Nottingham 3D printing firm expands with funding deal

A Nottingham company specialising in 3D printing and design services has expanded thanks to a £51,000 investment.

Sam Gribben, owner of SGD 3D Printing, received the funding from First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans through the Community Investment Enterprise Facility (CIEF) backed by the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

Gribben set up SGD 3D in 2018 after six years in the printing industry. Based in Nottingham, the compant provides a 3D printing and design service through FDM (fused deposition modelling) and SLA (stereolithography) printing. The printing uses a range of different materials suitable to any application including recycled materials, helping individuals and businesses to reduce their carbon footprint.

Despite having an impressive portfolio of clients such as Network Rail, the 3D printing specialists needed funding to purchase new printing machinery to increase production and reduce manufacturing costs. This has enabled it to be more competively priced and target larger contracts.

Gribben said: “Without the funding from First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans, we wouldn’t have been able to invest in our new Formlabs SLS printer and diversify and expand SGD 3D as the first lockdowns affected orders.

“The new printer will allow us to print 10 times more items than our previous printers, allowing us to target more SMEs orders with larger print runs than individual hobbyist orders.”

Stefan Nycz, investment manager at First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to support Sam with his expansion and technology investment. He has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in 3D printing and it’s great to help him grow SGD 3D following the purchase of their new printer.”