Engineering replacement parts
A customer sends a photo, measurements or the broken piece itself (a bracket, clip, gear or small housing under about 150mm), you model it, print it in a tougher engineering plastic than stock PLA, and hand it back ready to fit.The cheapest of the 3 machines that can make this product. The numbers below use the typical machine, the median of the 3: $559.
Our estimate of local demand from listing activity. Nobody can know your local demand in advance, so try half and double to see how much it matters.
- Machine
- 3D printer
- Materials
- ASA filament
- Space
- a desk or garage
What you'd make and sell
One product, made on any of the machines below.
Engineering replacement part
Custom ABS/ASA/PC engineering replacement part (brackets, clips, gears; ~under 150mm, single color). A customer sends a photo, measurements or the broken piece itself (a bracket, clip, gear or small housing under about 150mm), you model it, print it in a tougher engineering plastic than stock PLA, and hand it back ready to fit.
Engineering replacement parts, by the numbers
Four figures, each with its assumption, worked out for a typical $559 machine, the median of the 3 options. Try half or double our demand estimate: only the payback moves.
What one part costs to make: materials, power, packaging, machine wear and fixed selling fees. The breakdown is in the plan.
The median of 5 seller listings. Prices we saw ranged from $5.00 to $40.00.
Our estimate of local demand from listing activity. Nobody can know your local demand in advance, so try half and double to see how much it matters.
Example figures. Your costs and demand will differ.
3 3D printers can make engineering replacement parts
From $349 to $749. A cheaper machine often pays for itself faster, because orders, not machine speed, are usually the limit. Each machine's payback, and the point where a faster one is worth it, are in the plan.
Test demand before you buy the machine
The plan shows you how to test demand before you buy the machine. Here's everything in it.
- 01At a glanceEvery number on one sheet, with orders, hours and utilisation on sliders: payback, profit a day, first-year return and profit an hour.IN THE PLAN
- 02The machinesAll 3 compared: payback at your demand, capacity a day, when the faster one pays off, and which one suits you.IN THE PLAN
- 03The productDesign files, materials, packing and pricing.IN THE PLAN
- 04Validate before you buyThe core of the plan. Find out if people near you will pay before you spend on a machine.IN THE PLAN
- Who to contactIN THE PLAN
- The outreach scriptIN THE PLAN
- What to askIN THE PLAN
- Go / no-go checklistIN THE PLAN
- Demand tableIN THE PLAN
- 05First 30 daysWhat to do each week once you decide to go ahead.IN THE PLAN
- 06ScalingWhen to add hours, and when faster or more 3D printers make sense.IN THE PLAN
- 07Your numbersEnter your own prices and costs. Every figure in the plan updates.IN THE PLAN
The free numbers move payback only. In the plan, everything is live and works with your own numbers.
- Live calculatorOrders, hours and utilisation sliders. Every figure moves as you drag.
- Profit a day and profit an hourAt our numbers, and at yours. The first-year return is free, above.
- Cost breakdownWhat each part costs: materials, packaging, fees and shipping.
- Bottleneck barsWhether demand, the machine or your time sets the pace.
- ScalingWhen to add hours, and when a second machine pays.
- The 5 seller prices behind the medianEach listing with a link, and anything left out of the median.
Every input, and how sure we are
For engineering replacement parts, with a typical $559 machine. The inputs behind the four free figures. Low confidence means it's our best guess, so it's the first thing to check.