Frequently Asked Questions

After Sale 2 questions
  • Can I get refund/remake if my parts don’t fit?

    At FacFox, the quality of your parts is always on our top concern. There’re basically 2 conditions:

    1. The parts we manufactured has a larger tolerance than we claimed from the original design, that leads to a mismatch to your parts to assemble, in this situation, you are fully entitled to claim a remake/refund.
    2. Your 3D design is incorrectly designed and it didn’t match the assembly requirement in the first place, then we cannot give you remake/refund. However if the tolerance is also not qualified, then in this special case you can request a refund or remake according to the 1st situation.
  • When will my refund be sent to my account?

    If your refund of order has been processed, we will take care of the refund immediately. The time of the transfer depends on the method you took for the payment:

    • PayPal balance: Refund to your balance immediately.
    • PayPal credit card: Takes couple business days to process.
    • Stripe credit card: Takes couple business days to process.
Getting Started 2 questions
  • How do I get a manufacturing quote with cost and lead time?

    FacFox offers 2 ways to get costs and lead times for your custom parts. All you need is a 3D model to start! If you do not have an account, please start by registering here.

    1. Insta3DP(beta): You’ll get instant pricing for 80% of our 3D printing material, just upload one or more 3D CAD file directly like online shopping.
      20% materials are not shown in instant pricing due to their complex pricing structure. Also post-processing like painting/polishing/electroplating cannot be quoted automatically, there will be price corrections in your final quotation.
    2. Manual Review: Get quotation from our skillful team with best solution. The experts are all at your service! Just upload your 3D CAD file(or with any 2D drawing/instructions). All quotation can be found at your order page, you will get notified via email if there’re any updates.

    Our Insta3DP(beta) platform allows you to upload 3D CAD files by drag-and-drop or browsing. If you have an account with FacFox you can add previously uploaded parts from your Parts Library.

    Need to know what CAD files are supported? Click here.

    Once a part is uploaded you can:

    • Select your desired material type and process, this will help narrow down the 200 materials we offer
    • Upload PDF files and add extra notes on the notes field
    • Once your part is configured, you can purchase it right away, create a pdf of a quote, or share it with a colleague!
    • Don’t see a price? Maybe one of the parts requires a manual review. Feel free to request a manual review from our expert team!
    If you have any special requirement like post-processing, printing orientation, use the Notes section for important details. You can attach a PDF drawing in that section as well.
  • What’s the cost of 3D printing? How are prices calculated?

    Generally most of our 3D printing material cost is charged by material consumption, but there’re other factors that affects the cost structure, so not all materials have a fixed rate per cm³.

    Check detailed guideline of our 3D printing material pricing structure here.
Insta3DP 9 questions
  • Do you have minimum order value?

    Apart from material volume cost, there are serveral ingredients in order pricing:

    Per Material Minimum Order Value
    The minimum order amount is $30 per material(SD and HD resolution are considered as same material) excluding shipping cost. Which means if your parts manufacturing cost is less than $30, we will still charge $30, so it’s more economic to order multiple copies if your part is cheaper than $30.

    Per Part Minimum Order Value
    Since each parts has to be post processed manually, we normally charge extra per part to cover the labor cost. Normally it’s $1.2 per part, but if the parts are too complicated, the per part fee will be higher.

  • What’s the status of my order?

    For Manual Review orders, you can see the order list here.

    For Insta3DP orders, you can see the order detail here.

    If you still have question, click to chat with us
    or open support ticket.

  • How to order parts on Insta3DP?
      1. Upload CAD drawings to the canvas, supported format: stl,obj,stp,step,igs,iges,zip,png,jpg,jpeg,gif,bmp,dxf
      2. Rescale the model by dragging the bar or entering the dimension, please note: default file unit is mm, click ‘inch’ to switch unit.
      3. Select material from the dropdown, you can also search by name.
      4. Check the price which indicates the estimated unit cost of manufacturing instantly. Please note: The price is NOT the final offer, there might be updates after technical review.
      5. Place order with secure online payment methods like PayPal and credit card.
      6. View order detail in your dashboard and wait for our technical review & manufacturablity check.
      7. We start producing if everything is checked and confirmed, if the drawing needs modification or extra payment, we will notify you via email.
      8. We ship the package and you wait for the delivery.
      9. Give us some feedback and prepare for the next project 🙂
  • Can I upload colorful 3D model?

    Yes! We support colorful OBJ 3D model upload:

    You must upload .obj+ .mtl+.png/bmp/jpg in one compressed .zip folder, and don’t upload more than one OBJ file at a time, the system will fail to recognize multiple colorful OBJ files.

  • Can I upload multiple 3D models in one time?

    Yes! You can compress multiple parts(STL format only) in one ZIP folder.

    However we don’t recommend you to do so. The parts will be automatically re-packed in system, since the shipping cost is calculated based on bounding box of the packed models, this might increase the estimated shipping cost. Also packed models is harder for system to process.
  • What will happen when my order is being reviewed?

    NOTICE: Order status and total amount might update after technical review! We’ll send you the updates via email. Possible Changes of Insta3DP Order:

    1. Require modification
      Through our technical review, your 3D model has design errors that makes the part not manufacturable, we might need you to modify it or cancel the order.
    2. Extra manufacturing cost
      Might occur due to high complexity or high risk of producing/post processing your parts.
    3. Extra shipping cost:
      Might occur due to over-weight/over-size/extended area surcharge or unpredictable special occasion.
    4. Order cancellation
      Your order might be rejected if we decide your requirement impossible to meet, or the products might violate any laws/regulations.
  • Why can’t I find some materials in Insta3DP?

    Insta3DP aims at minimize the manual effort in 3D printing quotation, however calculating the material/support/running hours of certain 3D printing process like PolyJet and DMLS is a big challenge. We will keep improving the algorithms and add more materials in the list.

    Can’t find the material in Insta3DP? Try the manual review quoting system that includes our entire expertise of manufacturing capabilities!
  • What file format is supported by Insta3DP?
    • 3D Model: stl,obj,stp,step,igs,iges
    • 2D Image: png,jpg,jpeg,gif,bmp (It will guide you to generate a lithophane based on the image)
    • Zip file(.zip) with multiple 3D models or colorful OBJ file(obj+mtl+jpg)
  • The price is different after I add it to cart, why?

    This issue often happens on broken 3D model. If there are mesh errors in your 3D model, after you rescale the model, the calculated volume might be different than actual volume.

    When this happens, please contact us for a manual review or try to repair the 3D model using 3D model repairing tools like NetFabb, FreeCAD, Makeprintable to ensure there’s no mesh errors in 3D model.

Material 2 questions
  • What processes/materials do you offer?

    We have 200+ different materials for our 3D printing/CNC Milling/Injection Molding/Urethane Casting/Metal Casting service with several available finishes.

    For full service list and introduction please see here.

    For our 3D printing service, we have plastic, grey plastic, black plastic, flexible plastic, brass, bronze, sterling silver, polyjet resin, multicolor sandstone, aluminum, titanium, stainless steel and glass-filled nylon etc.

    With some of these materials you can have finishes like polishing, primer coating, plating, dyeing, painting and smoothing beautifier.

    For full 3D printing material list please see here.

     

     

  • What’s the best material for my parts?

    If you are familiar with different processes/materials, you can help yourself by browsing our manufacturing method guideline, material list and material properties guide.

    This is the core advantage of FacFox, in any other platforms they cannot provide as comprehensive solution as we do. To get idea of the best material, you just need to specify the following key information in your Note field while submitting request for quote at manual review:

    • Purpose: Prototype or end product?
    • Item Usage: What’s it used for?
    • Quantity: 1-10/10-100/100-1000/1000+
    • Priority: Stength/Accuracy/Smoothness etc.

    You can also attach instuction along with 3D model, this way we’ll have a clear understanding of your project and our tech team with provide the best solution for you!

Ordering 6 questions
  • What’s the price, leadtime and NDA procedure for manufacturing our design?
    1. Pricing: We have multiple materials available, the best way is to upload your file and get accurate quotation by instant pricing engine or manual review.
    2. Lead time: Time for manufacturing depends on the material/complexity of the model/total quantity, so please elaborate your project to get a better solution. For example, our fastest lead time for SLA resin printing service can be within 1 day, and also we have various shipping priority ranging from overnight express to over-month freight.
    3. You can get self-signed NDA by clicking this link.
  • Do you have minimum order value?

    Apart from material volume cost, there are serveral ingredients in order pricing:

    Per Material Minimum Order Value
    The minimum order amount is $30 per material(SD and HD resolution are considered as same material) excluding shipping cost. Which means if your parts manufacturing cost is less than $30, we will still charge $30, so it’s more economic to order multiple copies if your part is cheaper than $30.

    Per Part Minimum Order Value
    Since each parts has to be post processed manually, we normally charge extra per part to cover the labor cost. Normally it’s $1.2 per part, but if the parts are too complicated, the per part fee will be higher.

  • Can I cancel my order?

    If your order has not yet been reviewed(Insta3DP) or paid(manual review), feel free to cancel it.

    Once your order has been accepted by FacFox and manufacturing cost is paid, it can no longer be cancelled.

    We are unable to cancel any order items after they begin pre-production. All of your order items are printed on-demand, we do not have or keep any stock in our manufacturing facilities. Because of this, all sales are final.

    Please contact our support team here if you have a question about your order’s production or turnaround time.

  • How can I upload 3D model for manual review?

    You should upload your file to FacFox in order to get an accurate quote in all eligible materials, to check models’ printability. You’ll need to signup for an account if you want to upload your own files.

    To do this, log in to your account, hover over the Make button on the top right and click on UPLOAD NOW. You can also head straight to the upload page.

    Click the UPLOAD button, this way a dialogue will pop up. Select the file you want to upload, this file be start uploading right away.

    • You can upload zip/rar file to request multiple parts with same material and process.
    • You can click + button to add more rows with other materials/processes.

    FILE TYPES

    You can upload the following file-types:
    DAE, OBJ, STL, X3D, X3DB, X3DV, WRL

    For textured files (to print in full color materials), upload a ZIP folder containing the 3D file and the texture file in one of the acceptable formats:
    3D files: DAE, WRL, X3D, X3DB, X3DV
    Texture files: GIF, JPG, PNG
    Make sure the ZIP folder contains these files only, and that they’re not in an extra folder within the ZIP folder.

    SIZE LIMITS

    We can only accept files that are smaller than 200 MB. If your file exceeds this limit, consider either compressing the file to a ZIP folder, and/or reducing the polygon count of your model.

  • Why was my request rejected?

    Dealing with rejections is one of the most difficult processes at FacFox, and it can be confusing at times. We are always trying to provide as much information and guidance as possible when processing rejections in order to help your model print successfully.

    Automatic vs. manual checks
    When you upload a model to FacFox Insta3DP, you can check it in 3D preview to see if our system caught any major issues. This system is perfect for last minute check of the size and structure of your model before you order it.

    If your model passes the initial printability checks and wall thickness check online, this does not mean your item is printable. The initial check only verifies that your item fits in the required bounding box for the material, the wall thickness check only checks to see if any parts are below the minimum wall thickness. So it does not check to see if the geometry allows your model to be printed. Details, sprues, and wire thickness also need to be reviewed manually after an order is placed.

    Notifications
    We always contact you using the email address that is linked to your account.
    The email will contain the rejection reason, suggestions to fix an issue, and a screenshot showing the affected area.

    If you’ve missed a notice that your model was cancelled/rejected, please check you email (and your SPAM folder) for more information.

    What do I do after my model has been rejected?
    It’s important to make sure that your model meets the design guidelines of the material you have selected. In order to create a successful model that’s printable, please make sure you follow our 3D Printing Checklist before uploading your model.

    You can always see the design guidelines by going to the Materials Hub, clicking on the material you’re interested in, and selecting the Design Guidelines tab on the top.

    The rejection email will contain a link to the “Repair and Update” page where you can take action, either by updating the model with a revised version, print it anyway (if ordered material is eligible for this feature), or remove the model from your order.

    Alternatively, on your Orders page, you will be able to take action as well.

    Modify Step

    If the model has any issue, we will show you the reason and give you multiple options to proceed via email notification and support message.

    Print It Anyway (PITA): If you deem the areas mentioned in the pictures and explanation are acceptable and you want to take the risk to print it anyway, use this feature.

    Note that by selecting this feature, you’re not eligible for a refund or reprint.

    Cancel Request/Order: If you are unable to fix the problematic areas or do not want to continue with this model, this feature allows you to remove it from your order. A refund will automatically be processed in case you have been charged, if your order has not been charged yet, the payment will simply be voided for this model.

    Repair and Update FAQ
    Q: My revised version uses more volume than the threshold accepts.
    A: We recommend to use the Cancel Order Item function and place a separate order for the revised model instead.

    If your order contains multiple models, but only one needs to be reordered, you can easily create a separate order and select Combined Shipment in service.This way the new order with the revised model will be shipped together with the original order, free of additional Shipping Charges.

    Q: Can I change the material instead of updating my model?
    A: While this feature doesn’t allow you to change the material upon a rejection, you can use the procedure in the FAQ question above to cancel the model and place a new order with the revised material instead.

    Success rate
    Each printing attempt counts towards total success rate of your model.
    It is possible for models to print successfully sometimes and fail at other times. This happens with models that have parts that are either under our design guidelines or just at the cusp. Sometimes they will still survive the entire production process, but this does not mean that trend will persist. To keep track of this we have created a success rate system which you can learn more about here.

    If your model is accepted and is on the edge of our guidelines, we will try to print it for you. That said, depending on the geometry of the model, sometimes we see that these attempts may fail.
    With every reprint a success rate is recalculated. If this rate drops below 80%, the model is rechecked. If the rate is below 50%, we will reject this model.

  • What’s the status of my order?

    For Manual Review orders, you can see the order list here.

    For Insta3DP orders, you can see the order detail here.

    If you still have question, click to chat with us
    or open support ticket.

Payment 4 questions
  • What payment options do I have?

    Currently all our quotes are based on USD. We partner with PayPal and Stripe, you can either pay with PayPal or credit card.

    • For Insta3DP(beta) orders, the only payment gateway is PayPal for now, but you can still add credit card to PayPal account and pay with card.
    • For Manual Review orders, we support PayPal and Stripe credit card payment.
    • For our manual sent invoice, both PayPal and Stripe credit card payment are available.
  • Why is the actual payment amount different from the quotation?

    This only happends on Manual Review orders, the difference is caused by fluctuation of the exchange rate, since we have a base price in CNY and it will be automatically converted to USD, by the time you pay for the order, the exchange rate has changed and so will your payment amount.

  • How can I get invoice for my payment?

    All invoices are sent via email notification.

    • Insta3DP: It will be sent automatically after you confirm the order. You can download it via the link sent in email.
    • Manual Review: There’ll be 2 separated invoices: Manufacturing cost invoice and shipping cost invoice. Both will only be sent with email attachments after your payment.
    • Manual quotes: The quotation will be converted to invoice right after you confirm the quotes, and you can pay directly online using PayPal or credit card.
  • Why is the payment amount different from quotation?

    The quotation was based on real-time CNY-USD conversion rate we sent the quotation, and by the time you pay for the order, the conversion rate might fluctuate, that’s why the final payment amount differs from the quotation.

Production 2 questions
  • What’s the biggest and smallest size you can 3D print?

    The build size differs among different types of printers, here’re some common size limits of our equipments:

    Process Max Build Volume (mm) Minimum Detail (mm)
    FDM 7000 x 3000 x 1500 0.5
    SLA 2400 x 800 x 800 0.4-0.6 / 0.002*
    SLS 700 x 380 x 580 0.6-0.8
    MJF 380 x 284 x 380 0.4-0.6
    DMLS 500 x 500 x 1000 0.5-0.8
    PolyJet 490 x 390 x 200 0.6
    MJP 294 x 211 x 144 0.2
    CJP 254 x 381 x 203 0.8
    Wax Jetting 298 x 185 x 203 0.018

    * The minimum detail of 0.002mm is only for SLA microscopic resin, which has high printing cost.

    The minimum detail doesn’t correspond to the max build volume, in most cases, they can’t be achieved in the same printer.

    If your model exceeds the max build size of the printer, you could either adjust the size or break the model into parts to print in sections then assemble them.

  • When will my orders be shipped?
Shipping 6 questions
  • Does FacFox ship worldwide?

    FacFox is proud to ship your order almost anywhere in the world!

    Non-serviceable Countries:

    Due to service limitations by our carriers as a result of internal policies or international trade embargoes and economic sanctions, we are unable to ship to the following countries. More information can be found at the websites of our offcial shipping partners: UPS, DHL, FedEx, TNT, EMS, DPEX etc.

    We are unable to ship to the following countries:

    • AC Ascension Islands
    • AQ Antarctica
    • BV Bouvet Island
    • CC Cocos (Keeling) Islands
    • EH Western Sahara
    • GS South Georgia & South Sandwich Is.
    • HM Heard and McDonald Islands
    • IO British Indies Chagos
    • MI Midway
    • PM Saint Pierre and Miquelon
    • PN Pitcairn
    • SO Somalia
    • TF French Southern Territories
    • TK Tokelau
    • WK Wake Island

    If your country is not on this list, we can ship to you 🙂

  • Can I choose courier or use my own shipping account?

    We don’t recommend you to select courier by yourself for 2 reasons:

    1. Pricing: We have long-term partnership with couriers like DHL, UPS, FedEx, EMS etc, our pricing is definitely lower than any shipping account of your own.
    2. Handling time: We have automatic workflow of packing and shipping, every package will be shipped with the option given your deadline. If you choose your own couier, we have to process it manually and that will take longer time and handling fee.

    If you insist on choosing a specific courier or using your own account, please leave a note while submitting orders. You can find the Note field in order submission.

  • Where do you ship my orders from?

    We will ship your orders from China mainland, our manufacturing facilities locate in many cities all over Chinese mainland, but all orders will be shipped from shipping warehouse in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

  • Will there be import tax/tariff for my orders?

    At FacFox, we will declare the goods as ‘sample’ or ‘prototype’ for low quantity orders, and we will declare the value of your goods as end products, which will be much lower than costs of making prototypes or small batch samples. And we normally declare the values as samples/gifts under $30 USD.

    However we cannot guarantee that there’s no tariff or low import tax. Custom policies vary in different regions, the customs might decide the type and value of goods by themself regardless of what we declared. See this article of tariff threshold in different countries.
  • What’s the shipping cost?

    About shipping time/cost

    2 main factors affect your shipping time and cost.

    1. The courier you choose

    We have flexible plans from 1-3 days (expensive), 3-5 days(regular) to 5-12 days (economic) and sea freight (3-4 weeks).

    2. The size of your package

    The larger/heavier the package is, the higher the cost will be. Please note most express charge the HIGHER value between package size and actual weight.

    Anyway, we will always choose the best plan according to your needs☺️

  • Will multiple orders be shipped in same package?

    First of all, we highly recommend you to submit one order at a time with all required parts, you can upload unlimited number of files by compressing them into zip/rar folder.

    If you place multiple orders, by default they won’t be shipped in the same package.

    If you’ve made specific request to ship your multiple orders at the same time, we can handle it, but please note we don’t guarantee that we will pack all parts in same box, there might be multiple boxes in the same shipment, we do this because we want to ensure the parts are well protected in the cartoons, the larger the cartoon is, the higher risk of damage. We will weigh the balance between shipping cost and safety of the goods.

    We won’t inform you on quantity of the cartoons. And please note: The shipping cost of combined multiple orders will not be cheaper than shipping them separately in many situation, especially when the orders contain large items.
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