Jigs and fixtures
FDM jigs and fixtures in engineering plastics — assembly aids, drill guides, CMM nests, EOAT, gauges.
FDM tooling pays off on the line because the economics flip. A machined aluminum fixture is eight weeks and four figures; the same geometry in PC or PET-CF lands in days for much less, and the next revision lands just as fast. Print v1, run it through a shift, mark it up, send a revised STEP back, and have v2 in hand the same week.
Send an STL, STEP, or 3MF for an instant quote. We print in Albuquerque and deliver free across the ABQ metro, or ship flat-rate anywhere in the US. If you're building a multi-part fixture and want a second set of eyes on material choice, insert callouts, or bushing fits before you commit, attach a note with the file — we'll flag anything that looks fragile before it hits the bed.
What we make
- Assembly fixtures and locating nests
- Drill jigs with pressed-in steel bushings
- Inspection, CMM, and go/no-go gauges
- EOAT and cobot grippers with TPU pads
- Soldering, bonding, and paint-mask fixtures
- Kitting trays and machine-tending fixtures
Best materials
What to know
A jig guides a tool, a fixture locates a part — we build both. Hold tolerance is ±0.5 mm or ±0.2%, whichever is greater, so design locating features with chamfers and lead-ins rather than line-to-line fits. For cycled fasteners, spec brass heat-set inserts; plastic threads strip under repeat torque. Serious fixtures are usually hybrid: a PC or PET-CF body for stiffness, TPU pads on contact surfaces, brass inserts at fastener bosses, and pressed-in steel drill bushings where a bit registers. PC handles heat-adjacent work (soldering benches, heated platens, short oven cycles) with an HDT of 125 °C — confirm it exceeds your cure temp before committing. PLA-Pro creeps under sustained load and softens in warm rooms — fine for training aids and one-shot fixtures, not for clamps that live on the line. ESD-safe materials aren't in our standard catalog; ask if you need them.