Get a replacement part 3D printed in the UK

Something plastic snaps, a knob, a clip, a vent louvre, a battery cover, the small bracket that holds a panel on, and you find the manufacturer either stopped making it years ago or will only sell you the whole assembly for far more than the part is worth. A 3D printed replacement is usually the better answer. It is made to the right size, in a material that suits the job, and posted to your door anywhere in the UK within a few days.

This guide covers what we can replace, the three ways to get us the part, which material to choose, and what it costs.

What gets replaced most

The parts people have us reprint are nearly always small, functional and no longer sold on their own:

• Knobs, dials and buttons for appliances, hi-fi and machinery
• Clips, clasps and latches that hold panels, lids or covers shut
• Battery compartment covers and door catches
• Brackets, mounts and adapters for cameras, monitors, shelving and garden kit
• Hose and pipe adapters, spouts and caps
• Gears, spacers and bushings inside a mechanism

If it is small, plastic and out of production, it is usually a good candidate.

Three ways to get us the part

You already have the file. If the part has been modelled by someone, you can often find it ready to print and just send us the link or the .stl. Browse our models catalogue or sites like Printables and Thingiverse, then drop the file into the instant price tool and you will see a firm price in seconds. Real jobs customers have had printed from the catalogue include a portable air-con second hose adapter, a pool skimmer adapter, a Refoss energy-monitor antenna bracket and a Fitbit to 22mm watch-strap adapter.

You have the broken part but no file. Send us a clear photo with a ruler or tape measure in shot, or the key dimensions, through the contact page. For a simple part we can often draw it and print it in-house, and we will tell you up front whether it is doable and what it will cost.

You need a part designed from scratch. For anything complex we are honest about the limit. We are a printing workshop, not a design studio. A freelance CAD designer on Fiverr or Upwork can turn your idea into an .stl, and we print it once you have the file.

Which material for a replacement part

Most replacement parts come out best in one of two everyday materials:

• PLA suits display pieces, light-duty parts and anything indoors that does not take much stress.
• PETG is the better pick for parts that flex, take knocks, sit near heat or live outdoors, which covers a lot of real replacements.

If a part needs to be genuinely tough or heat-resistant, we also run engineering materials such as ABS, ASA, PC and carbon-fibre-reinforced filament on an enclosed machine. Not sure which to choose? Tell us what the part does and we will recommend the right one. There is more detail in our guide to PLA vs PETG.

What it costs and how long it takes

You get a firm price in seconds from the instant quote tool, with no quote form and no surprise charges. Small replacement parts usually land at the £6 order minimum. That floor reflects a part made and checked by hand here in our Basingstoke workshop, not a mass overseas run. If you need a few different parts, add them to one cart and they ship together, which often works out cheaper on postage.

Most orders dispatch within 2 to 4 working days of payment, posted tracked across the UK. Made here, this week, rather than shipped slowly from overseas.

Ready to go?

If you already have the file, get an instant price now. If you only have the broken part, send us a photo and we will tell you whether we can reprint it.