The Ultimate 3D Guide by Our Experts

Working with plastic at Greenstone. A part should be designed around the behaviour of the plastic being used. Wall thickness, ribs, curves, mounting points and transitions can all influence how a component performs. Simply copying the dimensions of a metal part, for example, does not necessarily produce the best plastic version.

Modeling made perfect. A high-quality 3D print depends heavily on the digital model behind it. Even an advanced printer cannot correct poor dimensions, unsuitable wall thicknesses or geometry that was not designed for the intended application. Good modelling is therefore one of the most important stages of the process.

The Greenstone material guide. A successful 3D printed part starts with more than a good design. The material has to suit the job. Strength, heat, flexibility, weather exposure and appearance can all affect which plastic is appropriate. A component that works perfectly indoors may not be suitable inside a hot vehicle or outdoors in direct sunlight. At Greenstone, material selection forms part of turning a digital model into a practical finished product.

Design Tips - Five Principles for Better 3D Printed Parts

3D printing is a manufacturing process that builds a physical object from a digital 3D model. Every print begins with a digital model. That model can be designed from scratch, created from measurements or developed from a 3D scan of an existing object.

How 3D Scanning & 3D Printing Can Recreate Hard-to-Find Parts Finding a replacement part should be simple. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Parts become discontinued, manufacturers stop supporting older equipment, imported replacements can take weeks to arrive, and sometimes the exact component you need was never available separately in the first place. At Greenstone, we use professional 3D scanning, digital design and 3D printing to provide another option: recreati