Six core services, all run in-house from our Dorset workshop, just up the road in Broadstone, from a single prototype to a full production batch. Whether it's a functional jig for an aerospace subcontractor on the Uddens estate or a scale model of a Wimborne landmark like Wimborne Minster, if it can be modelled, we can usually print it.
First mock-up to iteration to small batch. Next-day form-fit-function prototypes with DFM feedback before you pay for a failed print.
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1 to 1,000 units at consistent tolerance, a real alternative to injection moulding for runs under 1,000, with no tooling spend.
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No file, no problem. We model from a brief, sketch, calipers or the physical part itself in Fusion 360 or SolidWorks.
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Branded activations, exhibition pieces and launch giveaways, one hero piece or 400 matched units, delivered for your event date.
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Experiential builds and branded installations, 2m+ pieces engineered for structural integrity, with transport and on-site install.
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Discontinued or unavailable parts reverse-engineered and reproduced, measured, redrawn and reprinted from a single broken original.
Learn more →"James handled the 3D printing for a functional heat-resistant component we needed in batch production. He helped dial in the prototype first with their design service, then produced the final batch with really consistent results. Super fast 3D print turnaround and great quality across all the 3D printed parts. Will 100% be coming back."
"We needed a sit-in F1-car for an exhibition to showcase our new racing game. 3D Printing Express took our CAD, optimised it for strength and weight as we had no idea how it all worked! Turned out beautifully. They colour matched the finish and was looking like the real deal. On show day the cockpit ran non-stop, adults and kids jumped in."
"We ordered a batch of 100 PA-12 parts from 3D Printing Express and could not be happier. Every part arrived consistent, dimensionally accurate, and ready for use straight from the box. The PA-12 gave us the strength and stability we needed for functional testing, with minimal post-processing required."
"I needed parts 3D printed for mounting a 5G router to a pole. I used the online form to upload the STL files. James contacted me directly via email, helped optimise the geometry for printability and shipped fast. Brilliant communication."
"James was very helpful, discussed our project in detail. Supported us through the development. We had a few difficulties which were managed well. Would definitely use again and recommend."
Our workshop is at Broadstone Business Centre, Moor Road, Poole BH18 8AZ, about 12 minutes from Wimborne via the A31 and B3073. That puts us close enough for same-day collection on most Wimborne jobs; tracked UK-wide delivery is there if you'd rather we post it.
Monday – Friday · 09:00–17:30
Collection by arrangement · email before 10am for same-day.
Wimborne Minster · ~12 min via A31/B3073
Colehill · ~14 min
Corfe Mullen · ~10 min
Ferndown · ~12 min
Merley · ~8 min
Brief in. Quote in 6 hours. Print. Shipped UK-wide. Four steps from your file to a part on your bench.
Send the file
PDF, STEP, STL, sketch, or a photo of the part. Whatever you have, we will work with it.
Inside 6 hours
Reviewed by a real engineer. Pricing breakdown, lead time, and printability flags before you commit.
UK fleet, 3 days
multiple in-house FDM printers in our Dorset workshop. Hardened-steel nozzles on CF jobs. Photo proofs on request.
Next-day courier
Royal Mail Tracked or DPD Next Day, UK-wide · or collect from our Dorset workshop by arrangement.
Here's the whole process · idea to parts in your hands, in 4 simple steps. Send us a file, photo, sketch, or just a description of what you need, we'll work with whatever you've got. Quote back within 6 hours. Two-minute read, no jargon.
A snapshot of the colours and grades we run most often. We stock Polymaker and Fiberon filaments as standard, with engineering-grade composites on request. Wimborne Minster jobs typically run in PLA, PETG, PA12-CF or ASA.
Not sure which material is right for you? We can help.
Email us your use case →A snapshot of the kind of work we handle for Wimborne, an aerospace or precision-engineering subcontractor needing jigs and fixtures, a light-engineering firm on the Stone Lane or Uddens estates, a product designer prototyping consumer goods, or a heritage and model-making outfit after replacement parts and replicas.
Wimborne's economy leans on engineering, not the coast: an aerospace and precision-engineering base with names like Cobham, the machine shops around Stone Lane and Uddens, and the paint and coatings trade Farrow & Ball made famous here. Parts for that work are jigs, fixtures and functional prototypes that take real load and handling, where the PLA and PETG most print shops run simply are not strong enough.
For Wimborne's main sectors · aerospace and precision-engineering subcontracting, light engineering on the Stone Lane and Uddens estates, product development, and heritage and model-making · PA12-CF does the heavy lifting for load-bearing jigs, fixtures and brackets, with PETG-GF for stiff, dimensionally stable parts, ASA for anything used outdoors, and UL94 V-0 grades whenever a flame rating is specified. We source filament from Polymaker and Fiberon.
When you send a brief, describe the application context · the environment, the load, the regulation if any. We'll suggest the right material in the quote and ship a test sample first so you can verify before the full batch runs.
UV and weather resistant · for the parts that live outdoors · brackets, fixtures and signage exposed to the elements around Wimborne.
Carbon-fibre composite · ~95 MPa tensile. Load-bearing brackets, jigs and structural prototypes · the grade Wimborne's aerospace and machine-shop work tends to call for.
Flame-retardant · self-extinguishing within 10s of flame removal. Regulated environments.
Wimborne Minster carries more industry than a market town its size suggests, and the kind of work a Wimborne business typically needs reflects that mix. Farrow & Ball still makes its paint out on the Uddens estate, and an operation of that kind · coatings and process-line manufacturing · usually needs solvent-resistant process kit: line guards, dosing nozzles, decanting jigs and bespoke handling fixtures that have to shrug off repeated wash-downs, which is exactly the sort of thing ASA and PA12-CF suit over shop-floor PLA. The aerospace and precision-engineering subcontractors around Stone Lane typically need the same: form-fit-function prototypes and load-bearing fixtures that have to hold tolerance, not just look the part.
Being just up the road via the A31 and B3073, the practical pull for a Wimborne business is collection · approve the quote, we make the part, you pick it up the same day rather than wait on a courier. The demand in a town like Wimborne tends to span a wide range: a signage or joinery outfit needing repeatable brackets and templates, an agricultural or equestrian business chasing an obsolete replacement no supplier still stocks, or a model-making project tied to the Minster's Quarterjack and chained library. We're well set up to steer each toward the right engineering-grade material · PETG-GF for stiff, stable parts, UL94 V-0 where a flame spec applies.
3D printing Wimborne can be collected, not just shipped · once your quote is approved and the part is made, you can pick it up from our Broadstone workshop, about 12 minutes away, or we'll post it UK-wide on DPD Next Day or Royal Mail Tracked. Email your file before noon and on simple geometries in stocked materials we can often have it ready within 24-48 hours. Collection from our Dorset workshop is free by arrangement.
| Tier | Cut-off | Lead time | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collection (Dorset) | 10am | Same-day / next morning | Broadstone workshop · ~12 min · same day by arrangement |
| Express | 12pm | 24-48 hrs | DPD Next Day · UK-wide |
| Standard most popular | Any time | 2-5 working days | Royal Mail Tracked or DPD |
| Economy | Any time | 5-10 working days | Royal Mail Tracked |
Lead times depend on complexity, material and queue · all tiers reviewed and confirmed in your 6-hour quote. Volume runs of 50+ units get a fast turnaround quote with batch pricing · email for bulk-pricing tiers.
A snapshot of jobs we've shipped for businesses across the south coast. Full case studies cover the brief, build, and outcome.
Five things in your brief mean a faster, more accurate quote and a printable file first time. None of these are dealbreakers if missing · we'll ask · but the more you tell us upfront, the quicker you'll have a sample part on your bench.
One sentence on use case · "it's a bracket holding a 200g PCB inside a sealed sensor enclosure" beats "I need a bracket" every time. Tells us load, environment, tolerance.
STEP and STL are easiest. Sketch, scan, or a photo of a broken part also work · we reverse-engineer in-house if no CAD exists.
1 prototype, 10 iteration units, 100-unit batch, 1,000-unit production run · changes the print strategy and the unit price. Bracket batches over 50 get batch pricing.
Event date, demo day, regulatory deadline. If you tell us, we'll quote the lead time honestly · we'd rather decline than miss a date.
If you know you want PA12-CF, tell us. If not, describe the use case and we'll recommend the right material in the quote.
Every quote we send comes back with the same structure · no upsells, no hidden fees, no algorithmic "best guess". An engineer reviews the file, prices the work and shares any flags before you commit.
Total filament used in grams + total print hours. PA12-CF runs slower than PLA but uses less infill for the same strength. We show both so you can see the trade-off.
Support removal, sand, paint, assemble · only what you've asked for. Each finish has a separate line. No "premium finishing" mystery surcharge.
Same-day collection from Broadstone (~12 min) or DPD Next Day / Royal Mail Tracked · fixed price by parcel weight. Workshop collection in Dorset is free by arrangement.
If the engineer spots a thin wall, a support-trap or a tolerance risk, we flag it in the quote · with a suggested fix. You decide whether to proceed or revise.
Batch runs of 50+ units automatically include a per-unit price breakdown so you can compare cost-at-scale before committing. No VAT to add, the price we quote is the price you pay.
Our Dorset workshopOur workshop is at Broadstone Business Centre, Poole BH18 8AZ, in Dorset, about 12 minutes from Wimborne via the A31 and B3073. We take on work right across the area: Wimborne Minster, Colehill, Merley, Corfe Mullen, Ferndown and Sturminster Marshall, alongside our home patch in Broadstone and Poole.
Because we're only up the road, most Wimborne orders can be collected the same day once they're made, or we'll post them UK-wide on a tracked courier (Royal Mail Tracked or DPD Next Day) if that's easier. Either way, every part is printed in-house in Dorset.
We take on work from right across Wimborne, from Colehill and Merley to Pamphill, Furzehill, Leigh and Cowgrove, with the A31 and B3073 linking the town straight to our Broadstone workshop just 12 minutes away. From functional aerospace and engineering parts to heritage replicas and product prototypes, we'll usually steer you toward the right engineering-grade material for the job. We cover the rest of the south coast too, see the areas we serve.
Price is set by three things: material cost, print time, and any post-processing you need. A single small prototype in PLA costs substantially less than a 100-unit batch in PA12-CF. We give you an itemised breakdown in every quote, no black-box pricing.
PLA is the most cost-effective. PETG, ABS, and ASA sit in the mid range. Engineering composites like PA12-CF and PC cost more per gram but need less infill for equivalent strength, often comparable over the life of the part.
Small parts (under 100g) typically run 2–6 hours. Larger enclosures or batch runs scale proportionally. We run multiple in-house FDM printers so parallel printing keeps lead times short without premium surcharges.
Support removal and a basic finish are included. Sanding, painting, colour-matching, or assembly are priced separately. We'll list every finish step as a line item, you choose what you need.
Orders of 50+ units qualify for batch pricing, the unit price drops as we optimise print orientation and plate fills. Tell us your target quantity in the brief and we'll quote it alongside a 10-unit pilot option.
We quote every job individually, no online calculator gives accurate prices for engineering-grade FDM. Send your file and application context to get a line-itemised quote in 6 hours. No commitment to order.
Our workshop is at Broadstone Business Centre, Moor Road, Broadstone, Poole BH18 8AZ, in Dorset, about 12 minutes from Wimborne via the A31 and B3073. We also run a second workshop in Newbury, Berkshire. Every part is printed in-house, we don't outsource to third-party bureaus. James handles client briefs and design; Freddy runs production.
Quotes within 6 hours on business days. Typical production is 2-5 working days depending on complexity and material; once a part is made, Wimborne customers can collect it from Broadstone the same day, or we'll post it on a tracked courier (DPD or Royal Mail Tracked). Urgent jobs with a fixed date: tell us on the brief and we'll confirm within 24 hours whether we can hit it.
We ship UK-wide, but we're genuinely local to Wimborne. Nearby we cover Colehill, Merley, Corfe Mullen, Ferndown and Sturminster Marshall, alongside our home patch in Broadstone, Poole, Christchurch and Bournemouth. For larger or recurring orders we can arrange a regular collection or courier slot.
Wimborne has a strong engineering base, the aerospace firm Cobham is headquartered in the town and there are precision-engineering and light-engineering firms on the Stone Lane and Uddens estates. Much of the work we take on there is jigs, fixtures, functional prototypes and load-bearing brackets for those sectors. We also support product designers prototyping consumer goods, trades needing bespoke templates and fittings, and heritage and model-making outfits after replacement parts and replicas.
Yes. Send a broken part in the post or drop one in if you're local, send a photo, send a sketch, or just describe the part. We do reverse engineering and CAD in-house · James will build the file and quote you. Especially useful for obsolete or discontinued parts where no digital file exists.
Both, and since we're only about 12 minutes away in Broadstone, collection is genuinely easy for Wimborne. Most parts can be collected the same day once they're made, free by arrangement, or we'll post them UK-wide on a tracked courier if that's more convenient. For urgent jobs, send the brief before noon and we'll tell you honestly what's achievable.
