BatchCity / Large format 3D printing
Helmets, signage, enclosures, jigs and panels without a glue line down the middle. Upload your file and see the price straight away. Made on the Gold Coast.
Upload a file for an instant priceSTL, OBJ, 3MF, STEP and STP. Prices include GST. No minimum order.
How big is big?
Our large-format printer has a build volume of 500 x 500 x 500 mm. That is 125 litres of printable space.
A lot of 3D printing services run desktop machines with a build area of about 256 mm a side. Anything bigger has to be cut into pieces and glued back together, which adds joins you can see, weak points and extra cost.
At 500 mm a side we can print close to twice the length, width and height in a single part. That is roughly seven times the volume.
If your part is larger again, we can still make it. See what happens over 500 mm.
What fits
One piece means no seams to fill and sand, no alignment pins, and no joint to fail under load.
Full-size adult helmets, chest plates and long prop pieces. Less filling and sanding before paint.
Raised letters, logos and display pieces up to half a metre across, in one colour-consistent part.
Equipment covers, control boxes and ducting where a join would let in dust or water.
Drilling templates, assembly jigs and checking fixtures that need to stay true along their whole length.
Vehicle interior panels, vents, scoops and covers that are too long for a desktop printer.
Check fit, reach and proportions on the real thing before you pay for tooling.
Materials at this size
These three behave well on large parts. The quote tool only offers materials that suit the printer your part needs, so you can't pick something we can't make.
Stiff, crisp and the most stable on big prints. The usual choice for props, models, signage and prototypes. Keep it out of hot cars and direct summer sun.
Tougher than PLA with a bit of give, and it copes with more heat. Good for housings, brackets, jigs and parts that get knocked around.
Handles UV and weather, so it suits parts that live outside. Large flat ASA parts are the most likely to warp, so we may suggest ribs or rounded corners first.
Need carbon fibre nylon, TPU or resin? Those run on our standard printers, which take parts up to 350 x 320 x 325 mm. See all services and materials.
What to expect
| Build volume | 500 x 500 x 500 mm in one piece |
|---|---|
| Materials | PLA, PETG, ASA |
| Nozzle | 0.4 mm, the same as our standard printers, so detail matches what you get on small parts |
| Price | Same rates as small parts: the plastic used plus time on the machine. No large-format surcharge. Quantity discounts start at 5 parts. |
| Print time | Big parts take a long time. A part that fills a good share of the build volume can be on the printer for a day or more, and some run for several days. |
| Lead time | We confirm it when we review your quote. If you have a deadline, put it in the notes and we'll tell you honestly whether we can hit it. |
| Finish | Straight off the printer with supports removed. FDM parts show fine layer lines. They sand, fill and paint well. |
| Delivery | Pick up from Southport on the Gold Coast, or delivery Australia-wide |
Over 500 mm
Some parts are simply bigger than any printer. We print those in sections and join them.
With a 500 mm build volume there are far fewer joins than there would be on a desktop machine, and we can put them where they matter least: along a natural edge, behind a flange, or somewhere that will be hidden once the part is fitted.
There are also times when splitting is the better choice even if the part would fit, such as a shape that would need a forest of supports in one piece, or a job you need sooner than one long print allows. If that applies to yours, we'll say so before you pay for anything.
Getting a price
No file yet? Send us a sketch or photo and we can design the part for you.
FAQ
500 x 500 x 500 mm in PLA, PETG or ASA. Carbon fibre nylon and TPU run on our standard printers, which take parts up to 350 x 320 x 325 mm. The quote tool measures your file and tells you straight away whether it fits.
We print it in sections and bond them. Upload the file anyway: the quote tool will tell you it is too big for an instant price and lets you send it to us with one tap. We work out where the joins should go and send you a price by email.
Large parts are priced at the same rates as small ones: the plastic used plus time on the machine. There is no large-format surcharge. Upload your file and you will see the price for your part, including GST.
Longer than a small one. A part that fills a good share of the build volume can be on the printer for a day or more, and some run for several days. We confirm timing when we review your quote. If you have a deadline, put it in the notes.
PLA for display pieces, props and anything that lives indoors. PETG for working parts that need some toughness. ASA for parts that live outside in the sun. Big flat ASA parts are the most likely to warp, so we may suggest small design changes before printing.
Yes. You can pick up from our workshop in Southport on the Gold Coast, or we send Australia-wide. Couriers charge by size as well as weight, so freight on a very large part costs more than on a small one. We quote it with the job.
Upload the file and the price is on screen in about the time it takes to make a coffee. Nothing is charged until you approve the quote.