Rapid prototyping · small series
The useful question is not which process to use. It is what this prototype has to prove. A model that proves it fits, a model that proves it survives, and a model that proves someone will buy it are three different objects, and building the wrong one is the most common way prototyping money disappears.
Making a physical version of a design quickly enough that you learn something before committing to production. The value is in the learning, not in the object — which is why the first question is always what you are trying to find out, and the second is the cheapest way to find it out.
3D print estimate
Choose what you want printed. The form then asks for the details relevant to that route.
Estimate, not a quote · shipping €10 and packaging €7 included, except with pickup or free delivery within the municipality of Groningen (temporary offer) · confirmed after assessment
From
€163.87
incl. 21% VAT · €135.43 excl. VAT
Filament only: €0.63 · 25 g × €25/kg
Breakdown lines exclude VAT. The final price follows assessment of the file or image, geometry, tolerances, failed-print risk, material availability and application. Electrical components are agreed per construction. Certification and safety-critical parts are outside this estimate.
Discuss your idea or partOne question per prototype
Each of these is a different build with a different budget. Trying to answer all four with one object usually answers none of them well.
| What you need to know | What the prototype must be | What it may skip |
|---|---|---|
| Does it fit? | Dimensionally accurate | Strength, finish, material |
| Does it work? | Functional, right mechanism | Appearance, final material |
| Will it survive? | Correct material and process | Cosmetic finish |
| Will people want it? | Looks and feels like the product | Internal engineering |
Real test prints of one customer-supplied part, not a prototype case. The photos show visible change between versions, not measured fit or customer acceptance.
General customer review on Trustpilot (not a prototype case)
“I printed three large architectural designs with this company and was truly impressed. The quality and service were outstanding. I just sent them my 3D model, and they took care of everything, keeping me updated throughout the process. …”
Shortened
Illustrative example, not a customer case: a lid must close on an existing enclosure and reopen by hand. Supply the model and counterpart, record where the trial binds and revise that connection. Passing this fit test does not establish long-term load or heat performance.
A form model, fit model and functional trial can require different material, detail and finish. Full product development, electronics, certification, tooling and mass-production support are not automatically included in this print and modelling route.
That depends on where your idea currently lives. If it is a drawing or a description, the first step is modelling, not manufacturing. If you have a file, the step is choosing a process. If you have a working prototype and need forty of them, the step is a production route — which may well not be printing.
Use the observations to decide whether to accept, revise or stop. Separate corrections from new functions, and give a changed version a new test question. The number of rounds depends on the uncertainty and criteria; it is not fixed in advance for every project.
Printing wins on one-offs, complexity, quick change and low volume. It loses on high volumes of simple shapes, on parts that need certified material properties, and on parts where the surface finish is the product. When your quantities cross that line, injection moulding, machining or sheet metal is the better answer and we will say so rather than quoting a print run.
The step between 'it works' and 'we make forty' is not just quantity. It brings in repeatability, per-unit inspection, documentation and what happens when one comes back faulty. Once a prototype is accepted, the file, version, material route and agreed checks become the basis for a run — each one re-confirmed rather than assumed.
Quoted separately and confirmed in writing before anything starts. An enquiry becomes an order once application, scope, price, schedule and responsibility are agreed.
Start by describing what the prototype has to prove, not which process you want. From there the route is modelling, process choice, build and evaluation — and the proposal states where the first round ends.
It depends on what it has to prove. A fit-check part is a contained job; a functional prototype in a specified material with a finished surface is a different order of work. The quote separates modelling, production and finishing so the trade-offs are visible.
For a physical product that needs designing as well as making, a studio that does both is usually the shorter path than commissioning a designer and a manufacturer separately.
The number depends on the test question and result. Agree the first trial and revision scope, then use measured observations to decide whether another version is needed.
That is a legal question worth asking before you show it publicly, and a confidentiality agreement can be put in place around the work. This is general information, not legal advice.
Sometimes, at low volumes. More often the prototype proves the design and a different process makes the production version — which is a success, not a setback.
Describe what the part has to do, what you already have, how many you need and when. Only uncertain geometry uses the technical review.