3D Printing, Rising On Oil's Groundwork
Embracing technologies of all sorts, Dubai is pushing the boundaries further and further. 3D printing, in particular, looks to have a very bright future in the city, with the government even setting up a plan for Dubai to become the world’s leading additive manufacturing hub!
With that in mind, it seems like Dubai is a welcoming place for 3D printing. To date, several 3D printing services, shops, and fab labs have opened, all of them go-to places for 3D printing enthusiasts and professionals.
As with other hobbies and professions, these venues are key pillars to building a network, sharing knowledge, and pushing the industry forward. Having the ability to locally order from a good 3D printing service, buy 3D printing equipment, or learn about 3D printing is something of great value.
What Are We Looking At?
In this article, we’ve assembled a list of our favorite 3D printing services, shops, and fab labs in Dubai. In order to provide as much value as possible to both enthusiasts and professionals, we tried to keep the following in mind:
- For a 3D printing service, we mostly focused on the venue’s location as well as the range of technologies, materials, prices, and special offers.
- For a shop, we’ve done the same but paying extra attention to the range of available products rather than technologies.
- For a fab lab, the number and locations of the venues alongside fees, available equipment, and the number of members were the most important factors.
Alternative: Your One-Stop Global Shop
Even if you’re in Dubai, you might not actually have a preference for where your printed parts come from. In that case, you’ll simply want the path that’s as effective and affordable as possible. To help you find that path, try Craftcloud.
With partners all around the world, Craftcloud presents you with the best services in terms of price and lead time, and there are no additional fees added. Quotes are generated in real-time based on your models and location.
Using the platform is as simple as any other 3D printing service, but with many more options available. You can choose from materials as common as PETG or transparent resin and as niche as sterling silver or 316L steel. And depending on the material you select, you can also request a particular finish.
Other helpful features of Crafcloud are its professional network and support staff. If your part isn’t suitable for printing, or you simply don’t have a design, experts and professional partners will help you get your design off the ground. And if you’re having trouble with the order or delivery processes, the Craftcloud team is ready to assist!
Iris 3D Solutions (Service)
Iris 3D Solutions is a Dubai-based 3D printing firm specializing in providing high-quality, industrial 3D printing services.
The business’s main focus is SLA 3D printing, using Exosys LX Pro 400, 600, and 800 3D printers. Apart from printing, they also offer 3D designing as a service, even if all you have is a sketch, a picture, or an idea.
Although the website is well-organized and nice to look at, it’s a shame that there’s no real-time quote generator. Instead, quotes need to be requested via email.
A quick look at the company’s website reveals a wide work portfolio, including several different industries. Also, you’ll notice that there’s a live chat window where you can directly talk to the employees and get your questions answered. After a bit of chatting with an employee, we found out that they’re not exclusive to SLA, offering metal and fiberglass 3D printing, as well.
Last but not least, Iris has a specialized department for 3D printing custom jewelry. For this purpose, they use a 3DSystems Projet MJP 3600 MultiJet 3D printer. Capable of the full manufacturing process, they start with a 3D model, either from the customer or designed through their service, and then produce a mold for the casting of final parts.
- Location: Damac Business Tower, G07
- Hours: All days except Fridays, 9 am to 7:30 pm
- Offers: On-demand manufacturing, design services
3DVinci Creations (Service)
3DVinci Creations is one of Dubai’s leading 3D printing companies. They’ve proven themselves capable of completing a number of challenging 3D printing projects in many industries, including healthcare, automotive, and the fuel industry.
The range of 3D printing technologies and materials on offer is impressive. Customers can opt for FDM, MJF, CJP, SLS, and even SLM. In terms of materials available, there’s PLA and ABS for FDM, resin for MJP, full-color sandstone for CJP, polyamide for SLS, as well as aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, and cobalt chrome for SLM.
The quotation is done via a form on their website. It’s not instant, but it at least gives you the ability to upload the file you’re looking to get a quote for. 3DVinci Creations’ team will soon respond and provide all the needed information.
With Dubai being a city where 3D printing is growing rapidly, the demand for 3D printing knowledge is pretty high. As a response to this problem, 3DVinci Creations created a complete educational course, including theory lessons, hands-on experience, and workshops on integrating additive manufacturing into a business. The firm also does some serious work in reverse engineering, 3D printing consulting, concrete 3D printing, and batch manufacturing.
- Location: Empire Heights Tower A, Floor 1, Office 03
- Hours: Sunday to Wednesday, 9 am to 6 pm; Thursdays, 9 am to 12 am; Fridays, 2:15 pm to 10 pm; Saturdays, 10 am to 4 pm
- Offers: On-demand manufacturing, design services, education
Xplorer 3D (Service & Shop)
Xplorer 3D is originally a company from Pakistan, but it operates from Dubai. The firm is a 3D printer manufacturer, retailer, and on-demand 3D printing service. Across the city of Dubai, Xplorer 3D has two locations, one for the shop and one for the 3D printing service.
With respect to the shop, Xplorer 3D sells printers from brands like Sindoh, Flashforge, and CreatBot, but it also its own machines. Apart from the printers, they also sell FDM filaments and resins. Filament-wise, there’s PLA, ABS, flexible, wooden, and bronze-like. For resins, they offer standard and castable varieties from Flashforge. Additionally, they have 3D scanners on offer from Shining3D.
Xplorer 3D’s manufacturing service is capable of 3D printing in plastics and metal, CNC milling, injection molding, and urethane casting.
Last but not least, we’re happy to report that the firm’s website features a quote generator. It’s in a beta version as of writing, but it works very nicely.
- Locations:
- Shop: Al Ghubaibah Road
- AM Lab: Al Quoz 3, Al Khail 1st, Plot 358-568 Yousef Al Sharhan Complex, Warehouse #2
- Hours:
- Shop: All days except Friday, 11 am to 9 pm
- AM Lab: All days except Friday and Sunday, 12:30 pm to 9 pm
- Offers: 3D printing equipment (printers, materials, scanners), on-demand manufacturing
3D Middle East (Shop)
3D Middle East specializes in distributing professional 3D printing equipment, from 3D printers and scanners to materials and software from some of the world’s most trusted brands. These include 3DSystems, FARO, Artec 3D, Materialise, and PTC. The firm is the leading distributor for these brands in the Middle East, but it also does some business in North Africa.
The team working at 3D Middle East is composed of experienced engineers and executives, ensuring the best possible service for professional clients. And given their attachment to some of the biggest names in 3D printing, it’s probably safe to say that the company can be trusted.
- Locations:
- Dubai: 3204, The Prism Tower, Business Bay
- Riyadh: Al Saif Tower, 3rd Floor, King Abdullah St.
- Hours: Monday to Wednesday, 9 am to 6 pm; Thursdays, 9 am to 5 pm; Saturdays, 10:30 am to 3 pm; closed Fridays
- Offers: 3D printing equipment (printers, materials, scanners, software)
FabLab UAE (Fab Lab)
FabLab UAE was launched by the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance with the goal of creating an innovative new generation in the UAE. The lab is located inside the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Centre for Giftedness and Innovation. It’s a welcoming place for everyone, with plenty of equipment and exciting workshops.
Whether it’s 3D printing, general electronics, laser cutting, woodworking, or computer programming, it’s all available at FabLab UAE, in the form of various workshops and academies. In the past, FabLab UAE has also organized a mobile fab lab, which travels through the country and stops in various places to make technology more accessible.
Note that, at the time of writing, it’s not known how much membership fees cost. The website simply says, “Coming soon.”
- Location: 176 6 D St.
- Hours: Sundays and Wednesdays, 9 am to 8 pm; Saturdays to Thursdays, 9 am to 4 pm; closed Fridays
- Offers: Various tools and digital fabrication machines, workshops
(Lead image source: CNN)