How Ultracut Australia Accelerated Prototyping with the Mingda MD400D

June 2025 Industry: OEM Machine Builders
Customer: Ultracut Australia
Interviewee: Garth Jacobs, Director
3D Printer: Mingda MD400D

Revolutionising Prototyping with Industrial-Grade 3D Printing

Ultracut Australia is a leader in custom-built machinery for the textile and soft furnishings industry. With decades of engineering expertise and a growing global footprint, they’re known for delivering high-quality, bespoke equipment to clients worldwide.

Until recently, their prototyping process was dependent on CNC machining — a reliable but time-consuming and costly solution. Setting up a basic jig or fixture used to take up to four hours on a CNC machine. That’s when Director Garth Jacobs decided it was time to explore a faster, more agile approach.

3D Printed Cutting Jigs

Jigs printed on the Mingda3D MD-400D

The Shift to Additive Manufacturing

Enter the Mingda MD400D, Ultracut’s first-ever 3D printer. After researching his options, Garth selected the MD400D for its generous 400mm³ build volume, high-speed printing, and industrial-grade reliability. Although new to Additive Manufacturing, Garth was up and running quickly thanks to exceptional after-sales support from Bilby3D and Mingda — including a hands-on site visit that helped fast-track the setup process.

3D Printing Fixtures

Fixtures printing on the Mingda3D MD-400D

Key Results

Setup Time Cut by 90% “Going from a 4-hour CNC setup to a few minutes with the MD400D has been a game-changer.”

Cost Reduction Material costs for 3D printing are significantly lower than CNC machining, allowing more iterations at reduced expense.

Faster Prototyping With the MD400D, Ultracut can quickly test and refine parts like jigs and fixtures, accelerating development without clogging up CNC resources.

Scalability The large build size and IDEX dual-extrusion capability give Garth room to scale up designs or mirror-print parts — functionality he plans to explore further.

The Mingda3D MD-400D IDEX 3D Printer

Looking Ahead

Ultracut is now exploring ways to push their 3D printing capabilities even further. Garth is interested in metal 3D printing and unlocking more potential from the IDEX feature on the MD400D.

“Having the ability to prototype and produce usable parts quickly and cost-effectively has changed how we work. The MD400D has opened up a whole new level of flexibility for us.”

Thinking of Bringing 3D Printing In-House?

If you're in manufacturing and still relying solely on CNC or outsourcing prototypes, the Mingda MD400D could be your next smart move. Like Ultracut, you can reduce costs, improve lead times, and bring development under your own roof — with expert support to back you up.

Get in touch for more info or quote today. www.b3d.com.au 1800-847-333

More: Production

Also: Prototyping