3D Printing for Professionals and Businesses

For the last two years, OceanLabs (Seychelles) (Pty) Ltd has been active in conservation engineering, building devices and equipment for local organisations. During this time, we have found our 3D printers to be invaluable in the construction of parts, jigs, tools and entire prototypes; saving us significant amounts of time and money. But now we are ready to share these benefits with your business!

This can mean an end to the months of waiting before your spare parts arrive, because we are able to create them according to your specifications. Are you unable to find a specific piece of equipment on the local market? Get the exact parts that you need for use in your enterprise, at engineering-grade quality and precision. And all this at speeds so high and prices so low that it may surprise you!

Or do you have an idea for a unique design that you want to realise? We all know that a picture can say more than a thousand words. But an actual physical object is a game-changer! Hold your designs in your hands and show them to your clients.

Discover together with OceanLabs how 3D printing can help innovate and grow your business. But first let us tell you a little about the revolutionary technology that is 3D printing. This paper explains the technical process in straightforward terms, details the possibilities and benefits that it offers, and describes the breadth of OceanLab’s design and 3D printing services. It also provides concise answers to the most important questions regarding 3D printing.

What is 3D Printing?

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, takes a virtual 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) model and transforms it into a real-life object in a matter of hours. To achieve this, different processes are used. Fused Deposit Modelling (FDM) melts plastic filaments and precisely deposits them layer by layer to construct the object. Digital Light Processing (DLP) uses photosensitive resins and illuminates these at high-resolutions to build up each layer. The end result is a physical object, accurately conforming to the design, made out of a plastic with properties that were chosen according to the object’s specific purpose.

3D printing is a very time- and cost-efficient process, especially when printing in low volumes, as no material-intensive preparations, such as manufacturing moulds, is necessary. It allows for precise and on-demand manufacturing.

Who is 3D printing for?

3D printing can find multiple use cases in a large number of industries, even, or rather especially, here in Seychelles. As stated, it is best suited for the production of high-priority, complex or custom-designed parts, required in low volumes. The application of 3D printing thus includes prototyping and the production of specialised parts, tooling and equipment, all with very short lead times. But it can also find uses in the production of consumer goods, in the jewellery industry and in the fashion industry.

No matter whether your enterprise is operating in food processing, manufacturing or the hotel and tourism industry or whether it is situated in architecture, design, art or fashion, our 3D printing services can benefit your business and its operations.

Which objects can be 3D printed?

A vast range of objects can be created by 3D printing. The following list of examples only provides a small glimpse of what is possible:

• Automotive and industrial spare and machine parts

• Food-safe parts and equipment for the food processing industry

• Weatherproof fixtures and parts for gardens, boats or buildings

• Architectural and conceptional models for design studies

• Transparent and durable light fixtures

• Elements for interior and exterior decoration in elegant shapes

• Fashion elements and moulds for art

• Personalised gifts, toys and educational objects for schooling

• Highly detailed models and figurines

Here one is practically only limited by one’s requirements, creativity and imagination. Complex assemblies can be printed in parts and later assembled. We can provide you with a free consultation to gauge the feasibility of your design idea, and can also create custom designs for you to fit your organisation’s requirements. Our custom designs can be technical to engineering standards or artistic in the most creative way; it all depends on what you need.

What are the key benefits of 3D printing?

On-demand production

Since 3D printing can produce physical parts from digital files in a matter of hours, companies can leverage a new model of manufacturing parts on demand. For example, 3D printing allows for the production of spare parts on-demand, thus facilitating the repair and maintenance of products and devices.

Short lead times and localised manufacturing

Since 3D printing requires no tooling, one can reduce the time needed to produce parts, bypassing a time-consuming and costly tooling production step. At the same time the parts are produced locally here in Seychelles in a matter of hours or days, thus immensely simplifying your logistics. Waiting months for the delivery is not a necessity anymore. Independence from importation is becoming a very important factor for us here in Seychelles, especially if we can create resource cycles in a circular economy.

Design complexity

3D printing is a cost-effective technology for producing parts with complex geometries. Designs that would otherwise be impossible to produce with conventional manufacturing can now be produced with 3D printing.

Waste reduction

Traditional manufacturing processes often generate a significant amount of waste material. With 3D printing, material waste is substantially reduced. Unused or excess materials can be recycled or reused in the printing process, minimizing waste generation and promoting a circular economy.

Our 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) Services

OceanLabs Seychelles is an engineering enterprise, firmly grounded in mechatronics, a combination of mechanical engineering and electronics, as well as in computer science. As such we are more than capable of creating 3D CAD designs of the parts that you need, according to your sketches and specifications. These designs remain your intellectual property and as such are treated by us with utmost confidentiality. We can provide you with the files that you need for manufacturing, as well as 3D prints for prototyping and direct use in your business. Of course, we can also convert and 3D print your own CAD files.

Our 3D Printing Services

We offer 3D prints in the following materials, made using the FDM (Fused Deposit Modelling) process:

• PLA (polylactic acid) is a low-cost bioplastic, ideal for prototyping, as well as for creating everyday objects and toys.

• PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol) are well known from drinks bottles. They are both food-safe and dishwasher-safe, thus ideal for applications in food processing.

• TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) is used for flexible applications.

• ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) is robust, with a high tensile strength and ideal for machine and automotive parts.

• ASA (acrylonitrile styrene acrylate) is robust, moisture-proof and UV-resistant, thus ideal for outdoor and marine environments.

• POM (polyoxymethylene; Delrin) has a very low coefficient of friction and can be used for machine parts and pressure housings.

We also offer prints via the highly-accurate DLP (Digital Light Processing) process:

• Resin is ideal for high-resolution prints of smaller-scale precision parts.

Frequently asked questions

How can 3D printing help my business?

3D printing can support your business in many ways. If you design products, such as jewellery, buildings or boats, then 3D printing will allow you to experience, showcase and improve your designs.

If you rely on vital components and spare parts, then 3D printing can help you procure these without the need for a lengthy importation process.

And lastly, your final product can also be manufactured using 3D printing. Bring your idea to us and we will help you develop it with our engineering skills.

How do we calculate our prices?

We individually calculate our prices according to the task at hand and provide a costing for your approval before any work is undertaken.

The costs for designing a 3D CAD model are estimated according to its complexity.

The cost for a 3D print is calculated very exactly using the 3D printing software and is based on the material usage as well as the print time and printing temperature, both of which translate to a certain energy consumption that we need to cover. Higher accuracy requirements result in higher print times. If required we can also undertake post-processing, to achieve a smoother finish.

If OceanLabs creates a design for me, then whose IP is it?

Intellectual property (IP) is an important factor in today’s competitive business world. Any design that we create for you according to your specifications and requirements is your organisation’s intellectual property.

How accurate are our 3D prints?

Our Fused Deposit Modelling (FDM) prints are accurate to 0.4 mm in the horizontal plane, with minimum layer heights along the vertical axis selectable from a range of 0.08 to 0.28 mm.

Our Digital Light Processing (DLP) resin prints are accurate to 51 microns in the XY plane, with layer heights selectable from a range of 10 to 50 microns.

What size objects can we print?

The size of the printable object is delimited by the printer’s build volume. Our FDM printer has a build volume of 256x256x256 mm, while our DLP resin printer has a build volume of 127x160x80 mm. Objects can however be printed in parts which we can then assemble into a larger whole.

How are our 3D printing services sustainable?

3D printing reduces the environmental impact of manufacturing by lowering waste and energy usage while promoting the use of sustainable materials, compared to traditional factory processes.

Furthermore, OceanLabs pledges to take back any of its FDM 3D printed objects at their end of life, for recycling into new filament. We are thus creating our own plastics cycle, contributing to the new circular economy of Seychelles, while preventing the contamination of our environment.

What are bioplastics?

Bioplastics are manufactured from natural, plant-based materials. PLA for instance stands for polylactic acid; lactic acid being the same substance that gives us muscle cramps after exercising.

Which 3D prints are food- and dishwasher-safe?

PLA, PET, PETG and nylon-6 are all food-safe materials. PETG, ABS and ASA are dishwasher-safe.

At what temperatures do 3D prints begin to soften?

PLA and TPU begin to soften at 60°C, PET and PETG at 80°C, POM at 82°C, ASA at 100°C and ABS at

105 °C.

Conclusion

The 3D printing is nothing short of a revolutionary technology. We at OceanLabs feel that Seychelles should partake in this revolution, integrating this novel process into our circular economy. Additive manufacturing provides businesses around the world with a tool that enables them to quickly innovate, while also maintaining their operability, all at a fraction of the previously required times and costs.

As an engineering firm we are able to accurately 3D print your designs and can also create custom CAD designs for you, all in a matter of days. 3D printing is possible for a multitude of objects, in a variety of materials, each with its own benefits.

Join us on this journey and contact us to arrange a personal meeting to discover more. We will gladly answer your questions, show you our samples and explore with you how 3D printing can also revolutionise your business.