rBridge / 3D printing
3D printing service for robotics
3D printed parts for robots.
Shells, brackets, grippers and fixtures, printed in engineering plastics and stainless steel and checked against your CAD. Upload STL, STEP or 3MF and get a price and delivery date within one working day. Order one part or a few hundred.
- Processes
- FDM · MJF · SLS · SLA
- Files
- STL · STEP · 3MF
- Quote
- Within 1 working day
- Ships from
- UK · India
What we make
Printed parts for robots, inside and out
Most of what we print is for robots: our own humanoid, and the teams we make parts for.
Shells and covers
Body panels, sensor housings and cable covers, printed to fit over machined frames.
Brackets and mounts
Motor mounts, camera brackets and electronics trays in stiff, heat-resistant materials.
Grippers and fingers
Soft TPU finger pads and rigid jaws, printed as one part or as a set.
Jigs and fixtures
Assembly jigs, drill guides and test fixtures for your bench or line.
Lightweight structures
Lattice and hollow parts that save weight on arms and end effectors.
Prototypes
Fit-check a new design before you commit it to machined aluminium.
Materials
Engineering plastics and steel, not just PLA
Choose a material in the quote form, or tell us what the part has to do and we'll suggest one.
| Material | Good for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PETG | Covers, trays, general parts | Tough, low warp, good default |
| ASA / ABS | Housings near motors, outdoor parts | Heat and UV resistant |
| PA12 nylon (MJF or SLS) | Brackets, clips, living hinges, batches | Strong, slightly flexible, wear resistant. Powder printed, so no supports and complex shapes are fine |
| Carbon fibre nylon (PA-CF) | Structural brackets, arm links | Stiff and light, matte finish |
| TPU 95A | Finger pads, bumpers, cable grommets | Rubber-like, absorbs impact |
| Resin (SLA) | Small detailed parts, moulds, optics mounts | Fine detail, smooth surface |
| PLA | Fast fit-check prototypes | Cheapest, not for heat or load |
| Stainless steel 316L (metal SLS) | Grippers, joint parts and brackets too complex to machine | Full-strength metal, laser sintered from powder. Costs more than plastic |
Don't see your material? Name it in the quote form and we'll check.
Design guide
Design tips for printed robot parts
Follow these and your parts print first time. If you're unsure, send the file anyway and we'll flag problems with the quote.
- Wall thickness1.2 mm minimum, 2 mm or more for load-bearing parts
- ToleranceAbout ±0.3 mm on FDM, MJF and SLS, and ±0.15 mm on resin. Put critical fits on a drawing.
- HolesModel holes 0.2 mm oversize, or ask us to ream them to size
- ThreadsUse heat-set brass inserts for screws you'll undo. We can fit them.
- OverhangsOn FDM and resin, keep them under 45° where you can, because supports leave marks. MJF and SLS need no supports.
- Load directionParts are weakest between layers. Tell us how the part is loaded and we'll orient it.
How to order
From file to part
Upload
Send STL, STEP or 3MF with the material, colour and quantity.
2 minutesQuote
A person checks your files and emails a price and delivery date.
Within 1 working dayPay
Pay by card or bank transfer from the quote, or in $rLoop at a discount.
Card · bank · $rLoopMake and inspect
Parts are printed, cleaned up and measured against your model.
Report includedShip
Parts are packed by build and shipped from our UK or India cell.
Tracked
Why rBridge
Made by a robotics team, for robotics teams.
We build Avaani, a 32-degree-of-freedom humanoid, and we got tired of waiting weeks for small batches from suppliers who don't know what a robot joint needs. rBridge is the shop we wanted.
One order, every process. Order printed covers and machined brackets for the same build together, with one quote and one delivery.
Built for revisions. No tooling and no minimum order, so changing the design costs a new upload, not a new supplier.
Every part we learn to make for Avaani becomes a part we can make for your robot.
Questions
3D printing questions
How fast can I get 3D printed parts?
Most small batches ship within a few working days of payment. Your quote gives an exact delivery date, and you can tell us if you need parts by a set day.
What files do you accept?
STL, STEP and 3MF for the parts, plus a PDF drawing if some dimensions are critical. Files up to 8 MB go in the form, and larger ones can be shared as a link.
Is there a minimum order?
No. We print single prototypes as well as batches of several hundred, and there's no tooling charge either way.
Can you print and machine parts in the same order?
Yes. That's the point of rBridge. Tick both 3D printing and CNC machining in the quote form and you get one quote and one delivery.
Where do you ship?
Orders are made in our UK and India cells and shipped worldwide. rLoop UK handles orders for Europe, the UK and the Americas, and rLoop India handles orders in India.
Can I pay in $rLoop?
Yes. You can pay by card or bank transfer, or in $rLoop at a discount.
Ready to print?
Send your files. We reply with a price and delivery date within one working day.