going further
How does 3D printing change the supply chain management?
The consequences of such a new manufacturing process far exceed the technical level: additive manufacturing revolutionizes parts management. Traditional manufacturing needs heavy tooling investments and implies little agility, while one 3D printer enables you to produce any part, anytime, and anywhere. You don’t have to maintain centralized production, nor massive warehousing. In addition, as the 3D printed spare part is directly sent from the local manufacturer to the customer, the supply chain is reduced to the last mile section, a change which involves the removal of numerous intermediaries, and the cut of shipment fees. Eventually, 3D printing exempts you from the majority of infrastructure costs, increases your flexibility and responsiveness, and frees up funds for new opportunities.
Did 3D printing reach the industrial grade?
Additive manufacturing is an innovative technology which has been employed for decades, yet the pace of development has risen the past few years. Patents now in the public domain, competition has increased, led to higher levels of performance and decreased costs across the industry. For a long time strictly reserved for aeronautics or specific healthcare industry, 3D printing is now accessible to mass-market production. From individuals to OEMs, 3D printed end-use objects are commonplace, as additive manufacturing proved to be a reliable process. At Spare Parts 3D, we specifically pay attention to ensure process consistency: for instance, by ensuring that all our production reaches a minimum capability process index level (Cpk) of 1.5.
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