MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Bit of an appeal this one. I've got an object that's 340mm x 200mm x 5mm. I've had quotes for firms to 3D print for around £200 per unit upwards. I want around two to six units made up but haven't got a large budget for this.
I need the object to be laterally rigid, so the other option I am thinking is to machine it out of flat perspex.
Has anyone got a printer that can handle this size where I could strike a deal on materials costs etc?
Or a better idea of how to make the object? I can send a .stl file so that you can see the object in question.
Is it a 3d profile, can't it be redesigned to use a couple of 2D profile cut plates that could be waterjet. If you put a picture up it would help constructive help.
It's a flat object with five slots cut out. Yes, in theory, two slimmer profiles could be bonded together. Is that what you mean by waterjet? Wow, thanks for the 3D Hubs site, looks good.
No problem for a laser to cut this.
The price quote is probably about right. The printer at work uses spools that cost ~175 quid for 688 cubic cm of material. Your design takes up a volume of 375cm, so on plastic costs alone it's going to be ~95 pounds.
Definitely look at laser or water cutting from sheet. It'll be way cheaper, stronger and have a better finish. Huge choice of materials, too: plastics, metals, even wood
Waterjet will give you a good cut that should be accurate to 0.1mm. As Nickjb states you can waterjet almost any material. Where in the world or country are you looking to have it done. Most waterjet companies would just want a couple of 2D dxf files and follow that. It should be 10's of pounds per plate not hundreds. Most small towns will have somewhere within a few miles that can waterjet. This is a company we use at work. they are very good http://www.precisionwaterjet.co.uk/home
Cool, thanks all. Based in Shrewsbury. Will look for local water jetters!