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3D printing service for custom tooling, jigs, and fixtures — ready in days, not weeks.
CNC-machined tooling takes weeks and costs thousands per fixture. Our 3D printing service produces custom jigs, fixtures, go/no-go gauges, assembly aids, and production tooling in 1–5 business days — in materials tough enough for factory floor use. When your production line needs a new fixture, you should not have to wait 4 weeks for a machine shop.
Challenges we solve
What tooling & fixtures teams need from a 3D printing service
Lead time on custom fixtures
CNC machine shops quote 3–4 weeks for custom fixtures — longer during busy seasons. Our 3D printing service delivers production-ready tooling in 3–5 business days. When your production line is waiting for a fixture to start a new run, that time difference matters.
Complex fixture geometries
Fixtures that conform to part surfaces, incorporate internal vacuum channels, or integrate multiple holding features in a single piece are expensive and slow to CNC. In 3D printing, complex geometry costs the same as simple geometry — conformal nests, internal channels, and integrated features are standard.
Iterating tooling as products evolve
When product geometry changes, every fixture that touches that product needs to update. With CNC tooling, that means reprogramming, re-machining, and re-qualifying. With 3D printed tooling, you upload the updated fixture file and receive new tooling in 3–5 days.
Cost per fixture
A CNC-machined aluminum fixture might cost $500–$2,000. A 3D printed fixture in Nylon PA12 with equivalent functionality often costs $50–$200 — an order of magnitude less. This makes it economically viable to produce dedicated fixtures for every station, every product variant, and every inspection point.
Technologies
Best technologies for tooling & fixtures
Materials
Materials for tooling & fixtures
MJF Nylon PA12 is the standard for production tooling — stiff enough to hold parts in position (1.8 GPa), tough enough to survive daily factory floor handling (40 J/m impact strength), and heat resistant enough for most manufacturing environments (175°C HDT). PC CF on FDM delivers the highest stiffness (8.0 GPa) for fixtures that need to resist deflection under clamping loads. PETG is a cost-effective option for lighter-duty fixtures and assembly aids. For fixtures requiring high dimensional accuracy, SLA Tough 2K delivers ±0.2mm with smooth surfaces.
Nylon PA12
MJF · Shore D 73
Strong, lightweight, chemical resistant. The standard for functional end-use parts. Excellent fatigue resistance and consistent mechanical properties.
PC CF
FDM · Shore D 83
Polycarbonate carbon fiber. High stiffness and heat resistance for demanding structural applications.
PETG
FDM · Shore D 74
Tough, chemical resistant, food-safe options. Good balance of strength and flexibility.
Tough 2K
SLA · Shore D 76
ABS-like toughness with SLA detail. Functional prototypes that need impact resistance.
Rigid 10K
SLA · Shore D 90
Highly glass-filled. Stiffest SLA material. For precise industrial parts under significant load.
Common parts
What we build for tooling & fixtures
Built in our factory
Brooklyn, NY
How it works
Your project, step by step
Upload fixture design
Upload your STEP or STL with material requirements. If you need help designing the fixture, our engineering team offers DfAM consulting.
Material & orientation review
We review the fixture geometry, recommend material based on your stiffness, temperature, and durability requirements, and optimize build orientation for strength in the primary load direction.
Production
Fixtures are produced on MJF, FDM, or SLA with locked parameters. Multiple copies can be produced in parallel if you need fixtures for multiple stations.
QA
Dimensional inspection on critical locating features. Fixtures are checked for fit against reference geometry before shipping.
Ship
Tracked shipping in 3–5 business days. Rush options available for production line emergencies.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Are 3D printed fixtures durable enough for production use?
Yes. MJF Nylon PA12 fixtures survive thousands of cycles in factory environments. PC CF fixtures handle heavy clamping loads without deflection. We have customers running 3D printed tooling on production lines processing 50,000+ units per year.
How much cheaper is 3D printed tooling vs CNC?
Typically 5–10x less expensive. A CNC aluminum fixture at $500–$2,000 can often be replaced by a Nylon PA12 fixture at $50–$200 with equivalent functionality. The savings compound when you have dozens of fixtures across a production line.
Can you produce conformal fixtures that match part surfaces?
Yes. Unlike CNC, 3D printing handles conformal geometry — nests that match curved part surfaces, fixtures with integrated vacuum channels, and holding features that wrap around complex contours — at no additional cost or lead time.
What if my fixture needs to be heat resistant?
PC CF handles continuous use up to 140°C. Nylon PA12 handles 175°C. For higher temperatures, talk to our team about High Temp resin (238°C HDT) on SLA.
Can you design custom fixtures or just print my files?
Both. Upload your fixture design and we print it. Or describe your fixture requirements and our design engineering team will create the fixture geometry — including DfAM optimization for 3D printing.
How many cycles can a 3D printed fixture handle?
MJF Nylon PA12 fixtures routinely survive thousands of cycles in factory environments — daily use over months or years. PC CF fixtures handle even higher loads without deflection. For specific cycle life requirements, contact our team with your load case and we can recommend the right material.
Can you produce multiple copies of the same fixture?
Yes. If you need the same fixture at 10 stations on your production line, we produce all 10 in a single batch — same dimensions, same material, same quality. Pricing decreases with quantity.
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.
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.
Tooling Design
Custom jigs, fixtures, and mold masters — designed from scratch for additive manufacturing.
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.
Materials
Choosing Materials for 3D Printing: PETG vs ABS
A detailed comparison of PETG and ABS for 3D printing, covering ease of printing, strength, chemical resistance, cost, speed, post-processing, and environmental impact.
About
3D Printing Materials 101 - A Lecture in NYU
A comprehensive lecture on 3D printing materials delivered by Makelab CEO Christina Perla at NYU, covering PLA, Standard Resin, Grey Pro, Durable Resin, and Flexible Resin.
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 & fixtures project?
Upload your CAD file and get a quote in minutes — or talk to our engineers about your next production run.