Plastic parts without tooling costs
An injection mould only pays off above a certain volume. Below that, printing is often cheaper, available sooner and allows changes at any time. We run the numbers for your part.
Price right after upload
Where printing replaces moulding
Typical cases from machinery and equipment.
Low annual volumes
A few hundred parts a year, spread over call-offs.
Many variants
Same part in many sizes or versions.
Frequent changes
Design not yet frozen.
End-of-life parts
Mould worn out or gone.
Suitable materials
Many moulding materials have a filament counterpart. We select by temperature, strength and environment.
- PA12Tough, low-friction nylon for functional mechanical parts.
- PC-ABSPolycarbonate-ABS blend - strength of PC, processability of ABS.
- ASAThe outdoor specialist - ABS mechanics with true UV stability.
- PA6-GFGlass-filled PA6 - tough, stiff and impact resistant.
- PETGTough everyday material with grade-dependent compliance options.
What belongs in the calculation
- 01Tooling cost and lead time.
- 02Annual volume and how certain it is.
- 03Cost of stocking pre-produced parts.
- 04Likelihood of design changes.
Unit price isn't the whole story
At larger volumes moulding almost always wins on unit price. But tooling, minimum quantities, stock and change costs add up. At low volumes the picture often reverses.
We show you honestly where the break-even lies for your part. If moulding is the better choice, we say so.
Manufacturing data at a glance
- Location
- Schleswig, Germany
- Part size
- up to approx. 250 x 250 x 250 mm, larger parts split and joined
- Quantities
- 1 to several thousand, no minimum order quantity
- Tolerances
- approx. ±0.2 mm for PLA, PETG and carbon grades, ±0.3 mm for ABS, ASA and PC
- Layer height
- 0.10 to 0.30 mm
- Materials
- 20 engineering filaments from PLA to PA12-CF and PC FR
- File formats
- STEP, STL, 3MF, OBJ, IGES up to 200 MB
- Lead time
- 2 to 4 working days for samples, 4 to 15 working days for series
Upload Your File for Instant Pricing
Receive fast pricing and manufacturing feedback in minutes. STEP, STL, 3MF and OBJ supported.
Comparison FAQ
At what volume does moulding pay off?
It depends heavily on part size and tooling. A blanket number would be misleading. Send us the part and we calculate both routes.
Is a printed part as strong as a moulded part?
Not quite. Within the layer plane a printed part reaches a good share of the strength, between layers considerably less. With the right orientation and material that is enough for many applications.
Can I switch to moulding later?
Yes. If volume grows, printing bridges to the mould.
How do I get a price?
Upload your STEP or STL file in the instant quote. You see the price immediately, and we check the file for problems before production.
Which information is needed for 3D printing instead of moulding?
Send a STEP file where possible, together with quantity, operating temperature, load, environmental conditions and critical dimensions. This lets us define material, orientation, production strategy and inspection effort for the part.
Read next
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One good print proves nothing about the two hundredth. What makes a batch repeatable.
What Determines the Cost of 3D Printing Service
Machine time, not material weight, sets the price. Here is what moves the cost and how to design parts that print cheaper.