3D printing can provide a manufacturing route for replacement plastic components, from a one-off button to repeated copies of an established design. The useful starting point is the part you need and the job it must do.
Copy & Replace starts with the component and its intended use. An original part, photographs, drawings and measurements can help establish the design. The work can include recreating a component before manufacture, rather than requiring you to arrive with a ready-to-print file.
Choose the approach for the application
The shape, fit and working conditions influence the manufacturing discussion. Explain heat, load, movement, wear and exposure, as well as whether a part needs to flex or seal. A printed recreation is not automatically equivalent to a moulded or metal original in every respect.
One-off parts and repeat orders
Individual parts and repeat quantities are welcome. The design work and manufacture are quoted for the job. Manufacturing files can be retained for future orders, so further copies can usually be discussed without repeating the same design work. Prices still depend on the part, quantity and requirements.
Review the work and price
Design is usually quoted first with an estimated manufacturing price. The final manufacturing price is confirmed after design, before production is approved and paid for. The quote should make clear which work and quantities are included. Postage is additional unless separately included in that quote.
From a small control to a shaped housing
The completed work includes amplifier buttons, component housings, curved covers and roller brackets. Each raises different questions about how it locates, moves and fits. A visible print surface may be acceptable for one job and require a different finishing discussion for another. Show the appearance that matters, the mating features and any existing finish. The quote can then describe the particular quantity, design work and manufacturing scope rather than treating every printed component as the same product.
From enquiry to your replacement
Send photos, the equipment details and the quantity needed.
Agree the proposed work and any design fee before design begins.
Send an original only after the arrangements are confirmed.
Approve the design and final manufacturing price, then pay before production.
The replacement is made, checked and dispatched as agreed.
Work you can see
Completed work
Replacement roller bracket
An original roller arrangement used as the reference for a recreated white bracket. See the mechanism before and after the replacement was fitted.
Red amplifier buttons recreated from an original, compared in close-up and shown fitted to a Fender R.A.D. amp. Watch the replacement controls being operated.
An original metal fitting compared with several black plastic recreations. A completed-work example of reproducing a component’s geometry in a different material.
One-off parts and repeat orders are welcome. The cost depends on the design work, the part and the quantity required.
Can you recreate a small button or clip?
Small parts are part of the work shown in the gallery. Send photos of the original and the feature it fits onto so the locating details can be discussed.
Can you replace a metal part with plastic?
Some projects use a metal reference, but a plastic recreation is not automatically a substitute for the original material. Explain the intended use and working conditions so suitability can be discussed.
Can I order more later?
Manufacturing files can be retained for repeat orders. Discuss this when the work is agreed, along with any quantity or design changes needed for later copies.
The quote depends on the design work, the reference information available, the features that control the fit, the manufacturing requirements and the quantity. An unclear or incomplete reference can require more work to establish the design. Design is usually quoted first with an estimated manufacturing price; the final manufacturing price is confirmed after design, before production is approved and paid for.
Why can a small plastic part need a design fee?
A small button or clip can still have internal locating details, thin walls or fixing features that need to be measured and recreated. The cost is not just the amount of plastic. Where design work is needed, the fee is agreed before that work starts. Straightforward jobs may be quoted in full at the outset.
When is recreating a part worth considering?
It is worth discussing when a suitable standard spare is unavailable or difficult to source and the rest of the equipment remains useful. The decision depends on the work required, the intended use and the cost of other options. Send the equipment details and photographs so the proposed work and price can be considered before you decide.
Have a part you cannot source?
Send photos and a short description. Matthew will discuss the next steps.
