Prototyping · 2026
Custom 3D printed enclosures for electronics
How much does it cost to 3D print a custom electronics enclosure?
A medium case or cover, about 6 × 6 × 4 cm, printed in FDM costs between €7 and €19, typically €12, excluding VAT and shipping, and takes about 2 hours of machine time. If you don't have the design, modelling is charged separately. For your own board, a Raspberry Pi or the broken cover of a device, PETG is the usual choice, with screws going into brass inserts. Fabrishare is a network of makers: post the project for free and get offers within 24–48 hours.
Which material for a 3D printed enclosure?
Typical, rounded values; they vary with the filament brand and how the part is printed. What decides it is where the enclosure will live and how hot the electronics inside get.
| Material | Heat: softens from | What for |
|---|---|---|
| PLA | About 55 °C | Indoor prototypes to check dimensions and fit |
| PETG | About 70 °C | The default: enclosures in everyday indoor use |
| ASA or ABS | About 90 °C | Electronics that run warm, cars and outdoors (ASA also stands up to sunlight) |
| PC (polycarbonate) | Higher than ABS | Only if you know you need it and the maker offers it: it's hard to print |
| Resin | Low | Small, precise cases, buttons and light pipes in clear resin |
| Nylon (SLS or MJF) | High | Runs, and snap fits that open and close many times |
Rule of thumb: PLA for the first test fit, PETG for the enclosure you keep, and ASA if it goes in a car, next to something hot or outside. If the device runs continuously, say so in the project and the maker will suggest the material.
How much does a 3D printed enclosure cost?
Indicative prices for the whole job, excluding VAT and shipping, worked out with the Fabrishare calculator. A small cover or bracket comes to about €10; a medium case, about €12. In a run, the price per part drops a lot. If the maker has to design the enclosure, modelling is extra and shown in their offer.
| Part | Technology | Range | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small spare part (bracket, clip) | FDM | €6 – €17 | €10 |
| Medium case or cover | FDM | €7 – €19 | €12 |
| Run of 100 small parts | FDM | €219 – €585 | €365 |
How to design an enclosure that fits first time
The things that most often send an enclosure back for a reprint. If you're designing it, check them before you post; if the maker designs it, tell them which apply.
Clearances
A printed part never comes out exactly the size of the file. In FDM, leave 0.2 to 0.5 mm of clearance per side wherever something has to fit: the board in its pocket, a lid in its frame, a connector in its cut-out. Resin needs less. If in doubt, ask for a test print first.
Screws: brass inserts rather than threading the plastic
A thread cut into the plastic strips after a few times opening the case. The usual answer is bosses with a hole and a heat-set brass threaded insert pressed in (M2.5 for a Raspberry Pi, for instance, or M3). Mention it in the project: not every maker stocks or fits them.
Walls, ventilation and cut-outs
For a hand-sized enclosure, 2–3 mm walls are usually enough. Anything that gets warm (a regulator, a processor, a power supply) needs vents or slots. Draw the cut-outs for connectors, buttons and LEDs with some margin: a USB plug or jack that won't go in means reprinting the whole part.
Snap fits, seals and light
Snap fits work well in PETG and nylon, and badly in PLA, which cracks. A printed enclosure isn't watertight by default: if it has to keep out dust or water, it needs a seal (in TPU, for example) and a design made for one. For light pipes and windows, clear resin or translucent PETG.
What to send when you order an enclosure
- 1
The file, ideally STEP
For an enclosure, a STEP file (.step or .stp) beats an STL: it keeps exact dimensions and the maker can adjust a hole or a clearance without redrawing it. An STL works too.
- 2
No design: the board and photos
The board's dimensions, the position of its mounting holes and each connector, and photos from above and from the sides with a ruler next to it. With that, a maker can design the enclosure (quoted separately).
- 3
Where it will live
Indoors, in a car or outside; whether anything inside gets warm; whether it will be opened often.
- 4
Quantity and finish
One, a few to test, or a run. Colour, whether screws are included and whether you want the inserts fitted.
What enclosures people order
Of the 110 registered requests between May and October 2026, 26 were for spare and functional parts and 5 for prototypes and technical parts. They included the cover of a mini PC, a case for an e-reader, a housing with an M48 thread and an adapter for the fan bracket of a TV.
Your own board
A project with an Arduino, an ESP32 or a PCB you designed: the enclosure is built around its holes and connectors.
Development boards
Cases for a Raspberry Pi or another well-known board, with openings for its ports and ventilation. Often there's already a file that can be adapted.
Replacement covers and housings
A battery cover, or the broken housing of a remote or device that the manufacturer doesn't sell on its own.
3D printed spare partsMounts and adapters
A part to fix a device, a fan or a sensor where no existing bracket fits.
Custom adaptersEffects pedal enclosures
Enclosures, knobs and covers for guitar pedals. A printed enclosure needs shielding, for example copper tape.
Musical instrument partsNo design yet
If you have the board but no 3D model, some makers design the enclosure from measurements and photos.
No STL file?Household appliances
Covers, brackets and plastic parts for appliances, with the material chosen for heat and water.
Appliance spare parts
From prototype to a run
An enclosure rarely fits perfectly first time. The normal route is in versions:
- 1
Version 1: check the dimensions
A quick print, often in PLA, to see whether the board fits, the connectors line up and the lid closes.
- 2
Version 2: the real one
With the corrections, in the final material (PETG or ASA) and with the inserts fitted.
- 3
A sample for the run
If you'll need several, order one or a few identical ones and approve them before the batch.
- 4
The run
Once the sample is approved, the maker repeats the part with the same settings. For reference, 100 small FDM parts come to about €3.65 each.
How to order your enclosure
- 1Post your project for free with the file (ideally STEP) or the board's dimensions and photos, and say where it will live.
- 2Makers in the network send you their offer with price, material and lead time within 24–48 hours.
- 3You compare, choose, and the maker prints it and sends it to you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to 3D print an enclosure?
A medium FDM case or cover costs between €7 and €19, typically €12, and a small cover or bracket about €10, excluding VAT and shipping. If it has to be designed, modelling is extra. Each maker gives the exact price in their offer.
How do I make a custom enclosure for my electronics project?
Design it in CAD with 0.2–0.5 mm clearance per side, bosses for brass inserts and openings for connectors and ventilation, then export it as STEP or STL. If you don't design, send the board's dimensions and photos with a ruler: a maker in the network designs and prints it.
What's the best material for an enclosure?
PETG for an everyday indoor enclosure. ASA or ABS if the electronics get warm or it goes in a car or outside: they hold up to about 90 °C, against 55 °C for PLA. PLA is fine for the first test fit.
How much clearance should I leave for the board?
In FDM, 0.2 to 0.5 mm per side wherever something has to fit; less in resin. Every printer is slightly different, so for a tight-fitting enclosure it's worth ordering a test print first.
STL or STEP?
For an enclosure, STEP: it keeps exact dimensions and the maker can adjust a hole without redrawing the part. An STL prints just as well but is harder to modify.
Can I screw straight into the plastic?
You can, but the thread strips after a few assemblies. For an enclosure you'll open, the usual approach is heat-set brass threaded inserts, such as M2.5 or M3. Ask for them in the project.
Is a 3D printed enclosure waterproof?
Not by default: layers can let water through and the lid needs a seal. If it has to keep out dust or water, say so in the project so the maker designs it with a seal, in TPU for example, and the right material.
Can I put mains-voltage electronics in a printed enclosure?
It's not a good idea: a PLA or PETG enclosure isn't certified for mains voltage or fire-tested. For low-voltage electronics (batteries, USB, 5–12 V) it's the normal choice.
Can other makers see or copy my design?
While offers are being made, makers see the technical details and an image of the part, but they can't download the file. Only the maker whose offer you accept receives it.