3D printing on demand: what I print, in what, and when it pays off

Alongside the automation work I have two 3D printers in the workshop, Anycubic Kobra S1 machines, and modelling software. It started with sensor brackets for my own projects, because nothing off the shelf fitted, and then clients started asking for other things. Today it is a service of its own. This post covers what I can print for you, in which materials, how long it takes, and when 3D printing makes sense versus ordering machining or a mould.

What I print most often

Spare parts. The plastic latch in the lid of a packing machine that snapped and the manufacturer no longer sells, because the model is 12 years old. The roll holder in a label printer. The knob on a mixer. These are the most common jobs and the ones that bring the most relief: the machine is down, and a new part arrives in two days instead of three weeks from Germany.

Prototypes. Before you order an injection mould for tens of thousands, it is worth holding the housing in your hand, checking whether the board fits and the screws line up with the holes. Three iterations in a week instead of one a month.

Mounts for automation. Brackets for sensors, cameras, barcode readers, cable guides. Every shop floor has different profiles and angles, so ready-made mounts rarely fit.

Short runs and gadgets. From one piece to a few hundred: caps, markers, branded keyrings for trade fairs, business card holders shaped like the client's product.

Materials and why they matter

PLA is the cheapest and the best looking, fine for models, gadgets and prototypes that do not live in heat. PETG is stiff, resists moisture and light knocks, so it is the default for working parts. TPU is flexible like rubber: dampers, caps, seals. ABS and ASA take temperature and sunlight, so they go on parts under the bonnet, next to motors and outdoors.

The Kobra S1 has an enclosed chamber, which matters for ABS and ASA: without a steady chamber temperature those prints crack along the layers. The build volume is 250 × 250 × 250 mm; larger things I print in sections joined with pins or glue.

Uwaga: FDM prints have visible layers you can feel under your finger. For mechanical parts that does not matter. For parts that should look like they came from a factory, sanding and painting are worth adding, and I quote them separately.

No file

Most spare part jobs arrive without a file, because where would it come from. You send a photo of the broken part with calipers or a ruler in the frame, a few dimensions, or best of all the part itself by courier. I model it, send a preview for approval and print it. You get the STEP and STL files together with the print, so next time you can print it anywhere, including at a competitor.

How long it takes

A single spare part: quote the same day, print the next, parcel a day later. A housing prototype with modelling: two to four working days. A run of 200 keyrings: about a week, because both printers run in parallel while I do automation work in the meantime.

When 3D printing makes no sense

At a few thousand pieces of the same part an injection mould works out cheaper per piece, even counting the mould. Metal parts under heavy load I would also rather send to a machine shop; I can print a pattern to check the fit, but not the load-bearing part. And if you need something today rather than tomorrow, better call, because the queue on the printers varies.

How to ask for a quote

The form on the site, topic "3D printing and modelling", and in the message: what it is for, how many pieces, which material (if you know) and when you need it. An STL, STEP or 3MF file, a photo or a sketch with dimensions. I reply with a price and lead time, usually the same day. I do not publish a price list, because the price depends on volume, material and print time rather than on the piece, and I would rather give you a concrete number than a range.