Fluxaxis: 3D printing on every scale

The bureau service is able to produce a wide range of products for anyone, from one-off prototypes to end-use parts and high-tech aerospace components.

Launched last summer by Stage One, a company who specialise in creative construction, manufacturing and engineering, the new venture reflects a £1m investment in a range of digital manufacturing technology.

The funding enables Fluxaxis the ability to create complex forms at a large range of scales and at faster speeds than ever before.

If a 3D printing service can efficiently produce printed products on a large range of scales for absolutely anyone, then surely this could be beneficial to those who want or need bespoke projects 3D printed, from highly-detailed microscopic medical parts up to giant sculptures?

Augur explained Fluaxis’ main equipment and why that makes them unique, he said: “Our flagship equipment is the HP Multi Jet Fusion 4200, following that would be our Fortus 900 and then also our Massivit 1800.

“No one else has the range of machines we have, we can offer people a wide range of services; Fluxaxis can help you regardless of what your project is. ”

No one in the UK or the world? Augur replied: “No one in the world has the range of machines we have all in-house. Usually people have the HP or the 900, they never have the Massivit, Hp and 900 all together under one roof.”

As to why this is, Augur said it is because companies do not require all the pieces of equipment as they have different functions, and they do not need to create the range of products that Fluxaxis do.

Augur explained there is not many HP machines in the UK, especially open to anyone to use, he said: “There are maybe only three in Britain that are actually available to everyone, whereas all the other HPs in the UK are in lockdown in larger companies and factories, similarly with the Fortus 900, no one offers that machine as a bureau.”

This is because the advanced machines are used predominantly by the aerospace or automotive industry, however Fluxaxis are offering this very high end service to anyone.

Augur said: “It is good for our customers, they can come and speak to us and see the machines themselves as we are based in the UK. It is a much better relationship than just a website where you order things.”

Some of the projects recently undertaken by Fluxaxis include, 3D scanning leaves for a retail company, experimenting with fine detail prints and also executing large format printing for companies like JLR.

Augur said Fluxaxis can get parts printed for JLR much quicker than the automotive company could from any other 3D printing service, which of course is a real benefit to them.

But how? Augur said: “We can print quickly because of the tools we have, bigger layer heights on our machines, whereas most companies with 900s stick to the more common lower layer heights.”

Fluxaxis believe the service is innovative as its coming in and “rocking the boat”; their advanced range of machines enable “reasonable prices to anyone, whether a manufacturer or someone in need of a one-off prototype.” They can then also offer a fast and well-rounded product from printing to finishing

Augur concluded that he thinks the service will continue expanding with more machines, resulting in more production runs with the HP, an increased number of large format prints with the 900, and further manufacturing opportunities from companies like JLR.

All images courtesy of Fluxaxis.