FAQs

We are based at 21–23 McKellar Way, Epping, Victoria 3076, and deliver Australia-wide.

Yes. IPE 3D is part of the IPE Group, alongside IPE (Innovative Precision Engineering), an automation and precision engineering company with over 25 years of experience.

We serve automotive and EV, aerospace and defence, industrial and general manufacturing, mining and resources, food and beverage, robotics and automation, architecture and display, and product development.

Yes. Quoting is free with no minimum order. You can request a quote through our website, including uploading your part files. We respond within one business day.

Yes. All files and project details are kept strictly confidential, and we regularly work under NDA.

It is ideal for tooling, moulds, patterns, jigs, prototypes and end-use parts at industrial scale — anywhere a large component would otherwise be machined or fabricated.

For large tooling, moulds and patterns it is often significantly cheaper and faster than machined equivalents, because the part is printed as a single piece with far less material waste and labour.

Lead times depend on size, material and finish. Rapid FDM parts can be ready in 24–48 hours; larger or more complex parts take longer and are confirmed with every quote.

From economical PLA through to engineering-grade nylons, carbon-fibre composites and high-temperature materials. See our materials range for the full list.

Tooling, jigs, fixtures and functional prototypes where a dense, high-performance metal part is needed without the cost or lead time of traditional machining.

Yes. We use a hybrid workflow — printing the near-net shape, then CNC-machining critical features to final tolerance, and verifying on a CMM or FARO arm.

Most carbon-fibre printing uses short, chopped fibres mixed into the filament, which adds stiffness but not structural strength. Continuous fibre lays full strands exactly where the load is, giving true metal-replacement strength. Few services in Australia offer this.

We run Markforged FX20 and X7 systems, printing Onyx with continuous carbon fibre, Kevlar and fiberglass, and high-performance materials including ULTEM 9085 and Vega PEKK.

In many cases yes. Continuous-fibre parts can match or exceed the strength needed for the task while weighing far less, and can be produced in days rather than the weeks a machined part may take.

Nylon 11, Nylon 12, glass-filled and carbon-filled nylons, polypropylene and TPU 90A.

SLS suits complex geometries that would need supports in FDM, produces consistent mechanical properties in all directions, and is well suited to small batch production.

We stock over 40 engineering materials across all five print technologies, from prototyping polymers to aerospace-grade ULTEM and PEKK, continuous carbon fibre and fully dense metals.

Yes. We offer full in-house finishing — sandblasting, sanding, vapour smoothing, painting, plating and metallising, heat treatment, threaded insert installation and assembly — so parts arrive ready to use.

STL, OBJ, STEP, STP, IGES, DXF, DWG, Inventor (IPT/IAM), SolidWorks, CATIA and NX.

Yes. We provide 3D modelling and detailed drawings, mechanical and electrical design, 3D scanning, reverse engineering, and design for additive manufacturing (DfAM).

Yes. We use industrial 3D scanning and FARO arm / CMM inspection for reverse engineering, quality verification and as-built documentation, and can supply full QA reports.