Questions we hear most often from engineers and makers ordering parts.

STL and 3MF. We'll cover the difference in the next answer.

3MF if your CAD tool exports it. It preserves units, color, and embedded metadata, so there's less ambiguity when we slice the part.

STL is the default for most 3D-printable files and works fine. Just make sure the file is in millimeters — STL has no native units, so the slicer guesses unless you've set them.

The quote engine will usually still accept it. When we open the file to slice, if we see something that won't print correctly — non-manifold edges, flipped normals, gaps in the mesh — we reach out before charging the card. No "we printed it anyway and it failed" surprises.

Yes. We don't ask where the file came from. The usual caveats apply: free downloaded models are often unoptimized for FDM, so expect we may flag wall thickness or support-heavy geometry before printing.

±0.5 mm or ±0.2%, whichever is greater. This is the spec we publish and stand behind. If a printed part falls outside it, we reprint.

Tighter tolerances on critical features — mating surfaces, threaded inserts, press-fits — usually need a callout on the order. We can adjust the toolpath, but we need to know what matters.

1.2 mm for most parts in standard FDM materials. Below that, expect visible weakness and possible print failure. For TPU and PET-CF, hold 1.5–2.0 mm minimum.

If a feature has to be thinner — a thin tab, a flexure — flag it on the order. We can sometimes adjust extrusion width to make a thinner wall printable, but only if we know to plan for it.

Printed threads work for low-load applications and large pitches (M6 and up, coarse). For anything load-bearing, repeatedly assembled, or smaller than M6 — use a heat-set insert. Inserts give a metal-quality thread in a printed boss.

We don't install inserts today, but we can leave the right boss diameter in the print if you specify it.

Yes — FDM parts have visible layer lines, typically 0.2 mm at our default layer height. Vertical surfaces show clean horizontal layers; top surfaces are slightly textured from the print path; overhangs show some support witness marks.

If finish matters more than tolerance — display-grade surface, paint prep, smooth feel — sanding and primer-fill are usually the right path, on your end after delivery.

Yes, in pieces. Parts larger than our build volume can be split, printed in sections, and assembled with adhesive or mechanical joinery. We can quote both options. Splits add joining time and may affect tolerances at the seam — worth a conversation if dimensional accuracy at the joint matters.

Two components, plus the order minimum:

• Material cost: part weight (grams) × material rate. The rate depends on the tier — $ through $$$$, from PLA-Pro through PET-CF.
• Setup fee: $5 per distinct STL on the order. Covers slicing and machine prep time.

Volume discounts kick in at 5, 25, and 100+ identical units (10%, 20%, 30%) — see short-run manufacturing for how the breaks pencil out at production volumes.

The quoter gives you a real transactional price. No "request a quote and we'll get back to you."

Per-order overhead — consumables, time, packaging — doesn't scale below it. The fastest way around the minimum is to batch: the volume discount starts at 5 identical units, so a few prototypes or a couple of variants together usually clear it.

Typically comparable or cheaper for FDM, because we don't carry broker margin. The bigger story is lead time — your part is printed in Albuquerque and delivered locally, with no cross-country shipping. For ABQ-metro customers, the wall-clock difference is days.

Same-week local delivery for standard orders in the ABQ metro. Days, not weeks. Expedited and rush tiers are available at checkout for tighter timelines. The quote will show you the actual options for your part.

Yes — there's a rush tier (+100%) for next-business-day delivery in the ABQ metro on parts that fit the schedule. Not every part is rushable; large or complex prints have a physical minimum print time we can't compress. The quoter will tell you what's possible before you commit.

Free local delivery across a 30-ZIP footprint covering Albuquerque proper, Rio Rancho, Corrales, Bernalillo, Los Lunas, Belen, Edgewood, and Tijeras. Full ZIP list on the Service area page.

Yes. $10 flat-rate shipping anywhere in the US. International isn't supported at launch.

We print everything in-house. We own the machines, we run them, and the part you order is made in Albuquerque by us — not handed to a supplier network. One shop, one team, one name on the door if anything goes wrong.

Yes. After you upload, we open the file, check geometry, confirm material and orientation, and slice the part ourselves. If anything looks wrong — a thin wall, a non-manifold edge, an orientation that'll cause a failure — you'll hear from us before the print starts. The end-to-end workflow walks through what we look for, with examples.

Yes. Reach out before submitting your quote and we'll get one in place.

Files stay on our own systems for order fulfillment and reorder convenience. No subcontractors. If you want files destroyed after a job, say so on the order and we'll confirm when it's done.

Tell us. If the part doesn't meet our published spec — ±0.5 mm or ±0.2%, the material you ordered, the geometry in your file — we reprint at no charge. Shipping damage gets resolved the same way.