3D printing service for prototypes and small series

Functional prototypes, pre-series and small runs through additive manufacturing.

Professional 3D printing

Professional 3D printing is the ideal way to turn a CAD file quickly into a physical component, functional and ready for testing, validation or small production runs. Through additive technologies such as FDM, SLA, DLP and HP Multi Jet Fusion it is possible to make complex geometries, technical prototypes, cosmetic components and strong parts without the lead times and set-up costs of traditional moulds. Marca Eng. combines the speed of digital prototyping with an industrial production approach: from the choice of technology and material through to the final quality check, every stage is designed to obtain parts that are reliable, repeatable and consistent with the application requirements of the project.
3D printing is particularly suited to functional prototypes, fit tests, pre-series runs, jigs, light tooling and small customised batches, with functional validation at every step of the product.

The online configurator gives an immediate price on the materials in regular use. The others on this page — glass- or carbon-filled polyamide, polyetherimides, polycarbonate, the technical resins — are available, but have to be agreed: changing material on a machine is a long operation, and on a small batch that cost weighs more than the part itself. Write to us with the quantity and we will tell you straight away whether it is worth it.

MJF 3D printing

Technology overview — MJF 3D printing

MJF (Multi Jet Fusion) 3D printing builds the part by fusing a bed of polyamide powder layer by layer: a printhead lays down the fusing agent wherever the material must solidify, and an infrared source fuses it. The unfused powder supports the parts during the build, avoiding dedicated supports. Cavities and channels must allow the powder to be removed. After cooling and depowdering, the components go through the planned finishing and inspection. Build volume 284 × 380 × 380 mm, 80 µm layers, dimensional accuracy declared by HP as ±0.2 mm measured after sand blasting. The tolerances achievable on a given part also depend on size, geometry and orientation, and are confirmed when the project is reviewed. It is the technology for functional prototypes, small and medium batches, and parts that have to work, not just be looked at.

FDM 3D printing

Technology overview — FDM 3D printing

Large-format industrial FDM 3D printing is ideal for functional prototypes, technical parts, assembly jigs, production fixtures and large custom pieces. High-performance thermoplastics make parts robust enough for real use, cutting time and cost compared with moulds or conventional machining. Build volume up to 900 × 600 × 900 mm in industrial FDM.

SLA 3D printing

Technology overview — SLA 3D printing

Stereolithography builds the part by curing a liquid resin with an ultraviolet laser that traces the perimeter and fills the sections. It suits fine detail and high-quality surfaces; the result depends on machine, resin, orientation and finishing. Build volume 800 × 800 × 600 mm.

Resins available: a versatile one for aesthetic and functional prototypes, a transparent one with a glass-like look, and a tough one for when mechanical strength and thermoplastic-like behaviour are needed.

What holds for DLP holds here too: these are photopolymer resins, not thermoplastics. The part grows on supports that leave a mark to be finished off, it has to be post-cured to reach its stated properties, and it must be protected from ultraviolet light if it stays outdoors. The advantage of SLA is the surface: when how the part looks and feels is what matters, this is the right route.

DLP 3D printing

Technology overview — DLP 3D printing

DLP (Digital Light Processing) 3D printing cures a photopolymer resin by projecting the image of the whole layer onto the platform in a single flash of light. That is the difference from stereolithography, where a laser traces the outline point by point: projecting the entire layer, build time depends on the height of the part and not on how much area it takes up. The result is fine detail and a surface finish that filament and powder technologies do not reach. Build volume 192 × 108 × 370 mm, 50 µm in-plane resolution, adjustable layer thickness. Minimum walls, holes and details depend on resin, geometry and orientation, and are checked against the project.

Resins available: an elastomer, a general-purpose one, a tough one, one for high temperatures, a dissipative one, one with documented biological testing, a structural one, a ceramic-filled one and a silicone. The figures in the panel below are those declared by the material manufacturers.

A photopolymer resin is not a thermoplastic. Some imitate its mechanical behaviour closely — stiffness, impact resistance, elongation — but they age differently and must be protected from ultraviolet light if the part is meant for outdoor use. DLP can also produce end-use components, using a resin qualified for the application. If the specific thermoplastic grade intended for injection moulding has to be validated, a compatible tooling route is assessed. An MJF component allows geometric and functional checks, but does not automatically reproduce the material and behaviour of an injection-moulded part.

What to keep in mind. DLP works within contained build volumes: it is the technology for small and medium parts where detail and finish matter, not for bulky ones. The part grows hanging from supports that have to be removed, and the attachment point leaves a mark to be finished off. After printing a post-cure is needed: that is what brings the resin to its stated properties, and a part that has not been post-cured does not have them. For sustained loads, high temperatures or outdoor exposure the right resin has to be chosen — and in some cases it is better to change technology.