PrintCity Showcases Form 3 and Fusion 360 for Industry Innovation

PrintCity is a leading 3D additive and digital manufacturing hub located in Manchester, a city renowned for its industrial heritage. Situated within Manchester Metropolitan University, the facility serves as both an educational resource and a consulting partner for businesses across the UK and worldwide. It also provides a fabrication lab for students enrolled in the university’s MSc in Industrial Digitalisation program.

Since its launch in 2018, PrintCity has expanded from a single‑person operation to a team of 23 staff members and now operates 65 printers spanning FDM, SLA and metal technologies. The printers were acquired through Additive‑X, the largest Formlabs partner in the UK. This diverse fleet gives PrintCity a unique platform to guide companies of all sizes through the digital‑fabrication journey, from R&D to full‑scale manufacturing.

We recently sat down virtually with product‑development specialist Mark Chester to explore how PrintCity leverages accessible tools such as Fusion 360 and the Form 3 to empower its clients.

In this post we cover:

• How PrintCity educates clients on a range of digital tools
• Where education and business consulting converge at MMU
• How United Utilities, the UK’s largest water company, tested optical scanning, Fusion 360 and the Form 3 for on‑demand replacement parts

Consulting With Clients of All Sizes

PrintCity’s extensive printer portfolio is the launchpad for conversations about digital tools. “Companies that come in often have never accessed 3D printing before, so we need to showcase the full spectrum of available machines,” says Mark. He works with a broad spectrum of businesses—from textile designers and sports‑equipment makers to utilities providers and manufacturers—and finds common needs across the board.

A recurring theme in Mark’s work is deconstructing a challenge into bite‑sized steps. By iterating multiple times in a single day instead of weeks, firms can drastically shorten time‑to‑market. PrintCity can produce same‑day prototypes on an FDM machine or on the Form 3 using Draft Resin, and then refine with Formlabs Standard or Engineering Resins for higher fidelity.

Many clients target injection‑molded end‑use parts, and Formlabs’ Durable and Tough resins provide a convincing proxy. Yet more firms are exploring additive manufacturing for the final product. For instance, Mark tested Rigid Resin to create a high‑strength, high‑fidelity embossing roller for a paper‑media company that required precise texture reproduction.

“Fusion 360 has a shallow learning curve for clients who don’t have previous CAD experience. It’s cost effective as well.”

Mark Chester, Product Development Specialist

Beyond physical outcomes, affordability is a recurring hurdle. “For many companies, money is the biggest barrier, so we conduct a cost‑benefit analysis to determine if a new technology truly adds value,” Mark explains. The Form 3 offers an approachable desktop solution that delivers professional results, while Fusion 360 serves both clients and Mark’s personal projects. “Fusion 360 is cost‑effective and continuously updated with new features that respond to customer feedback,” he notes.

Large organisations sometimes resist change, especially when long‑standing workflows dominate. To alleviate risk, Mark offers feasibility studies that answer whether a technology will deliver the intended outcome and integrate smoothly into existing processes.

On‑Demand Replacement Parts for United Utilities

United Utilities, the UK’s largest water company, commissioned PrintCity to conduct a feasibility study that identified technologies capable of accelerating the production of replacement parts for mechanical assemblies. When a component fails in the field, delays of days or weeks can interrupt essential services. 3D scanning and printing could enable on‑demand manufacturing of functional replacement parts.

Mark’s workflow began with a high‑resolution scan of a worn part using a Hexagon Absolute Romer Arm laser scanner mounted on a tripod. The raw data was imported into Autodesk Fusion 360. Although raw data can be exported as an STL, it rarely yields a watertight model suitable for additive manufacturing. Fusion 360’s Mesh Workspace allowed Mark to clean the scan and employ parametric tools to reverse‑engineer a crisp new part that matched the required geometry.

From Fusion 360, the design was passed directly to Preform for print preparation, then printed on the Form 3. This tight integration enables United Utilities’ maintenance crew to import a scan, refine it, and produce parts on the fly—eliminating the need to export multiple STL files for single‑use parts.

PrintCity introduced United Utilities to Formlabs’ resin library. Draft Resin suited high‑speed prototypes, while Tough, Durable and Rigid resins were selected for end‑use samples. These materials emulate the mechanical properties of plastics commonly used in the water‑service sector, such as Acetal and ABS.

“The quality of the 3D printed products produced was excellent. [We’re] really impressed by how quickly PrintCity manages to get the gear turned around when changes need to be made.”

Continuous Improvement team at United Utilities

Fusion 360 and the Form 3 empower Mark’s team to devise a rapid workflow that can be presented to any organisation, regardless of size. The final report detailed the digital pipeline from scan to print and the associated costs, confirming that the 3D printed parts performed on par with the originals.

Collaborating Remotely

Remote collaboration became the norm during 2020 and early 2021, presenting challenges for a model that traditionally relied on in‑person demos and meetings. “There’s an immense value in physically handling a 3D printed prototype,” Mark says. “The hands‑on experience often sparks that ‘lightbulb’ moment for clients.”

While awaiting the return of in‑person visits, PrintCity has continued to ship prototypes via mail. Digital collaboration has also bridged gaps: Fusion 360 enables file sharing through the cloud, allowing clients to view, comment, or download models with a simple link.

Bridging Education and Industry

Beyond learning directly from PrintCity’s staff, companies can tap into the talent pool at MMU. After completing a feasibility study, PrintCity often matches a student with a client for an internship. Mark calls this “reverse mentoring,” where students teach the skills they’ve acquired and bring them into the company. Many students secure first‑job offers through these collaborations, continuing to work with tools like Fusion 360 and the Form 3.

Mark concluded by advising product developers: “It’s common for a firm to lock onto a particular 3D printing technology, only to discover a better fit after exposure to multiple options. Gain experience, fail fast, and iterate. What fails for one project may thrive in another.”

Formlabs Integration with Fusion 360

Formlabs and Autodesk’s Fusion 360 have partnered to streamline the digital workflow with a dedicated CAD solution for 3D printing. Visit our integration hub to learn about the newest Fusion 360 features for SLA, read more user stories, and download our design guide.

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