Manchester's Precision 3D Printing & Bespoke CAD Design UK

Bespoke 3D printing prices start from as low as £15 for standard single parts. Pricing is calculated based on filament choice, overall part volume, model complexity, machine runtime, and any required post-processing. For high-volume production or batch manufacturing runs, unit pricing drops significantly.

There are several materials with different properties, use cases, and prices. The most common are listed below. Some materials come with Carbon or Glass Fibre additives, further enhancing their mechanical properties.

• PLA: Used for indoor applications, decorative items, general prototyping, and visual models.
• PETG: Similar structural properties to PLA but comes with enhanced UV resistance, weather resistance, and a higher heat deflection temperature, making it excellent for outdoor applications.
• TPU: A flexible engineering elastomer offering outstanding impact resistance, vibration dampening, and extreme durability under repetitive stress.
• ASA: An industrial-grade alternative to standard polymers, offering exceptional UV stability and thermal resistance for highly demanding outdoor environments.
• PA (Nylon): A high-performance engineering thermoplastic featuring excellent mechanical strength, low friction, and high wear resistance, ideal for functional gears and hinges.

You don't need a professional file to get started! A simple paper sketch, reference photos, or photos with rough dimensions drawn on them work perfectly. If it is an existing or broken component, just providing the manufacturer or model number is often enough. In short: give me all the details you can to get us started, and I will guide you through the rest of the design process.

Additionally, you can easily browse free online repositories like MakerWorld, Printables, Cults3D, or Thingiverse for inspiration and pre-made models.

Rapid prototyping is a highly collaborative process that typically takes about a week, depending on communication and the complexity of the part. Here is what a best-case timeline looks like:

• Day 1: You provide all the project details, sketches, or physical parts.
• Day 2: I complete the initial digital modelling.
• Day 3: The first physical prototype is printed and ready.
• Day 4-5: We review the prototype together (in person or via post) to confirm fitment and functionality.
• Day 6+: Once all sides are completely happy, we move straight into final production printing.

• FDM 3D Printing: Manufacturing physical components directly from a finished digital CAD file you provide.
• Rapid Prototyping: A collaborative development process where we turn your rough concept into physical, testable iterations to perfect the fit and function.
• Reverse Engineering: Digitally recreating a physical object—such as a broken bracket or obsolete automotive part—from scratch using callipers and industrial digital modelling so it can be manufactured again.

FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) works by melting plastic filament and extruding it layer by layer to build a 3D part. Due to the nature of this process, the surface of the final part will always feature visible layer lines. The overall strength, detail, and print time depend on the settings we choose:

• Standard Detail (0.2mm layer height): The best balance of strength, print speed, and visual quality. This is the industry standard and ideal for most functional parts.
• Fine Detail (0.12mm - 0.16mm layer height): Produces a much smoother surface finish for highly detailed models, but takes significantly longer to print.
• Draft/Fast Print (0.28mm+ layer height): Faster and cheaper. Perfect for quick, rough prototypes where checking the basic size is more important than surface finish.

If you require a completely smooth exterior, the FDM surface can easily be sanded and primed post-production for a perfect paint finish.

Our multi-unit print fleet consistently achieves dimensional accuracy within +/- 0.1mm to 0.2mm. By carefully calibrating flow rates and compensating for material shrinkage—especially with engineering polymers—we ensure that functional parts, mounting holes, and interlocking mechanical assemblies fit together perfectly the first time.

Yes. We operate a multi-unit print farm capable of parallel batch manufacturing. This easily handles batch production runs ranging from tens to hundreds of components. 3D-printed batch manufacturing eliminates costly tooling and mould fees, making it the most cost-effective solution for small businesses and bespoke product launches.

Our fleet features a massive build volume of 350 x 320 x 325 mm, allowing us to print very large components seamlessly in a single piece. If your project exceeds these dimensions, we can intelligently split the digital model into interlocking sections that are printed separately and securely bonded together.