- 2023 Update
3D printing is rapidly gaining popularity, and almost every country now has a number of 3D printing companies offering 3D printers, materials, components, and services. This article looks at some of the most popular 3D printing companies in the United Kingdom.
3D Printing Companies in the United Kingdom
Renishaw
Renishaw Plc is a British engineering firm headquartered in Wotton-under-Edge, England. The company is best known for its coordinate-measuring machines and machine tool products, and it specialises in measurement, motion control, healthcare, spectroscopy, and manufacturing.
It is also a global leader in metal additive manufacturing and offers industrial metal 3D printers that are completely designed and manufactured in-house. Its expertise lies in process development and in using the technology to provide turn-key and optimised additive manufacturing solutions for a broad range of applications in the industrial and healthcare sectors. The RenAM 500 series is its flagship line of multi-laser AM systems outfitted with 500W lasers.
Renishaw has a large global footprint with over 77 offices in 36 countries and more than 5,000 employees. It employs over 3,000 people in the UK alone, where most of its research & development and manufacturing is conducted.
Additive Manufacturing Technologies
Additive Manufacturing Technologies (AMT), based in Sheffield, United Kingdom, is a technology company that creates digital post-production hardware systems for additive manufacturing. Post-processing is an important part of the AM workflow, and most 3D printed parts require it.
AMT’s PostPro is a digital post-production technology platform that automates the manual and costly steps associated with legacy additive 1.0 ‘low volume & prototyping’ post processing and enables 3D printers to produce functional ‘high-volume end-use parts.’
PostPro enables businesses to reap the benefits of additive manufacturing at scale by significantly increasing part throughput, performance, quality, cost, and safety.
Axial3D
Axial3D is a popular 3D printing company in the United Kingdom. It is a company that specialises in patient-specific medical 3D imaging and modelling in order to improve surgical planning, save time and money, and improve patient outcomes.
Axial3D’s vision of making patient-specific surgery routine is enabled by the development of a software platform that automatically converts all 2D imaging currently used in a patient’s surgical care pathway into incredibly precise, clinically relevant 3D images to vastly improve their standard of care.
Axial3D is able to create and validate models to the highest accuracy under ISO13485 medical standards by utilising SeAAS™ (Segmentation-as-a-Service) and its global 3D printing network. The models can then be printed using a variety of technologies to meet any surgical need.
Open Bionics
Open Bionics develops medical devices to help the human body. Its first product, the Hero Arm, is a fashionable bionic arm that is intended for people who have a limb difference below the elbow. Their bionic arms are fully functional, with lights, bio feedback vibrations, and a variety of functions that allow the user to grasp, pinch, high-five, fist bump, and thumbs-up. With this new bionic age inspired by science fiction, thanks to an incredible team and the support of the limb-different community.
MyMiniFactory
MyMiniFactory, which was founded in 2013, is a well-known 3D printing company based in the United Kingdom. It is a file distribution platform / marketplace and has an online platform which is home to digital creators, with a particular emphasis on 3D printing enthusiasts.
In June 2018, MyMiniFactory launched an online STL file store where 3D designers can sell 3D printable files. MyMiniFactory also allows brands to crowdsource through 3D design competitions. The platform has worked with companies like Warner Bros Group – Turner’s Adventure Time, Rovio’s Angry Birds, Autodesk, Google, and the Exxon Group.
Geomiq
Geomiq is the leading Digital Manufacturing marketplace in the United Kingdom. Geomiq was founded in 2017 in London with the intention of transforming and streamlining the manufacturing industry. It has since grown to become the digital manufacturing platform of choice for over 1200+ professional engineers and procurement teams from over 500 fast-moving hardware companies, and it has partnered with over 260 exceptional suppliers from over 16 countries.
It has a large additive manufacturing fleet that includes technologies such as FDM, SLA, SLS, MJF, and DMLS and can deliver orders in as little as three days. Customers can also access 120+ latest 3D printers all over the world thanks to its 260+ partnerships with experienced manufacturers.
4D Biomaterials
4D Biomaterials® is the trading name of 4D Medicine Ltd, a company founded by the Universities of Birmingham and Warwick in April 2020. It is one of the most popular medical 3D printing companies in the United Kingdom.
Its mission is to commercialise a new class of materials called liquid resins, which can be printed into solid 3D scaffold implants to help patients recover from major medical procedures. 4Degra® resins based on polycarbonate-urethane are novel bioresorbable materials with good shape memory, tuneable mechanical and chemical properties, and promising tissue-healing performance. The resin composition is protected by the company’s patent family.
DSW Ventures, Mercia, and SFC Capital have each invested over £1.85 million ($2.6 million) in the company, and Innovate UK has awarded grants totaling over £300,000 in total. These funds will be used to support the development of the 4Degra® resin-ink product line and 3D printed medical device prototypes in collaboration with 3D printing companies and medical device manufacturers.
3DLifePrints
3D LifePrints is a popular 3D printing company in the UK that was founded with the intention of personalising surgeries. Its comprehensive portfolio of ISO 13485-certified products and digital services has been clinically proven to improve patient outcomes while decreasing institutional operational costs. The 3D printed items can be delivered on-site or remotely. These include an AI-powered and VR-ready digital platform for virtual surgical planning and device ordering, patient-specific surgical guides, implants, and models, 3D design and segmentation, and surgical simulation solutions and phantoms.
3D LifePrints works with clinicians and surgeons to create patient-specific anatomical models, surgical guides, and custom titanium implants that can improve efficiencies and outcomes in difficult procedures.
Their one-of-a-kind service model focuses on delivering the advantages of 3D printing technological support to Orthopaedic Surgeons, Cardiologists and Cardiac Surgeons, Oncologists, Paediatric Surgeons, and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgeons at the Point-of-Care. It has provided engineering talent, 3D software, and 3D printing hardware to the hospital over the years, allowing a diverse range of disciplines access to a team capable of adding layers of insight, certainty, and personalisation to their treatment strategies.
Tri-Tech 3D
Tri-Tech 3D, founded in 2007, is a leading 3D printing company in the United Kingdom. It supports the full range of Stratasys 3D printing technologies, including Polyjet, FDM, SLA, and SAF, as well as One Click Metal systems. Serving industries as diverse as automotive, aerospace, animation, general manufacturing, and many more! Tri-Tech 3D provides a wide range of services, including initial specification advice, 3D printing hardware supply, on-site installation, staff training, and ongoing product support.
Tri-Tech 3D was acquired in January 2017 by the Stanford Marsh Group. With the acquisition, the company now also offers CAD software solutions, CAD training, and wide-format printing.
3DGBIRE
3DGBIRE is a 3D printing company based in the United Kingdom that offers a variety of 3D printing services, including reselling and distributing a variety of 3D printers, consulting, dedicated support, and training. It also serves as a 3D printing service bureau, printing orders from customers.
It is able to deliver unprecedented results for its customers by closely integrating 3D printing systems, materials software, technical support, workforce training, and in-depth consultation.
3DGBIRE carries Ultimaker and Photocentric 3D printers, as well as Einscan 3D scanners and a wide range of 3D materials and filaments.
3DPRINTUK
3DPRINTUK, based in London, was founded in 2011 and specialises in high-quality 3D printing services at reasonable prices. It provides nylon SLS prototyping, small-batch production, and other 3D printing and CAD services.
3DPRINTUK is known for its friendly and helpful team that is always willing to assist customers with their designs and prints.
Graphite Additive Manufacturing
Graphite Additive Manufacturing is a 3D printing consulting firm that assists businesses in realising their full additive manufacturing potential. Engineers, model makers, industrial designers, and product designers collaborate closely with graphite to test concepts, improve designs, reduce production costs, and solve complex design challenges.
It also advises clients on how to improve the strength, weight, and cost-saving benefits of 3D printing.
Get It Made
Get It Made Ltd is a UK-based company that provides 3D printing services with a specialisation in Multi Jet Fusion technology. They offer a variety of materials such as Nylon PA12, TPU and PA12 GB to cater to different industry needs, including aerospace, medical, automotive and consumer goods. Get It Made collaborates with clients to ensure a seamless process from design to production, with high-quality results at competitive prices.
Get It Made’s use of Multi Jet Fusion technology allows for fast and accurate printing, resulting in high-resolution parts with uniform mechanical properties. They also provide post-processing services such as polishing, dyeing and finishing to deliver a comprehensive 3D printing solution.
Note: The list is based on the popularity of 3D printing companies in the country based on their online presence, ease of online search, metrics as obtained from SEO, etc.
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