3D Printing
Welcome! Here you can discover in more detail why we 3D print our parts, materials used, production timescales and a little insight into the development process behind Badas.Design products. You can scroll through to see video snippets of our printers in action and photos showing you finer details of prints and more.
Material Types
Here we will explain what materials we print with and why for our 3D printed products.
PLA / PETG / ABS - Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM)
FDM uses a range of materials that are wound onto a giant fishing-reel like roll. You can get these rolls in a whole range of material types and colours that all vary quite dramatically in price.
PLA is one of the easier and more affordable materials to work with for many FDM (filament driven) 3D printers. PLA is also very easy to obtain in a vast range of colours and finishes from solid blue, red or white to glittery and pearlescent options. As for PETG and ABS, these are harder materials to work with, can be more expensive and also a little more limited in colour availability.
PLA is also very easy to manipulate, shave, sand and tweak to enable our parts to fit your Airsoft RIF’s far easier. They can be painted upon for those who have a camouflage builds or want to go for something completely out of the norm.
As seen in the above photo, FDM results in some minor surface imperfections. These are actually markings of the printing process. They can appear on any area but are very small and do not effect the functionality of the part purchased. The actual print colour can vary slightly in shade from batch to batch too, this is down to the supplier mostly.
SLS Nylon - Selective Layer Sintering
SLS is a technology that uses different types of powdered materials. The parts are made one layer at a time like with PLA and other FDM materials, however the SLS process is fusing powdered layers with a laser.
SLS Nylon is considerably stronger than our cheaper FDM products, but the main reason we use SLS technology for 3D printed Airsoft components is the end finish. Layer lines are barely noticeable, finer details are sharper, crisp and very aesthetically pleasing to look at and handle.
SLS printing technologies however are performed with industrial 3D printers. SLS prints are also considerably more expensive to produce and are done so off site. As a result, SLS prints take anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks to be completed before being dispatched to your desired address.
Due to limitations with our current tried and tested manufacturers, black is the only colour our SLS parts are dyed in, although this may change in the future. As all SLS parts are dyed black from the manufacturer, the shade may also vary ever so slightly from batch to batch.
FDM vs SLS Nylon overview
No matter the material used, parts may vary from print to print with very minor blemishes, colour pigment difference or pimples and spots. This is generally seen more commonly with FDM prints. All parts are test fitted and inspected individually to our high standards before being dispatched. Should a part of your order be delayed, we will inform you immediately.
We will continue to provide FDM prints due to the range of colours available, but if you want the strongest 3D printed part available, choose one of our SLS options in any product listing.
There may be some products that do not list an SLS option, this is simply due to the cost being too high and undesirable to you as a potential customer.
SLS & FDM
Pictured on the left is an angled drop stock that is SLS Nylon 3D printed, vs a FDM black 3D printed drop stock seen on the right.
As you can see the FDM printing process highlights layers far more noticeably due to the printing technology being used.
Different FDM colours can hide or highlight layers and pimples more than others too.
Remember, SLS Nylon also takes longer to produce, but is worth the wait for a cleaner, stronger finished product.
Where are the parts made?
Currently all parts are made within the UK and have been since we first started experimenting with 3D printed Airsoft parts in early 2019.
Every product is also test fitted before being dispatched, that way we can guarantee you will have an easy unpacking and assembly experience once you receive your items. Please remember to check our installation guides which can be found here, before attempting to fit your parts.
All orders are packed and dispatched from the UK too. Global shipping is available. If you are not within the United Kingdom, Europe or USA, please contact us for a shipping quote before placing an order. We have shipped parts to Airsofters in Asia and other countries, so do not be deterred from dropping us a message.
Production Timescales
Please note that the information below is subject to be changed at any date. Please allow for shipping delays around the world due to current Covid-19 issues affecting many shipping companies worldwide.
FDM
FDM is the easiest and fastest manufacturing process we work with. Currently all FDM orders are printed and dispatched within 1 week of your payment successfully being received.
SLS
Currently all SLS orders are being dispatched within 2 to 3 weeks of your payment being successfully received.
We will notify you via email once your orders have been dispatched. Please check your junk/spam folder for updates and ensure you have provided correct contact details upon placing your order.
For more information about shipping times, costs and more, click here.