You have a date in mind. A birthday in ten days, a trade show next month, a machine that has been sitting idle since Monday because one bracket snapped. Before the price, the question that really matters is the calendar: will it be ready in time?
The honest answer is not a single number. The turnaround on an on-demand 3D print splits into four distinct stages, two of which partly depend on you. Here is how it actually unfolds, with the figures we publish and what makes them move.
Stage 1: the quote, within 24 hours
It starts with your request. You send us your 3D file, or a link to the model, along with the material you have in mind and the quantity. We accept three formats: STL, OBJ and 3MF. You get a free, costed quote within 24 hours.
This is the fastest stage, and also the one where you have the most leverage. A request that arrives complete the first time (the file, what the part is for, the quantity, your deadline) goes straight to quoting with no back and forth. A request with no file, a blurry photo or no mention of the intended use takes a question or two from us, and every exchange costs hours.
No 3D file at all? That is a common situation and we handle it, but it adds a modelling phase that sits outside the range below: we tell you at the quote stage. Our article on ordering a 3D print without a file goes through it.
Stage 2: the start, within 12 hours
Once the quote is accepted and paid, your order goes into production within 12 hours, Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm.
In practice: a quote approved on Tuesday morning is on a machine before Wednesday. A quote approved on Friday evening starts the following Monday, since the clock runs on our workshop hours. That single detail can shift a whole week of your calendar, so it is worth knowing before you click approve.
Stage 3: printing, 3 to 5 working days
This is the heart of the turnaround, and we give a range rather than a fixed date for two reasons.
The first is how complex the part is. In FDM, the process that lays down a molten plastic filament layer by layer, machine time depends mostly on the height of the part and on its infill, the amount of material inside the shell. A small solid part and a large hollow one do not take the same time, even at equal size.
The second is the workshop's workload. Our machines are running on live orders, and a busy week naturally pushes a part towards the upper end of the range.
Then there are the finishing options, when you ask for them. Sanding, which abrades the surface to remove the ridges left by the layers. Primer, an undercoat that evens out the part before painting. Hand painting. Varnish, matt, satin or gloss, which protects the part and sets the final look. Simple assembly, when the model is designed for magnets, screws or inserts. These steps are done by hand and come after printing: they push your order's position within the stated range.
Stage 4: shipping or collection
Two options, and they do not cost the same number of days.
Tracked delivery within mainland France starts at 6.90 €. The carrier's own transit time is then added to the workshop days, and it is not ours to control: we send you the tracking number when the parcel leaves.
Collection at our workshop in Vatimont, in the Moselle, is free and removes that last stage entirely. Your part is ready the moment it comes out of finishing. And the coffee is on us.
What actually stretches a turnaround, and what does not
There are three real causes of delay: a file that needs fixing or modelling from scratch, an approval round mid way through, and hand finishing. Nothing else weighs as much.
Two common worries, on the other hand, are unfounded. Ordering a single part adds nothing: there is no minimum order, one-off parts are our daily bread. And ordering several identical copies does not multiply the turnaround by the number of parts, since they print together, on top of qualifying for a discount.
Three ways to save days
Send a print-ready file. A closed model, at the right scale and properly oriented, goes from quote to machine with no corrections. Our guide to preparing an STL file lists the checks to run before sending.
Give us your deadline with the quote request. We will tell you plainly, at the quote stage, whether it holds. That is far more useful than a chaser half way through.
Choose collection if you are nearby. On an urgent order, cutting out the shipping leg is often the simplest lever available.
Frequently asked questions
Do the 3 to 5 days start when I request a quote?
No. They start when the part goes into production, so after the quote is accepted and paid. Add the 24 hours of quoting, your own decision time, then the 12-hour start window before that clock begins.
What if I order 30 identical parts?
The turnaround is not multiplied by 30, but the volume does count towards machine time. That is exactly what the quote prices in: ask for it with the exact quantity to get an accurate range.
Do you work weekends?
Our workshop runs Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm. The stated turnarounds are in working days, and a quote approved on a Saturday starts on the Monday.
Does a resin part follow the same calendar?
The process is different, and so are the finishing constraints. For a precision part, go through the resin printing page and ask for a dedicated quote.
Tell us your deadline, we will tell you if it holds
The simplest route is to send us your file and your date together, through the workshop form. Within 24 hours you will have a price, a recommended material and a realistic date range, from a workshop in the Moselle.
For the full service and the available materials, the on-demand 3D printing page covers everything. And if your urgency is a broken part rather than a new project, plastic part repair is where to look.