Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

North Sea 3D Ltd, also known as NS3D, provides professional 3D printing, rapid prototyping, additive manufacturing, engineering support and browser-based 3D file tools.

For the purposes of UK data protection law, North Sea 3D Ltd is the data controller for personal information where we determine how and why that information is processed.

You can contact us about privacy or data protection matters at info@ns-3d.com or through our contact page.

2. Information We May Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with NS3D. It may include:

• Your name, job title and organisation.
• Email address and telephone number.
• Billing, delivery and transaction information.
• Information supplied through contact or quotation forms.
• Details relating to enquiries, quotations, orders and customer projects.
• CAD models, drawings, STL or STEP files, images, specifications and other technical information that you choose to provide to us.
• Correspondence between you and NS3D.
• Website and device information such as pages viewed, browser and device type, referral source and approximate geographic information where collected through permitted analytics technologies.

Our public enquiry form is not intended for special-category personal data, security-classified information, export-controlled technical data, ITAR-controlled data or other highly sensitive material. Please contact NS3D first if a project requires enhanced confidentiality or information-handling arrangements.

3. How We Collect Information

We may collect information directly from you when you:

• Contact NS3D by email, telephone or through the website.
• Request a quotation or submit a project enquiry.
• Place an order or enter into a contract with us.
• Supply CAD files, drawings or other technical information.
• Communicate with us during or after a customer project.
• Choose to enable optional analytics technologies on our website.

We may also receive business contact information from an organisation you work for or from publicly available business sources where it is reasonable and lawful for us to do so.

4. How We Use Personal Information

We may use personal information to:

• Respond to enquiries and requests for information.
• Assess project requirements and prepare quotations.
• Enter into and perform contracts.
• Process and fulfil orders.
• Manufacture components to agreed customer requirements.
• Provide engineering and technical support.
• Communicate regarding current or previous projects.
• Manage invoicing, payment, accounting and business records.
• Maintain appropriate quality, traceability and project records.
• Protect the security, availability and integrity of our website and systems.
• Understand website usage where optional analytics are permitted.
• Improve our website, services and browser-based tools.
• Establish, exercise or defend legal rights and comply with legal or regulatory obligations.

5. Lawful Bases for Processing

UK data protection law requires us to have a lawful basis for processing personal information. Depending on the circumstances, NS3D may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract and Steps Before Entering a Contract

Processing may be necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, including assessing an enquiry and preparing a quotation, or to perform a contract once agreed.

Legitimate Interests

We may process information where reasonably necessary for our legitimate business interests, including customer and supplier communication, maintaining business records, improving services, preventing misuse, protecting our systems and managing commercial relationships, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.

Legal Obligation

We may process and retain information where necessary to comply with legal, taxation, accounting, regulatory or other statutory obligations.

Consent

Where consent is required, we may rely on consent for specific activities such as optional analytics technologies or certain forms of marketing. Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

6. Website Analytics, Google Tag Manager and Consent Mode

NS3D uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to help us understand how visitors use the website and our online tools. Google Tag Manager (GTM) is used to manage the Google analytics tag and related measurement configuration.

NS3D uses Google Consent Mode v2. On first load, analytics storage and advertising-related consent signals are set to denied by default. If you choose to allow analytics through our consent manager, the analytics storage setting is updated to granted and GA4 may use analytics cookies and related measurement technologies.

Our current implementation uses Google's advanced consent mode. When analytics consent is denied, Google Analytics does not read or write analytics cookies for that purpose, but Google tags may transmit limited cookieless measurement signals. Google may use those signals for measurement and modelling in accordance with its own documentation and terms.

GA4 may provide NS3D with aggregated or pseudonymous information about website usage, including pages viewed, engagement, approximate geographic area, device/browser information, referral source and similar website-performance information.

We do not use GA4 to collect information that is intended to directly identify you by name, and we do not intentionally send enquiry-form content, CAD files or customer project details to Google Analytics.

Further information about the technologies used, their purposes and how to change your preferences is provided in our Cookie Policy.

7. Cookies and Similar Technologies

NS3D uses cookies and similar storage or access technologies for website operation, consent management and, where permitted, analytics.

We use the self-hosted Klaro consent manager to record and apply your privacy choices. Klaro stores a consent preference in your browser so that your choice can be remembered across pages and future visits for the configured period.

Non-essential analytics technologies are controlled through the consent interface. You may accept, decline or manage optional technologies, and you can change your choice later using the Cookie Settings link in the website footer.

Please see our Cookie Policy for more information.

8. Online 3D File Tools

NS3D provides browser-based tools including STL and STEP viewers, mesh analysis and repair tools, G-code tools, file converters and other 3D-related utilities.

File-processing behaviour can vary between individual tools. Where a tool states that processing takes place locally in your browser, the file does not need to be transferred to NS3D solely for that processing.

If a current or future tool requires server-side processing, upload, cloud processing or storage, we will provide appropriate information about that processing before or when the relevant functionality is used.

Do not use the public browser tools to process or transmit security-classified, export-controlled, ITAR-controlled or other restricted information unless you have independently confirmed that the applicable processing arrangements are suitable and lawful for that information.

9. Enquiry Forms, Uploaded Files and Technical Data

Our public project-enquiry form may collect contact information, project requirements and an optional supporting file. The form is processed server-side and delivered to an NS3D-controlled email account using authenticated mail transport.

Files submitted through the enquiry form are handled transiently by the web server during submission and are not intentionally copied by the form handler into a publicly accessible upload directory. Once delivered, the enquiry and any attachment may exist within NS3D email systems, backups and project records for as long as reasonably required for the relevant enquiry or project.

The public form is intended for ordinary project enquiries only. Do not submit security-classified, export-controlled, ITAR-controlled or highly sensitive technical data through the public form. For sensitive projects, provide only the minimum information required for initial contact so that confidentiality, contractual and secure-transfer requirements can be agreed first.

Customer CAD files, drawings, specifications and other technical information are used only for purposes reasonably connected with the enquiry or project, such as assessing feasibility, preparing a quotation, manufacturing components, providing engineering support and maintaining appropriate records.

We will not knowingly publish confidential customer technical information or use it for marketing without an appropriate permission or other lawful basis. Where an NDA or other confidentiality agreement applies, we will handle information in accordance with that agreement.

10. Who We Share Information With

NS3D does not sell personal information.

Where reasonably necessary, information may be shared with or processed by:

• Krystal Hosting and related infrastructure providers used for website hosting, email and technical services.
• Google, where permitted, in connection with Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager and consent-mode measurement.
• Payment, banking and accounting providers.
• Accountants, legal advisers, insurers and other professional advisers.
• Delivery, postal and courier providers.
• Manufacturing or specialist subcontractors where reasonably necessary to fulfil an agreed project.
• Government authorities, regulators, courts or law-enforcement bodies where disclosure is required or permitted by law.

Klaro is currently self-hosted by NS3D as part of the website consent interface; the consent-manager software itself is not a separate hosted analytics service.

Where third parties process personal information on our behalf, we seek to use providers and arrangements appropriate to the nature of the processing.

11. International Transfers

Some service providers, including Google, may process information in countries outside the United Kingdom.

Where UK personal data is transferred internationally, we will use or rely on an applicable lawful transfer mechanism where required, such as UK adequacy regulations or recognised contractual safeguards made available by the relevant provider.

12. How Long We Keep Information

NS3D retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, taking account of legal, accounting, contractual, quality, warranty, dispute-resolution and legitimate business requirements.

Enquiries that do not progress may be retained for a reasonable period so that we can respond to follow-up correspondence, maintain an appropriate business record and protect our legal interests, after which they may be deleted or anonymised when no longer required.

Records associated with quotations, contracts, invoices, transactions and completed customer projects may need to be kept for longer periods to meet legal, tax, accounting, contractual, traceability or quality requirements.

Consent preferences stored by Klaro and analytics-related retention are described further in the Cookie Policy. Retention settings for third-party services may also be governed by the provider's configuration and terms.

13. Information Security and Sensitive Projects

NS3D takes reasonable technical and organisational measures intended to protect personal information and customer data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

Measures used for the public website include HTTPS transport, controlled server-side form processing, authenticated email transport, restricted access to server configuration and keeping mail credentials outside the public website directory.

The public website and enquiry form are not presented as an approved channel for security-classified, ITAR-controlled, export-controlled or similarly restricted technical data. Customers with sensitive projects should contact NS3D before transmitting detailed information so that appropriate confidentiality, access-control and transfer arrangements can be considered.

No internet transmission, email system or electronic storage environment can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

14. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you may have rights including:

• The right to be informed about how your personal information is used.
• The right to request access to personal information we hold about you.
• The right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• The right to request deletion of information in certain circumstances.
• The right to request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
• The right to object to certain processing.
• The right to data portability where applicable.
• The right to withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to statutory conditions or exemptions.

To exercise a data-protection right, contact info@ns-3d.com.

15. Marketing Communications

Submitting a project enquiry does not automatically subscribe you to general marketing communications.

NS3D may communicate with existing or prospective business customers about relevant services where permitted by applicable law. Where consent is required, we will seek that consent.

You may ask us to stop marketing communications at any time.

16. Automated Decision-Making

NS3D does not currently use the public website, enquiry form or Google Analytics to make decisions about individuals based solely on automated processing where those decisions have legal or similarly significant effects.

17. Links to Other Websites

The NS3D website may contain links to customer, manufacturer, industry or other third-party websites. NS3D is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those external services. You should review the privacy information provided by the relevant third party.

18. Children's Privacy

NS3D's commercial services and engineering tools are not specifically directed at children, and we do not knowingly seek to collect children's personal information where it is not necessary or appropriate.

19. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to our website, services, suppliers, technology, business processes or legal requirements. The current version will be published on this page.

20. Contacting NS3D

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, our handling of personal information, or you wish to exercise a data-protection right, please contact:

North Sea 3D Ltd
Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom
Email: info@ns-3d.com

21. Complaints

If you have concerns about how NS3D handles your personal information, please contact us first so that we have an opportunity to investigate.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Information about making a complaint is available at ico.org.uk.

Last updated: 1 September 2026