Source Your 3D Parts Fast

Direct digital manufacturing (DDM) service provider CloudDDM LLC has commenced operations at its new advanced additive manufacturing (AM) facility located on the UPS Supply Chain Solutions Campus in Lexington, KY. CloudDDM offers designers, engineers and companies who want to leverage industrial-scale 3D printing a highly automated AM workflow that requires little to no human intervention from the time a user uploads a digital model, through production, packaging and shipment.

“Direct digital manufacturing is taking additive manufacturing to the next level,” said Mitch Free, cofounder and CEO of CloudDDM, in a press statement. “Direct digital manufacturing allows us to be incredibly efficient and produce parts, in large volumes, at prices competitive with traditional manufacturing methods.”

CloudDDM says that it has the capability to produce dimensionally accurate parts in such engineering thermoplastic polymers as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), polycarbonate, polycarbonate-ABS, and ULTEM 1010. Its AM systems fabricate parts with a tolerance of +/- .0015/in. part, and small parts are printed with a 0.005 layer thickness. It can scale up to produce large part volumes required by large companies and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), and it can scale down to provide prototypes, one-offs and small production runs of 50 to 5000 parts.

CloudDDM, a provider of direct digital manufacturing (DDM) services, can produce dimensionally accurate parts in such engineering thermoplastic polymers as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), polycarbonate, polycarbonate-ABS, and ULTEM 1010. Image courtesy of CloudDDM LLC.

Color options include white, tan, black and ivory, depending on the material. For production quantities of ABS parts, additional color options include dark gray, light gray, blue, green, red, yellow, translucent red and translucent yellow. Post-processing options include a smooth matte finish. Polished finishes will be available shortly, according to the company.

From the user’s perspective, working with CloudDDM consists of four steps: Upload your STL part file, choose print options, get pricing then place the order. Users must first register with the company and download its Web-based, browser-neutral CloudDDM app.

The UPS Worldport air hub has been described in various media as the world’s largest packaging handling facility. Operating out of the adjacent UPS Supply Chain Solutions Campus, says CloudDDM, means that 3D printed part orders go straight from its factory floor out to a plane for delivery. Additionally, the location gives users an extra six hours of production time to get their parts 3D printed and shipped, as quickly as same day, according to CloudDDM.

CloudDDM has more than 100 high-speed industrial printers linked together in an automated manufacturing facility. The CloudDDM workflow requires little to no human intervention from the time a user uploads a digital model, through production, packaging and shipment. CloudDDM can 3D print large part volumes as well as prototypes, one-offs and small production runs. Image courtesy of CloudDDM LLC.

“Speed and scale were the starting point,” says Free. “Providing maximum responsiveness to our customers was the critical link in addressing the high costs and inefficiencies found in existing additive business models. By leveraging both UPS’ experience and expertise in logistics and the end-of-runway location near UPS Worldport hub, we are able to provide our customers with a complete solution.”

UPS has taken a minority stake in CloudDDM through the UPS Strategic Enterprise Fund. “We are excited to have CloudDDM as a resident on our UPS Supply Chain Solutions Campus,” said Mark Wallace, president of Global Logistics and Distribution at UPS, in a press statement. “Locating at UPS Worldport hub allows CloudDDM to leverage our integrated network and end-of-runway location to get 3D-printed parts in the hands of their customers as quickly as possible. As this technology continues to become more mainstream, UPS has the ability to scale the shipping and logistics solutions to meet the additive manufacturing services provided by CloudDDM.”

The CloudDDM operations facility is located at UPS Supply Chain Solutions Campus, enabling finished 3D printed part shipments to go from the factory floor to a plane directly. Image courtesy of CloudDDM LLC.

CloudDDM reports that it primarily works with customers already familiar with additive manufacturing technologies and that it currently serves industries such as aerospace, automotive, transportation, medical and consumer devices. CloudDDM can handle the AM needs of startups, small companies and large companies alike, the company adds.

For more information, visit CloudDDM.

Learn more about CloudDDM’s available materials, finishing services, production and shipping options.

Check out the CloudDDM blog.

See why DE‘s editors selected CloudDDM as their Pick of the Week.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.