Replacement Valve Housing

The Challenge

A manufacturing plant near Stuttgart had a critical CNC machine go offline when a plastic valve housing cracked. The machine was over 20 years old and the original manufacturer no longer existed. No replacement parts were available anywhere, and a custom injection mould would take 8–10 weeks and cost thousands of euros. Every day of downtime was costing the plant production capacity.

Our Approach

The client sent us the broken part along with technical drawings. We 3D scanned the fragments, reconstructed the geometry in CAD, and optimized the wall thickness for SLS printing in Nylon PA12. PA12 offers excellent chemical resistance and mechanical properties that closely match the original engineering plastic. We printed two copies — one for immediate installation and one as a shelf spare.

The Result

Both parts were shipped within 4 days of receiving the broken original. The replacement dropped straight into the machine with no modifications needed. The plant was back in production the same day it arrived. Total cost was under €200 compared to an estimated €3,500+ for a custom mould. The client now keeps a digital inventory of critical spare parts with us for on-demand reprinting.