Our SLS technology offers a flexible and cost-effective method of producing otherwise ‘impossible-to-build’ geometries and intricate designs, directly from CAD data, with no tooling required.
For us to generate a tactile model of your design, you simply need to email your 3D CAD data to post@3trpd.co.uk or complete our secure online Request a Quote. We will email you a quotation within 24 hours.
You can read our Guide to Doing Business which will give you details of how to place an order, set up an account and explain our delivery and returns policy.
Data Formats
The .STL file format has become the standard data transmission method for the 3d Rapid Prototyping industry, and is the preferred format to build SLS parts. Almost all of today’s CAD systems are capable of producing .STL files and the process is often as simple as selecting File, Save As, STL. For further information on how to generate a good .STL file, click here.
There are a number of CAD systems and many different file types that we can read. Whilst we can generate a quotation from almost any data source, we can only build from those that are 3D. File types that are 2D do not include sufficient information to drive the modeling process, and therefore a 2D-3D conversion is required. Below is a breakdown of the CAD/CAM systems we use and the file types we can read:
| File Types read by 3T RPD include: | |
| .STL | Rapid Prototyping file (Binary with 0.01mm tolerance preferred)* |
| .IGES | Initial Graphics Exchange Specification universal translator |
| .STEP | International Standard for Exchange of Product Model Data |
| .SET | Standard for Exchange & Transfer V89-06 |
| .VDA | Surfaced Data Interface V2.0 |
| .SLDPRT | Solidworks model file |
| .EXP | Catia export file |
| .MDL | Catia native model file |
| .EPS | Encapsulated PostScript format file** |
| .DXF | 2D drafting translator** |
| .DXF | 3D faces |
| .DWG | AutoCad drawing file** |
| .PRT | Pro/Engineer Part file |
| .BMP | Windows Bitmap image format file** |
| .JPEG | Joint Photographic Experts Group image file** |
| .TIFF | Tagged-Image File Format image file** |
| .WRL | VRML (Virtual Reality Modelling Language)** |
| .OBJ | Wavefront Model file** |
| ** While we can read these file formats, they are only 2D and hence do not include sufficient information to drive the modeling process. 2D-3D conversion is required. | |
File Size: It is important that your data files are compacted to allow them to be successfully e-mailed and quickly downloaded to our server. Files should be zipped before sending - stlzip software is a very efficient means of achieving this and a free copy can be emailed to you upon request. Alternatively, you can upload your files to our FTP site - please call us on 01635 580284 for details of how to do this.
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