There is a whole category of objects that nobody sells. The bracket that would hold your device on that exact shelf. The fixing that would join two components never designed to meet. The cover that would protect your electronics. You search for weeks, then end up improvising something that was meant to be temporary.
The part you are looking for does not exist because nobody has ever made it. So the question is no longer where to buy it, but how to have it produced, as a single unit and without tooling.
A mold answers a different question
Injection molding, the industrial process of forcing molten plastic into a steel mold, is unbeatable beyond several thousand identical parts. But the mold is a product in its own right: it has to be designed, machined and corrected. Its cost does not depend on how many parts come out of it afterwards, which is another way of saying it only makes sense on volume. For one part, or ten, the equation never works. And any change to the geometry means reworking the tooling.
FDM 3D printing, meaning fused filament deposited layer by layer, removes that obstacle entirely: there is nothing to build before the part itself, only a file to print. Widening a hole, adding a reinforcement, moving a fixing point is a file edit, not a new mold. That is precisely what puts one-off parts within reach.
For ten to a hundred units the reasoning shifts slightly, and we covered it in our article on small batch 3D printing.
The custom parts we are asked for most
Brackets and fixings. Wall mounts for a device, cradles, angle brackets, linking plates between two components never meant to meet.
Adapters. The in-between piece that bridges two diameters, two clip systems, two accessories from different brands.
Covers, cases and enclosures. Protecting a circuit board, hiding wiring, tidying up a visible build.
Jigs and workshop tools. Drilling jigs, spacers, cutting guides, positioning tools for a gesture you repeat.
Hollow parts and volumes. Ducts, demonstration bodies, shapes that neither cutting nor machining produces easily.
What they all have in common: a geometry that exists in your requirement, and in no catalogue.
Three valid starting points
You have a 3D file. Send it as STL, OBJ or 3MF, the three exchange formats we accept, either as a file or as a link to the model.
You have the object, not the file. An existing part to adapt, an accessory to extend, a housing to fit around: dimensioned photos, or the object itself dropped off at the workshop, are enough to start.
You have a sketch and an idea. This is the most common case, and a perfectly valid starting point: we work from your measurements and the intended use. We described that route in ordering a 3D print without a 3D file.
One reminder either way: you remain responsible for the rights attached to the files you send us, since a downloaded model may come with a licence that does not allow reproduction. On our side, your files are never shared or reused without your agreement.
The material follows the use
Four materials cover most custom requests.
PLA suits decorative pieces, display stands, figurines and shape prototypes. PETG is the default as soon as a part has to work for a living: brackets, fixings, anything that takes a load. TPU is a flexible filament, for anything that has to deform, cushion or seal. Nylon is the technical material of the four, for the most demanding parts.
Rather than picking from a table, describe in one sentence what the part does, where it lives and what it goes through: the material follows from that. For more on the last two, see our guide to TPU and Nylon.
What it costs
The price of a custom part reads on two lines: material and machine time. Material starts at 22 €/kg for PLA, 26 €/kg for PETG, 35 €/kg for TPU and 65 €/kg for Nylon. Machine time is billed at 7 €/h.
As orders of magnitude, a small part starts around 15 €, a medium part sits between 40 and 50 €, and a large or technical part goes beyond 120 €. If the file still has to be created, modelling is added and appears on the quote. We break that calculation down in our article on 3D printing costs.
There is no minimum order: one part is an order. Discounts exist, but on identical copies, not as a condition for ordering.
Finishing and lead times
A part can leave the machine raw, or go through sanding followed by primer, the base coat that evens out the surface before painting. Then come hand painting, matt, satin or gloss varnish, and simple assembly with magnets, screws or inserts when the model provides for them. What finishing really changes, we showed here.
On timing: free quote within 24 hours, production started within 12 hours of acceptance and payment, Monday to Friday from 9am to 7pm, then 3 to 5 working days of production depending on the complexity of the part and the workshop's workload. Tracked delivery in mainland France from 6.90 €, or free collection at the workshop in Vatimont, in the Moselle.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know how to model in 3D?
No. A dimensioned sketch, photos with measurements, or the neighbouring part to fit around are enough to start a quote. Modelling, where it is needed, is part of the service and appears on the quote.
Can I really have a single unit made?
Yes, there is no minimum order. On custom parts it is in fact the most common case.
What if the part is not right first time?
That is the point of working without tooling: we correct the file and reprint, rather than starting over. This iteration loop is the subject of our article on rapid prototyping.
Should my part be printed in resin instead?
If it calls for a high level of detail, or if it is a precision prototype or a micro-mechanism, then yes: that is the territory of resin printing.
Describe your part, we will handle the rest
You now know that no mold stands between your requirement and the part. Describe your project on the workshop form: what the part has to do, its dimensions if you have them, your file or your photos, and your deadline. A priced answer within 24 hours, from a workshop in the Moselle.
If your part already exists but is broken, that is a different route: head for plastic part repair. And for an object to personalise in wood, acrylic, leather or coated metal, look at laser cutting and engraving.