Steinbrink Engineering
3D Printing Saginaw Midland Bay City
WHAT'S YOUR DESIGN
The era of robots and groundbreaking technological advances are here to stay. There is now the capability to print 3-dimensional objects and create new products in record time. Developers are constantly testing new and improved methods of simplifying the next best product. This has shifted the ability to print smaller scale 3D designs to the average consumer. Your 3D design concepts can now be displayed in a feasible and personal product. The possibilities are endless. Get started with a new account now or login in if you're an existing client.
To submit a design for 3D printing
what is 3d printing?
IN TYPICAL MANUFACTURING PROCESSES, MATERIAL IS REMOVED FROM A LARGER PIECE OF MATERIAL OR BILLET, WHERE THE FINAL PART IS ‘WHITTLED’ AWAY BY CUTTING TOOLS. SAWING, MILLING, TURNING, DRILLING, AND GRINDING ARE ALL TYPES OF SUBTRACTIVE MANUFACTURING. 3D PRINTING IS A TYPE OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, WHERE MATERIAL IS ONLY ADDED WHERE REQUIRED. IN TRADITIONAL 3D PRINTERS, A SPECIAL PLASTIC CALLED A THERMOPLASTIC IS USED. THESE PLASTICS USUALLY COME WOUND AROUND A SPOOL, LIKE FISHING LINE, BUT MUCH LARGER.
how does it work?
OUR PRINTER IS AN FDM (FUSED DEPOSITION MODELING) TYPE. THE PLASTIC IS PULLED INTO THE MACHINE’S EXTRUDER, WHERE IT IS MELTED AND PUSHED THROUGH A PRECISELY DRILLED HOLE AT THE BOTTOM, CALLED THE NOZZLE. THE EXTRUDER MOVES ACROSS A FLAT BUILD AREA CALLED THE BUILD PLATE, AND EXTRUDES A THIN STREAM OF PLASTIC ONTO THE BUILD PLATE, WHERE IT COOLS AND HARDENS. ANY OBJECT BEING PRINTED IS ‘SLICED’ INTO THIN 2D PROFILES THAT THE PRINTER WILL EXTRUDE IN ONE LAYER AT A TIME. AFTER ONE LAYER IS PRINTED, THE BUILD PLATE MOVES A SMALL DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE EXTRUDER, WHERE THE NEXT LAYER IS PRINTED. THIS PROCESS CONTINUES UNTIL THE OBJECT IS COMPLETE. IF YOU WANTED TO PRINT A SODA CAN, A HIGH QUALITY PRINT COULD HAVE MORE 1200 LAYERS.
materials
A THERMOPLASTIC IS A TYPE OF PLASTIC THAT CAN BE MELTED FROM A SOLID BY JUST ADDING HEAT. THE MATERIALS WE CAN PRINT ARE ABS AND NYLON. ABS (ACRYLONITRILE BUTADIENE STYRENE) IS A GREAT GENERAL-PURPOSE PLASTIC THAT IS STRONG AND EASY TO PRINT. NYLON FALLS INTO THE CATEGORY OF ENGINEERING PLASTICS. THESE PLASTICS PROVIDE GREATER STRENGTH THAN THE TRADITIONAL ABS. PLA (POLYLACTIC ACID) IS A TYPE OF PLASTIC THAT IS DERIVED FROM CORN-STARCH, HOWEVER WE ARE NOT CAPABLE OF PRINTING WITH THIS MATERIAL YET. WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH OTHER PLASTICS IN OUR PRINTERS SUCH AS TPE (THERMOPLASTIC ELASTOMER), WHICH RESEMBLES A SOFT RUBBER LIKE A SMARTPHONE CASE. THERE ARE MANY OTHER PLASTICS AVAILABLE SUCH AS FIBER REINFORCED PLASTICS, PLEASE CONTACT US DIRECTLY IF YOU WISH TO EXPERIMENT WITH ONE OF THESE MATERIALS. WE ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DUAL EXTRUDE, WHICH ALLOWS A MODEL TO BE PRINTED USING A BASE PLASTIC SUCH AS ABS, AND HIPS (HIGH IMPACT POLYSTYRENE) TO ALLOW THE SUPPORT MATERIAL TO BE DISSOLVED IN A LIMONENE SOLUTION. PLEASE CONTACT US DIRECTLY IF YOUR PROJECT REQUIRES DUAL EXTRUSION.
MATERIAL SUPPORTED
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ABS - GENERAL PURPOSE PRINTING
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NYLON - HIGH STRENGTH ENGINEERING PLASTIC
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PET - FDA APPROVED ENGINEERING PLASTIC
Colors
THE COLOR OPTIONS AVAILABLE DEPEND ON THE PLASTIC USED. FOR MOST APPLICATIONS, WE USE A SUPER PREMIUM ABS WHICH IS AVAILABLE IN BLUE (280), ORANGE (021), COOL GREY 5, WHITE, RED (1795 C), OR BLACK C. FOR OTHER COLOR REQUIREMENTS, WE OFFER STANDARD ABS IN GREEN, YELLOW, BROWN, DARK GREEN, PINK, SILVER, GOLD, AND PURPLE. FOR OUR ENGINEERING PLASTICS, NYLON IS ONLY AVAILABLE IN NATURAL TRANSLUCENT, AND PET IN TRANSPARENT, RED, GREEN, BLUE, BLACK, AND WHITE.
Limitations
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MAX ENVELOPE: L:9.7” X W:6.0” X H:6.1” [246MM X 152MM X 155MM]
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LAYER RESOLUTION: 0.0039” [100 MICRON]
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NOZZLE DIAMETER: 0.015” [0.4MM]
