What services do you offer?
Primarily 3DTomorrow is a 3D Printing Service and an Eco Friendly Filament Supplier, however we can also provide Design Advice, Product Design, FDM Training & Workshops.
Filament ~ Why did you launch a filament brand?
As a print service, we wanted greater control over the materials we were using so that we could ensure customers would receive consistency between orders. We were also not happy with our environmental footprint and wanted to do everything possible to reduce this. All 3DTomorrow filament is pioneered with two main principles: quality and environmental impact. Our spools are designed to be the best on the market, made from 100% recyclable cardboard. Not only do they look great (we think so anyway), they can be locally recycled which is significantly more environmentally friendly than the industry-standard black plastic spool. You can even send them back to us as part of our spool reuse program.
At present, almost all the printing waste from our FDM print service is recycled in some way. We have partnered with a number of eco-warriors to recycle and repurpose our print waste. Previously, we have also used this waste to support other projects. For example two Young Enterprise teams at Rendcomb College in Cirencester, the PLA was melted down into the board for board games and the other materials were turned back into filament for the College.
Filament ~ What is your most eco friendly option?
Our most environmentally friendly option is currently the changeover spool range. Many filament manufacturers regard this sort of stock as waste and do not make it available for customers to use, in fact, a number of manufacturers are starting to regrind this material to homogenise the colour and then sell as recycled PLA or rPLA. We think this is incredibly misleading since the process takes a perfectly usable product and performs a number of operations on it to create the same product just in a different colour. Naturally, these processes make the product less environmentally friendly than the virgin plastic version, so to call it recycled is not correct. By that logic, the changeover spools are waste, so you get to print with waste and you don't get much more environmentally friendly than that! To maximise the eco aspect of our changeover filament, we make sure to put them on reused spools and are also using up old box stock for them #ZeroWaste.
3DTomorrow has a number of other programs which can reduce your environmental impact, specifically the print waste recycling & spool return program. If you want to minimise the carbon footprint of your printing, we would recommend you take part in these.
We are currently working hard to find a reliable source of recycled material, however, it is not easy to find something clean and pure enough that can be extruded with the tolerances of good filament. Expectations for recycled filaments have been set very high by the companies that market pure products as recycled, so it is somewhat of an uphill battle! We will get there though.
For more information about the eco-friendly rating of filament check out this video.
Filament ~ What discounts are available?
We currently have bulk boxes available, made up of our UK PLA development stock, these offer huge discounts of up to 33%.
If you are after trade level quantities, drop us a line at [email protected] and we can put together a quote.
Filament ~ What do you plan to add next?
Our UK PLA range is nearly complete, in the meantime, you can purchase UK PLA development stock at a discount.
We are currently working on larger spool sizes so that you do not have to change the filament so often, let us know if you would like to be notified when these are available.
From the material development aspect, we will continue with the Astro PLA and Silk PLA lines. We also have a Wood PLA in development and an engineering grade biopolymer, aimed as an alternative to PETG and ABS.
Filament ~ I want a different colour, are you able to make this?
We can make custom colours, however there is a minimum order quantity for this, please send your specification to [email protected].
If you would like to suggest a colour for any of our ranges, it would also be great to hear from you.
3D Print Service ~ How long will my order take?
For FDM printing, most orders are completed within one working day, however larger parts or large orders will take longer to produce. If you need an accurate turnaround time, please email the files to [email protected] and we can provide this. (wetransfer is a good way to email large files).
For MJF printing, the turnaround is five working days.
3D Print Service ~ I'm in a rush! Do you have a fast turnaround option?
We aim to provide a fast turnaround on every order, so there's no additional charge if you are in a rush. If you are short on time, please do let us know via our messenger, send an email to [email protected] or call 07495825317.
3D Print Service ~ What is FDM Printing?
FDM is short for Fused Deposition Modelling, it is a type of 3D Printing Technology. The FDM process involves creating a part by melting plastic and depositing it to create a layer, a number of layers are then fused together to create a three dimensional object. Parts created by FDM printers make great prototypes, since they have low setup costs. However, there are many occasions where they are suitable for end use: cosplay, decorations and memorabilia to name a few.
3D Print Service ~ What is MJF Printing?
3D Print Service ~ How visible are layers?
Layers are visible, however depending on the specific printing options the degree to which the lasers are visible varies significantly. Layers will be most visible at lower resolutions, for example at 300µm layer heights they will be easy to see, however thinner layers 200µm and 100µm are progressively less visible.
Another option that affects layer visibility is the material selected, our standard Pro PLA has the most visible layers, Silk PLA is less visible and our matte Eco PLA is the least visible.
MJF orders have an 80µm layer height and a matte finish, this combination results in a print where it is incredibly difficult to see layer lines with the naked eye.
3D Print Service ~ What discounts are available?
Firstly, here is our guide for reducing order cost.
You can also get in touch with us directly if you want to discuss other printing options that can save money such as: reduced infill, vase mode printing, support adjustments, printing in parts, etc. We also have a special option for our architecture clients, which involves hollowing out the underside of prints.
If you are have a large order and want to enquire about the possibility of bulk discounts, please upload your files via our commercial quote page:
3D Print Service ~ I'm interested in other printing technologies, can you offer these?
Yes, we personally offer FDM and MJF printing, however we can source prints from most technologies, via our network of suppliers. For more details visit our commercial printing page: https://3dtomorrow.com/commercial-grade-3d-printing/