RAPID PROTOTYPING
Rapid Prototyping in San Diego
Rush Parts · Instant Pricing · Fast Iteration Loops
Upload your STL, see the real price in seconds, and hold the part tomorrow. Fifteen-plus engineering materials, a human printability check on every job, and a CAD team for when the file doesn’t exist yet.
5–7 days
Typical turnaround
11
Materials in stock
$20
Order minimum
±0.2 mm
Typical tolerance
WHY TAKT 3D
Why Teams Prototype With Us
A Real Price in Seconds
No RFQ forms, no waiting two days for a sales email. Upload your STL and the actual price appears instantly — per material, per quantity, with every rate published on our pricing page.
1-2 Day Iteration Loops
Rush service turns prototypes in 1–2 business days, which means your design loop runs at the speed of your thinking — not your vendor's queue.
Engineer-to-Engineer Feedback
Every job gets a human printability check before it hits a machine. Thin walls, doomed overhangs, or a boss that should take a heat-set insert — we flag it before it wastes an iteration.
No CAD File? No Problem.
Our in-house CAD team turns sketches, photos, and reference parts into print-ready models — first drafts usually within 48 hours, scoped in a free 15-minute consultation.
Prototype-to-Production Path
When the design locks, the same shop runs your production batch — no re-quoting, no tooling, no minimums. Your prototype settings become your production settings.
Local Pickup in Kearny Mesa
Free local pickup at 7950 Silverton Ave Ste 205, San Diego — right off the 805. Or UPS Ground from $15 anywhere in the US.
CAPABILITIES
Prototyping Specs & Turnaround
The numbers that matter when you’re deciding whether the next design review has parts on the table.
- Turnaround
- 5–7 business days standard; rush 1–2 days
- Materials
- 11 stocked: PLA, PLA-CF, PETG, PET-CF, ABS, ASA, PC, TPU, PA6-CF, PAHT-CF, PPS-CF
- Starting price
- PLA from $0.035/cm³ · $20 order minimum
- Build volume
- Up to 500 × 500 × 500 mm
- Tolerance
- ±0.2 mm typical, ±0.1 mm achievable
- File formats
- STL upload for instant quotes; STEP via CAD team
- Finishing
- Heat-set inserts, support removal, surface cleanup in-house
- Delivery
- Free San Diego pickup · UPS Ground from $15
APPLICATIONS
What We Prototype
Proof-of-Concept Models
Get the idea out of CAD and into your hands. A cheap PLA print answers form-and-feel questions before you spend real money on materials or tooling.
Fit & Assembly Validation
Check clearances, fastener bosses, and mating surfaces against real hardware at ±0.2 mm. Catch the interference in plastic, not in the injection-mold invoice.
Functional Engineering Prototypes
PETG, PC, and carbon-fiber nylon prototypes that take screws, snap-fits, and actual loads — so your test data means something.
Enclosures & Housings
Electronics enclosures with standoffs, heat-set inserts, and connector cutouts — printed on a rush turnaround, revised as the board layout evolves.
Demo & Investor Models
Presentation-grade prints for pitches, trade shows, and design reviews. Look-like prototypes that survive being passed around a conference table.
Bridge Units Before Tooling
Ship pilot units and beta hardware while the injection mold is still being cut. Same design, no tooling risk, quantities from 1 to 10,000.
PROCESS
The Rapid Prototype Loop
Upload & Price Instantly
Drop your STL on the quote page, pick a material, and see the real price in seconds. Have only a sketch? Start with our CAD team instead.
Printability Review
An engineer checks walls, overhangs, and orientation before printing — and tells you if a small change would make the prototype stronger or cheaper.
Printed on Our Farm
Your parts run on our in-house FDM fleet here in San Diego. Rush orders are scheduled ahead of standard work in the queue.
Pick Up, Test, Iterate
Grab the parts in Kearny Mesa or get them by UPS. Found an issue? Revise the CAD and the next rev prints tomorrow — that's the loop.
No CAD file yet? Start with CAD design. Need the full material rundown? See our FDM printing service. Design locked and ready to scale? Move straight into low-volume production.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast can I get a prototype in San Diego?
Standard prototype orders are ready in 5–7 business days, and rush service turns them in 1–2. Free local pickup is available at our shop (7950 Silverton Ave Ste 205, San Diego, CA 92126). Upload your STL, get the instant price, and we email you as soon as parts are ready.
How much does rapid prototyping cost?
PLA prototypes start at $0.035/cm³ with a $20 order minimum — a palm-sized proof-of-concept part typically runs $20–$40. Engineering materials like PETG, PC, and carbon-fiber nylon carry published multipliers, all listed on our pricing page. You see the exact price before you pay, not after a sales call.
Is FDM the right process for my prototype?
For functional parts, enclosures, fixtures, and fit checks — almost always yes: it's the fastest and cheapest way to a strong part, with the widest material range. For jewelry-grade surface finish or microscopic detail, SLA resin is the better tool; our FDM vs SLA guide on the blog breaks down exactly when each wins.
I only have a sketch or a physical part — can you still prototype it?
Yes. Our in-house CAD design team turns sketches, photos, and napkin drawings into print-ready models, with first drafts usually delivered within 48 hours. If you have an existing physical part and no drawings, our 3D scanning service reverse-engineers it into parametric CAD at ±0.1 mm.
What happens when my prototype is ready for production?
Nothing changes — that's the point. The same shop, machines, and material profiles that printed your prototype run your production batch, from 10 units to 10,000, with no tooling cost and bulk discounts that are published on the pricing page. Your validated prototype IS the production spec.
What tolerances can I expect on a prototype?
Our FDM process holds ±0.2 mm typical and ±0.1 mm achievable on critical features — tight enough for fastener bosses, snap-fits, and press-fit inserts. If a dimension is critical, call it out in the order notes and we'll orient and tune the print for it.
Your parts are waiting.
Upload your file now. Get a real price in seconds.