Express 3D parts

3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing technology where a three dimensional object is created by laying down successive layers of material.  Our 3D printer produces a solid object, rather than printing onto a 2D sheet like a conventional printer. Our 3D printer extrudes plastic filament by melting it similar to a hot glue gun. 

Our 3D printing service makes use of ABS or PLA plastic filament, kindly read How to use the right filament if you wish to purchase our premium filaments and/or view our list of materials available on our 3D Printer Filaments page. 

Yes, there is a large community of designers sharing thousands of STL files online.

It depends on the type of filament you would require. We have a range of colours, why not check out our 3D Printer Filaments page.

Our filaments have been tested and conformed to standard 3D Printer’s specifications. Kindly refer to our How to choose the right filament page. 

Unfortunately we cannot print your product as a rainbow effect but different parts can be done in different colours. This could be an option that we might consider in the future, if the demand for such products grow. 

It depends on the size and complexity of the print, and also on your chosen layer height. A finer, higher resolution print will take much longer, but will look much smoother. As soon as we’ve received your completed .STL file, we will be able to accurately determine how long it will take the printer to print your 3D design. 

This depends on the complexity, amount of material, size and type of material to be used. After we’ve received your completed .STL file, we will be able to accurately determine all these factors and therefore determine a price. 

Neither. You don’t get the choice: some printers use the thinner filament, some the thicker. It’s all down to the design of the print head. Check which thickness is appropriate for your printer, and stick with it.

Kindly read the pros and cons of printing with either of these two thermoplastics on our How to choose the right filament page. It all depends on the characteristics you require of your plastic and what exactly you’d like your 3D object or part to be used for.

Yes. Knowing that you probably spent several hours or days on your design, we treat it with confidentiality. We don’t publish renders or photos of your design, nor make the design available for everyone, without your permission. The uploaded models cannot be downloaded by anyone but us.

We don’t print models that are in conflict with our mission and value statement. For example, models intended for the weapons industry or models for which we have ethical concerns, like skimming devices, don’t qualify for printing. 

In 3D printing, wall thickness refers to the distance between one surface of your model and the opposite sheer surface. It’s defined as the minimum thickness your model should have at any time. Level of detail can be described as the difference height between 2 surfaces. Minimal wall thickness and level of detail both depend on the process being used. 

If each part fits into a box smaller than 150mm x 150mm x 150mm then that's ideal, but this is variable depending on how we build it and the shape of your item.

Yes, certainly. It depends on the type of error and the time it will take to fix it. A fee will be calculated based on these factors. 

Kindly view our 3D Printer Filaments page to see what colours the different types of filaments are available in.

Yes, you can. Standard model making paints work well with polyamide and on the stereolitography (paintable resin, transparent resign and prime gray) and PolyJet (high detail resin) materials. Both acrylic and water based paints work as well, but several layers may be needed. This is especially the case for polyamide since its porous structure is still visible after one coat of paint. Please, do not use any harsh paints since some chemicals may degrade your models or react with the 3D printing materials. Use caution and lots of ventilation when painting. 

There is no “perfect” 3D printing material or process. There are a lot of criteria to determine the best suited material for your design. Most common are size, level of detail, which kind of material, use, colour and finish. That’s why we’ve included the page How to choose the right filament that allows you to find a suitable material for your design. 

We support .STL files. 

Send us your .STL file by emailing it to express3dparts@gmail.com

No. Although there is nothing wrong with having more than one model in a file while designing, the difficulty starts when you want to 3D print the models. The reason is that in addition to the printing cost, each model has its own handling cost, and this cost depends on the model as well as the material you choose. 

Yes, for most orders the unit price varies, depending on the quantity of copies.

Before sending the models to our printer they are checked for printability. If we encounter problems, we will contact you, if possible, suggest solutions to make them printable. If we cannot find a solution, your order will be cancelled and your money will be refunded. 

It is possible to pay with all major credit cards or make an EFT into our bank account. Deposit of 50% for all printing jobs is required.  All filament order payments are done via the e-payment system of the website. 

It depends on the complexity, material and finishing of your order. 

The surface quality of your 3D printed model is defined by the material and the technology. Each material has a different natural surface quality. This is also true for the different finishing options.

Kindly click on this link to go to our Contact Us Page and we’ll gladly assist.