What does a custom 3D printed part cost in Australia?

What actually drives the price?

Five things move the number: how long the part takes to model, how long it takes to print, what material it's printed in, how big it is, and how many you need. Modelling time is usually the biggest swing factor — a part with flat faces and simple mounting holes might take twenty minutes to draw up, while a curved housing with a snap-fit lid or a threaded boss can take hours to get right. Print time follows part volume and wall thickness, not just size on a shelf: a tall, thin part can take longer than a squat, solid-looking one.

Material choice adds or subtracts too. PLA is the cheapest and easiest to print cleanly; PETG costs a bit more in machine time because it's fussier to print well but holds up better outdoors and under load; flexible TPU is slower again because soft filament prints at reduced speed. If a part needs more strength or heat resistance than these three can give, machining or a metal part is the right call, and a good supplier will say so at the quote. Our materials page sets out how that choice is made, and short-run production covers what changes when you need more than one. Quantity matters mainly through the modelling cost — once a design exists, printing five instead of one adds material and machine time, not design time.

Finishing is the last lever. A part straight off the printer with visible layer lines costs the least. Sanding, gap-filling or gluing sub-parts together adds labour, so we only recommend it when the part's job actually calls for it.

Why does the design work cost more than the plastic?

Because the plastic itself is a minor input — a typical small part uses a few dollars of filament, so the bulk of the quote is paying for the time spent understanding and modelling the part correctly. That means measuring the original or your reference photos, building a 3D model that actually matches those dimensions, and usually printing a test fit before committing to the final piece. A part that looks simple in a photo can still take real time to model accurately if it has to mate precisely against something else, like a housing lid or a mounting bracket.

This is also why sending good reference material lowers your quote, not just your wait. The clearer the photos and measurements, the less guessing and back-and-forth the modelling stage needs.

Why does a one-off cost more per part than a reorder?

Because the modelling cost is a fixed cost that gets spread across however many parts you order. On a first order, that whole design cost sits on one part. Order the same part again later and there's no modelling left to do — you're paying for material and print time only, at a lower per-part rate. This is the same logic behind the pricing on our cobot gripper jaws page, where the first set covers the engineering and reorders are priced separately at production rates.

What information gets you a fast, accurate quote?

A photo, rough dimensions, and a sentence about the part's job get most quotes turned around the same day. Specifically: a clear photo of the part (both sides if it's broken), an approximate size — even a coin or ruler in frame helps — where it fits or mounts, roughly what load or force it takes in use, and what actually broke or went wrong. None of this needs to be exact; it just needs to be enough for us to judge modelling difficulty and pick a sensible material before we commit to a price.

When is 3D printing not the cheapest answer?

Three situations where we'd say so upfront. If the part is still sold by the original manufacturer or a parts supplier, buying it will almost always beat having one modelled and printed — see our replacement parts page for when reprinting does make sense instead. If you need hundreds or thousands of an identical part, injection moulding overtakes 3D printing in per-unit cost once tooling is paid off, because printing charges roughly the same for part 1 as part 1,000. And if a part genuinely needs the strength, heat resistance or precision of metal, machining is the right call, and you should expect a supplier to tell you so.

Frequently asked questions

Is 3D printing cheaper than buying the original part?

If the original part is still sold, buying it is almost always cheaper than having one modelled and printed. Custom printing earns its cost when the part is broken, discontinued, or doesn't exist yet, not as a substitute for something already on the shelf.

Do you charge for quotes?

No. Email a photo of the part and we'll come back with an approach and a price, usually the same day, with no obligation to proceed.

Why do two similar-looking parts cost different amounts?

Because cost tracks modelling difficulty as much as size. A simple bracket with flat mounting faces models quickly, while a similarly sized part with curved surfaces, threads or a tight fit against another component takes longer to get right, and that time is what you're paying for.

Can you give me a price without seeing the part?

Only a rough one. A photo with approximate dimensions is usually enough for a fixed quote, because the real cost drivers — geometry, material and whether it needs to be reverse-engineered from scratch — aren't visible from a description alone.