3D printing project case studies.
ASTCAD’s 3D printing project case studies — rapid prototypes, end-use production parts, jigs and fixtures across FDM, SLA, SLS and metal DMLS technologies. From single prototypes to small-batch production for Australian manufacturers.
Featured 3D printing projects.
A selection of ASTCAD’s signature additive manufacturing projects — FDM, SLA, SLS and DMLS metal printing across aerospace, medical devices, mining equipment, marine and electronics manufacturing. From rapid prototyping to qualified end-use parts.
UAV airframe — 14 FDM iterations in 8 weeks
Carbon-fibre nylon airframes for flight testing. 1/15th the cost of traditional prototyping; transitioned to injection moulding.
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Medical therapy helmet — patient-specific SLA
CT-derived patient-specific geometry, SLA printed in biocompatible photopolymer. Supported TGA regulatory submission.
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Titanium aerospace bracket — DMLS
Topology-optimised Ti-6Al-4V bracket via DMLS — 47% mass reduction vs. billet machined, fully AS 9100D qualified.
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Industrial valve body — SLS production part
14-part machined assembly consolidated into a single SLS-printed body. 32% lower unit cost; zero leak failures in 18 months.
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Lithium battery enclosure — electric watercraft
Flame-retardant nylon enclosure in production for 6S battery pack — 60% lower unit cost vs. injection moulding at low volume.
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Production-floor jigs and fixtures — 38 units
38 custom production fixtures in 6 months. Lead time cut from 4 weeks to 3 days; 22% reduction in NPI cycle time.
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Multi-process 3D printing service offering
FDM, SLA, SLS and DMLS capability available through our partner network — from concept models to end-use production.
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Reverse engineering for 3D printing replacement parts
Legacy machine components 3D-scanned, redesigned and 3D-printed as direct replacement — keeping ageing equipment in service.
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Architectural concept models — SLA
High-detail SLA architectural massing models for client presentations and design competitions across multiple practices.
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The 3D printing projects collected here deliberately span the technology spectrum: DMLS titanium for aerospace weight targets, SLS nylon for functional valve prototypes, FDM for UAV airframes and production jigs, and patient-specific medical devices where the geometry comes from scan data. What unites them is engineering discipline applied to a process the industry often treats casually — documented build orientations, validated material properties, and drawings that make reprints repeatable rather than approximate.
The case studies record which process won each job and why, which is often more useful than any technology comparison chart. If you are weighing additive manufacturing for a part or a tooling program, these projects show where it paid and where conventional processes kept the work.
A note on process selection, since it is the question every additive enquiry opens with: the right process falls out of the part’s function, quantity and material requirements, and these case studies were chosen to show that reasoning applied — not to promote a technology. Where machining or fabrication was the better answer, that is documented too.