3D printing tooling design — custom jigs, fixtures, and mold masters designed for additive.
Great tooling starts with great design. Our design engineering service creates custom jigs, fixtures, gauges, and mold masters optimized for 3D printing — leveraging geometric freedom that CNC machining cannot match. Conformal features, integrated channels, and organic structures that improve tooling performance.
Challenges we solve
What tooling design teams need from a 3D printing service
Designing tooling that leverages 3D printing
Copying a machined fixture design into 3D printing wastes the technology’s capabilities. We design from scratch — using geometric freedom to create tooling that performs better than machined alternatives.
Integrating with existing production processes
New tooling must work with your existing equipment, operators, and processes. We design to your production environment — not a theoretical ideal.
Optimizing for operator ergonomics
Tooling is handled thousands of times per shift. We design for weight, grip, and ease of use — reducing operator fatigue and improving production throughput.
Ensuring tooling durability
Production tooling must survive thousands of cycles. We select materials and design features for the expected cycle life of each tool.
Materials
Materials for tooling design
PC CF for maximum stiffness and heat resistance. Nylon PA12 for wear resistance. PETG for chemical exposure. Material selection is part of the design process — we match material to operating conditions.
PC CF
FDM · Shore D 83
Polycarbonate carbon fiber. High stiffness and heat resistance for demanding structural applications.
Nylon PA12
MJF · Shore D 73
Strong, lightweight, chemical resistant. The standard for functional end-use parts. Excellent fatigue resistance and consistent mechanical properties.
PETG
FDM · Shore D 74
Tough, chemical resistant, food-safe options. Good balance of strength and flexibility.
Common parts
What we build for tooling design
Built in our factory
Brooklyn, NY
How it works
Your project, step by step
Brief
Describe the operation, the part being worked on, and the requirements. Send part geometry and production environment photos.
Design
Our engineering team designs the tooling, optimized for additive manufacturing and your production environment.
Review
You review the design with your production team. We iterate until the tool meets every requirement.
Tooling produced in the selected material with orientation optimized for accuracy on contact surfaces.
Validate
Tool deployed on the production floor. We refine the design based on operator feedback if needed.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can you design tooling from just a description of the operation?
Yes. Send us the part geometry, photos of the operation, and a description of what the tool needs to do. We design from there.
How do you ensure the tool works on our line?
We design to your specific equipment, fixtures, and operator workflow. Photos and measurements of your production environment help us design tools that integrate seamlessly.
What if the tool needs modification after deployment?
Send feedback and we iterate the design. Reprinting a revised tool costs a fraction of re-machining and ships in days.
Other applications
Rapid Prototyping
Functional prototypes in 2–3 business days. Test form, fit, and function before committing to tooling.
Production Parts
Production-grade 3D printed parts at volume — without tooling investment.
Hardware Development
One vendor from first prototype to production parts — no retooling, no requalifying.
Large Format 3D Printing
Single pieces up to 1200mm — or seamless multi-part assemblies at any scale.
Tooling & Fixtures
Custom jigs, fixtures, and assembly aids — delivered in days, not weeks.
Bridge Manufacturing
Ship real product now. Transition to injection molding when you are ready.
Replacement & Spare Parts
Reproduce legacy parts, replace obsolete components, and eliminate spare parts inventory.
Custom Enclosures
Custom enclosures with snap-fits, bosses, and ventilation — production-grade, no tooling.
Low Volume Manufacturing
Manufacture 10 to 5,000 parts without tooling — scale up or down order by order.
Presentation Models & Props
Presentation-quality models, trade show props, and display pieces — finished and delivered on time.
Casting Patterns
3D printed casting patterns — clean burnout, fine detail, no traditional pattern tooling.
Medical & Anatomical Models
Anatomical models, surgical planning aids, and medical training tools — dimensionally accurate.
End-Use Consumer Products
Ship real products to real customers — without injection mold tooling.
Design Verification & Testing
DVT and EVT builds in production-representative materials — validate before you tool.
Product Design Validation
Test form, fit, and function with production-grade materials before committing to tooling.
Investor Samples
Presentation-quality parts that look and feel like the final product — built for boardrooms, pitch decks, and demo days.
Pre-Production Testing
Validate tolerances, material behavior, and assembly flow at low volume before committing to production.
Jigs and Fixtures
Custom tooling for your production line — printed and delivered in days, not weeks.
End-Use Production Parts
Parts that go directly into products your customers buy and use — not prototypes, not samples.
Supply Chain Supplementation
Fill gaps in your supply chain without retooling or waiting months for overseas shipments.
Low-Volume Serial Production
Hundreds to thousands of identical parts — no MOQ from a mold shop, no tooling investment.
Replacement Parts Programs
On-demand spares for legacy and current products — without warehousing inventory.
Architectural Models
Site models, facade studies, and presentation pieces at true scale — printed whole or assembled seamless.
Trade Show Builds
Oversized displays and product replicas built to withstand transport and handling — show-ready finish.
Industrial Housings and Enclosures
Full-size prototypes of panels, covers, and housings — validate before committing to sheet metal or tooling.
Tooling and Molds
Large-format mold masters and lay-up tools — printed faster than machined.
Props and Set Pieces
Camera-ready props for film, TV, and commercial production — on tight timelines.
Wind Tunnel Models
Dimensionally accurate aerodynamic test models at scale — smooth surfaces, tight tolerances.
Legacy Part Replacement
Reverse-engineer and reproduce discontinued parts from scans or drawings — no original tooling needed.
Part Consolidation
Combine multi-part assemblies into single printed components — fewer parts, fewer failure points.
Lightweighting
Topology optimization and lattice structures — cut weight without cutting strength.
Manufacturability Analysis
Evaluate your design for printability before committing to a production run.
Scan-to-CAD
Point cloud in, watertight solid out — production-ready CAD from any 3D scan.
Fixture Optimization
Redesign production fixtures to reduce weight, improve ergonomics, and speed up assembly.
Insights
Related reading
Design
Practical DfAM Strategies to Help You Save on 3D Printing
Proven Design for Additive Manufacturing strategies to reduce 3D printing costs, including lightweighting, hollowing, orientation optimization, and smart batching.
Industry
From 2025 to 2026: The Manufacturing Shifts We're Seeing (and How to Prepare)
Key manufacturing trends from 2025 and what to expect in 2026, including the rise of engineering-led decision-making and US-based additive manufacturing.
Plan Your Project
Tools to plan your build
Check shipping transit times, estimate lead times by technology, and review design guidelines before you upload — so your parts print right the first time.
Check Transit Time
Enter your zip code to see how fast parts arrive from our Brooklyn facility.
Ready to start your tooling design project?
Upload your CAD file and get a quote in minutes — or talk to our engineers about your next production run.