3D Printing

Firebird Optics 3D Print-on-Demand Service

We’ve all been there. You need a quick part made to test out a design for your laboratory. It’s a simple plastic part that we all know costs pennies to dollars to manufacture. So what do you? You do what we all do. Go to Alibaba or AliExpress to find a manufacturer half-way across the world.

So far so good….until you find out that there is a $5K molding fee and there is a minimum order quantity of 500 pieces! But… you just need 1 or 2 pieces tops! To add to the fun, you find out there is an astronomical shipping fee and a lead time of nearly 2 months!

Once you finalize your order and weep at the dent in your laboratory budget, you wait patiently for your plastic part to arrive from the East. The next surprise comes when you get a tariff bill from FedEx for 30% of the value of your goods.

We at Firebird Optics, along with our customers, have been here countless times and weep alongside you.

If only there was a way you can make a rapid prototype and have it in your hand in a matter of days…

3D Printing to the Rescue

If only a company was around that contained a fleet of 3D printers and a combined two decades of laboratory manufacturing experience.

Sporting a shiny new fleet of FDM (additive manufacturing) machines and several new state-of-the-art SLA resin printers, Firebird Optics has invented a new field: Rapid Laboratory Prototyping. We embrace the future, which is 3D printing: an exciting new field that is revolutionizing global production and we are right there on the cutting edge.

Have a test tube rack you need in a few days? How about a quick holder to test out the alignment of your FTIR spectrophotometer’s optics system? What about some cuvette caps that are spongy that you would like to test out in your lab? We have already done all of these things and are fanatical in our pursuit to become the finest plastics laboratory manufacturer on this side of the Atlantic.

Advantages

1. Leadtime: how does 1 week sound compared to a 2-3 month lead time? Rather than being put on a lengthy production queue and being stuck with all of the limitations of traditional manufacturing, Firebird Optics can crank out a part for you in mere hours once we have your STL file.

2. Cost: Firebird Optics can provide you with prototypes at a fraction of the price seen in traditional mold-based plastics manufacturing. The savings come from the lack of minimum order quantities and molding fees.

3. Rapid Prototyping: in the course of nailing down a final design, there’s going to be a lot of trial and error. Typically, every time a change needs to be made you need to go back to the drawing board, which resets that 2-3 month clock. We can work with you in real time and produce rapid changes to get your design into a physical object as soon as possible.

4. Flexibility of materials: we provide a growing variety of materials and are constantly experimenting with the latest and greatest. Our current offerings include plastics such as PLA, PLA+, PETG, ABS, TPU, Nylon and Carbon Fiber. On the resin side, we provide a range of standard, engineering and autoclavable resins.

5. Machine shop service: let’s say you absolutely need a part in metal. No worries. We work closely with several machine shops and can cover your laboratory manufacturing needs there too.

The Process

Okay so what’s next?

1. Quote request/sketch submission: you can either fill out our form below or drop us an e-mail at info@firebirdoptics.com. Just make sure to include your 3d object file (STL file) and preferred materials along with your desired quantities.

2. Wait for us to get back to you with follow-ups: we usually handle all requests within 1 business day and if there are no follow-up questions, we can proceed right to the quote.

3. Quote: once we have all the information we need we will calculate our costs and provide you with a quote.

4. Ordering: once we have zeroed in on what you want, we can send you a payable invoice to reserve your spot on the production line. When we confirm payment, the work begins.

5. Production: depending on the size, complexity and quantity of your parts this may take hours or days. Also, if post-production resin refining is required, this may take additional time.

6. Shipping: once your parts are done they will ship from our production base in Long Island, NY. We can use standard ground, expedited or international depending on your situation.

Let’s work together

So there you have it! We’re looking forward to partnering with you and helping you build your next prototype. Come harness the awesome power of 3D printing!

You can either fill out the form below or e-mail us directly at info@firebirdoptics.com to get this party started!

Here’s to your success

Firebird Optics