Prototypes and short runs
3D printing for businesses: prototypes and short runs
3D printing to order, with an engineer on the job: Instant Engineering in Opole, Poland, prints prototypes and short runs of parts for businesses, from a single piece to hundreds, with no tooling costs. Got a file? We check it for printing and choose the process. No file? We design the part.
Printing is the last step, not the first
Most enquiries start with an STL file and a question about price. Yet whether the part works, and what it costs, is decided earlier: the process, the material, its orientation in the build, wall thicknesses, how it joins the rest of the product. The same file in FDM, MJF and SLS gives three different parts at three different prices.
So before we print anything, we look at the part as a design engineer would. A small change to the model often shortens the print, removes supports or swaps an expensive finish for a cheaper one. If there is no file, we start with the design or by measuring the existing part.
We mostly work with businesses, on parts that have to work: housings, handles, adapters, jigs, spare parts, branded merchandise in runs. Single figurines or trinkets from someone else's files online are not really what we do. We ship from Opole across Poland.
When it makes sense
- You need a prototype to check dimensions, assembly or ergonomics before ordering a mould or machining.
- The run is too small for injection moulding: dozens or hundreds of pieces, and more for simple parts.
- The part has channels, lattices or a shape that cannot be machined or cast without several operations.
- You want to order in batches without holding stock: we keep the files and reprint when you ask.
- All you have is a photo, a sketch or a worn part, and you need a few pieces.
What you get
- Finished parts in the agreed process, material and finish.
- A test piece before the run when the part is new.
- An updated STEP model if we changed the geometry for printing.
- A model and a drawing if we designed or reverse-engineered the part from scratch.
- As the run grows: documentation for CNC machining or injection moulding.
How an order runs
Lead times are typical for parts of simple and medium geometry. For complex assemblies we confirm them after seeing the files.
- 01
A file, a photo or a description
Send a STEP, an STL, a drawing or photos, with what the part does and how many you need. We reply within 1 working day.
- 02
Review and process choice
We check the model for printing and propose a process, material and finish, plus geometry changes where needed. A quote with options.
- 03
A test piece
For a new part we first make one piece in plastic, usually in 2 to 4 days. You check the fit and assembly before the run starts.
- 04
The run
FDM is printed in our own studio. MJF and SLS go to a network of trusted plants in Poland: 3 to 5 working days, plus 1 to 3 days for each finish.
- 05
Inspection and shipping
We inspect, sort and pack the parts and ship them. We keep the files for reprints.
How we choose the process
FDM suits prototypes, jigs and runs of simple parts: it is fast and inexpensive in short batches. MJF and SLS (PA12 powder) give strong parts with no supports and an even surface, good for housings, handles and parts with internal channels. Typical MJF and SLS tolerance is ±0.3 %, but not less than ±0.3 mm. We choose resin for fine detail.
The price of SLS or MJF printing depends mainly on the part's volume, the height it takes up in the build, the quantity and the finish (dyeing, smoothing, paint). That is why we do not publish a price list: an engineer quotes each part within 1 working day and often shows how a different orientation or wall thickness brings the cost down.
When the run grows and printing stops paying off, we prepare the part for CNC machining or injection moulding and arrange production. A shape already proven in print moves on without guesswork.
Prototypes and runs we have made
Frequently asked questions
How much does 3D printing to order cost?
It depends on the process, the part's volume, its height in the build, the quantity and the finish. We do not publish a price list because the same file costs very different amounts in different processes. You get a quote with options within 1 working day.
Can I get an online 3D printing quote?
You send the file through the quote form on the site, but an engineer works out the price, not a calculator. We reply within 1 working day, often suggesting a cheaper process or a small change to the model.
What drives the price of SLS and MJF printing?
Mainly the part's volume and the height it takes up in the build, as that is what the plant charges for. Then the quantity and the finish: dyeing, smoothing, paint. A lighter geometry and a good orientation can cut the cost noticeably.
How long does a short run take?
A plastic test piece usually takes 2 to 4 days. A run in MJF or SLS typically takes 3 to 5 working days, and each finish adds 1 to 3 days.
How many pieces can a run include?
From a single piece to hundreds, and for small, simple parts a few thousand. For every run we check whether printing still pays off and tell you plainly when CNC or injection moulding would be better.
I have no 3D file. Can you still print the part?
Yes. We design the part from scratch from a description and a sketch, or rebuild it from an existing sample by measuring or scanning it. Measurement, a STEP model and a drawing usually take 2 to 5 days.
Do you print for private customers?
We mostly work with businesses. We help private customers when the part has to work, for example a component for a classic car. We do not print single figurines or trinkets from ready-made files found online.
Do you sign an NDA?
We sign a confidentiality agreement on request. Files go only to the plant that makes the part, and we never publish a project without the client's consent.
More in the knowledge base
A test print before metal: a cheap mistake instead of an expensive one
The most expensive mistake is the one you only see after the part comes off the machine. A plastic print lets you catch it earlier, for a fraction of the cost.
FDM, MJF, SLS: when plastic can replace metal, and when it cannot
3D printing will not replace the steel in a machine frame. It does, more and more often, replace machined covers, brackets and adapters. A short guide: technologies, materials and five questions that settle the choice.
Other services
Send a file or describe the part
A STEP, an STL, a drawing or a photo, plus how many pieces you need. Within 1 working day we come back with a process, options and a price.