What is 3mf?

What is the 3MF Consortium

The 3MF Consortium is an industry association formed to develop and promote a new full-fidelity file format for 3D printing/additive manufacturing, known as the 3D Manufacturing Format (3MF). This consortium came together to rectify the limitations of the existing file formats used in 3D printing, providing a standardized, more capable format that could handle the full range of additive manufacturing technologies from prototyping to production.

What is .3mf ?

The 3D Manufacturing Format (3MF) is a file format designed to allow design applications to send full-fidelity 3D models for additive manufacturing to other applications, platforms, services, and additive manufacturing hardware. The primary goal behind the creation of the 3MF file format is to establish a new standard for additive manufacturing which addresses the shortcomings and complexities of existing file formats, thereby making the various processes reliable, repeatable and scaleable through prototyping to production.

Learn more about the .3mf file format.

Why Use .3mf

The 3MF file format in additive manufacturing streamlines the transition from design to production by encapsulating comprehensive model data within a single, standardized file. The compact file ensures watertight models and a defined unit of scale, which are crucial for precise manufacturing. 3MF also encapsulates vital manufacturing metadata, enhancing the communication of design intent and other specifications. This amalgamation of features ensures a reliable, repeatable, and scalable process, making it an advantageous choice across professional and industrial realms.