Known for its quality parts, 3D Composites provides a range of additive manufacturing (AM) services from its facility of 3D industrial printers and machine shop located in Arlington, Washington. Since its founding in 2013, the ISO-certified company has been primarily serving the aerospace sector with FDM® technology — manufacturing jigs, fixtures, tooling and production parts.

Currently, 3D Composites is expanding into new markets with the recent introduction of SAF™ technology into its fleet of Stratasys® printers.

Seeking an alternative AM process
3D Composites was ready to branch out from its FDM base in serving the aerospace industry which requires strict adherence to compliance standards. “We have been 3D printing since the beginning, but through the years had taken on other methods like CNC machining and vacuum thermoforming to supplement jobs that couldn’t be covered by 3D printing alone,” said Kim Gustafson, co-owner of 3D Composites.

Technology advancements in 3D printing in recent years prompted 3D Composites to scale back from traditional manufacturing methods and put its focus back into 3D printing. Specifically, the company sought to produce parts with a customized design at a faster rate with less cost per part than injection molding, vacuum thermoforming or other AM procedures.

The SAF next-level solution
The company saw opportunity in introducing SAF technology to complement its service line of AM processes. By 2023, the H350™ 3D printer was fully operational at 3D Composites, offering a competitive alternative to FDM or traditional manufacturing processes on production runs typically around 250 to 1,000 parts. “The H350 combines the newest 3D printing techniques with our trusted history of Stratasys products,” Gustafson said.

Regarding the material, 3D Composites was already familiar with PA12 for its rigidity, feature resolution and strength in its experience using
it with some of its FDM and tooling jobs. “The showstopper was we already had a lot of data from our customer base on PA12. The amazing accuracy of the PA12 material is a confidence builder in taking on a new material process,” Gustafson said.

The consistency and accuracy of SAF technology and PA12 is a natural fit for quality assurance.
“Being able to rely on the conformance of each individual part, build after build, with high volumes, is a real determining factor in including the new printing process in our quality management procedures,” Gustafson said.