Plastic 3D printing (FDM)

How it works

FDM (fused deposition modeling) printers lay down melted plastic one thin layer at a time. It’s the best value for working parts: brackets, mounts, enclosures, jigs, tools, replacement parts and large pieces. Every part is printed in our own production facility and checked by an engineer before we print it.

Plastics

• Everyday: PLA (lowest cost, best surface), PETG (our everyday functional plastic), TPU (flexible), ABS and ASA (heat and outdoors).
• Engineering: polycarbonate, carbon fiber and glass fiber plastics (stiff, stay flat on large parts), high-temperature PPA and PPS, plus lightweight and springy specialty plastics.

Compare every plastic, or press Help me choose after uploading and tell us what the part does.

Strength options

Printed plastic parts have solid walls and a honeycomb-like fill inside. You choose how much plastic goes in:

• Economy: lightest, lowest cost.
• Balanced: everyday strength.
• Strong: extra walls & fill, for parts under load.
• Heavy: strongest; dense enough to sink.

Engineers can set their own walls, fill and layer height under Advanced options on the price page (layers from 0.08 to 0.28 mm; 0.18 / 0.24 / 0.3 mm for fiber-filled plastics). A project file from Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer or PrusaSlicer brings its own settings with it.

Sizes

• Up to 325 × 320 × 325 mm (12.8 × 12.6 × 12.8 in) in one piece; 300 mm wide when a part needs a second, breakaway support material.
• Bigger parts can be printed in up to 16 pieces. The seams show and we don’t glue them together; the price page asks you to confirm first.
• The smallest walls we print reliably are 0.8 mm thick. See the design guidelines.

What to expect

• Fine layer lines are visible up close, especially on curved and sloped faces.
• Overhangs need support, which leaves rougher marks where it touched. We orient every part to keep that to a minimum.
• Accuracy is typically within a few tenths of a millimeter; for tight fits, leave clearance (see the guidelines).
• We don’t sand or smooth plastic parts for now. For a smooth, molded look, choose resin.