Custom Solutions for Advertising Agencies and Theatre Art Installations: End-Use Products
In advertising and stage projects an idea has to be realised quickly, often in one or a few copies, and the shape is usually unique. 3D printing suits such cases best: there is no need to make moulds or tooling, a digital model is enough. If you do not have one, we create it ourselves. You can find more about our capabilities on the 3D Printing page.
What is most often requested
- Props for filming. At the request of the advertising and film production company The Magic, we created three props for a Citroën DS advertisement: scissors, artworks inspired by Camille Claudel, and a piano leg.
- Large-format set pieces. For a Mutti ketchup campaign, together with Grandma Productions, we created a set piece in which the shell from Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" is replaced by a pasta-shaped object.
- Channel letters and logos. For an advertising production company we modelled and printed ten sets of illuminated channel letters, and for the creative agency Smart Solutions we printed the RESTA exhibition letters with SLS technology and painted them red.
- Theatre and art installations. For the Klaipėda Drama Theatre we printed a large tree of complex shape, and for another art project, six faces expressing different emotions.
Why 3D printing suits advertising and the stage
- Unique shape. You can make any object you will not find in a shop.
- Speed. Advertising campaigns and performances have strict deadlines, and a 3D printed product can be ready in a few days or weeks, depending on size and finish.
- Size. Large objects are printed in parts and joined, so an installation or set piece can be truly big.
- Light weight. Objects printed from PLA are light, so they are easy to transport and install on a stage or set.
- Finish. We sand and paint the products to a colour code you provide, or imitate metal, stone or another surface.
How the work goes
- Idea. From a sketch, a photograph, a drawing or a simple description.
- 3D model. You provide it or we create it.
- Printing. Objects are printed in parts, depending on their size.
- Finishing and assembly. Sanding, painting, joining and preparing for delivery.
Individual project
The price and lead time depend on size, quantity and finish. Send a sketch, a photograph or a description of your idea through the order form, state the deadline and where the object will be used, and we will suggest the most suitable solution. You can read more about small-run production on the Small-Scale Production page.
Drones and Drone Components: Prototypes and End-Use Products
In drone manufacturing what matters most is low weight, accurate dimensions and speed: the design is often changed after every test. 3D printing lets you produce a part in a few days, adjust the model and print again without any tooling or moulds. That is why drone developers use this technology both for prototypes and for small-batch components. You can find more about our capabilities on the 3D Printing page.
Where 3D printing is used in drones
- Prototypes and test housings. A new shape can be tried out before investing in series production.
- Components. Most often these are brackets, camera and sensor mounts, protective housings and cable guides.
- Small batches. When you need a few dozen identical parts, no mould is required. Read more in our article "Small-Batch Production Without Injection Molds: When It Pays Off".
- Display copies and models. For the Latvian water drone manufacturer NEWT21 we printed scaled-down drone models for trade shows and client presentations. We used the Modix Big 60 for larger components and the Prusa MK3 for finer details, with PLA as the material.
Prototype or final part
For prototypes, FDM printing from PLA or PETG is usually enough: it is fast and inexpensive. For final, loaded parts, stronger engineering plastics are chosen, for example nylon (PA12) with SLS or MJF technologies, which can also be combined with reinforced materials. For highly loaded parts, metal printing may also be considered. We will cover the differences between technologies in separate articles.
Weight and strength
3D printing makes it possible to reduce the mass of a part: walls can be thin, and lattice or hollow structures can be formed inside, leaving material only where it is needed. Whether a part is suitable for flight is always confirmed by the manufacturer through testing, while we help choose the technology, the material and the print orientation.
Broken or discontinued parts
If you need to recreate a broken bracket or an old component that can no longer be bought, we can scan the part and build its digital model. Read more in our article "What to Do When an Industrial Part Breaks and You Can't Buy It Anywhere" and on the 3D Scanning page.
Individual project
Every drone part is different, so we can propose the most accurate solution only when we know the operating conditions: loads, temperature, humidity and quantity. Send a 3D model, a drawing or a sample through the order form, and we will suggest the most suitable technology and material.
Models of Buildings, Sites, Parks and Cities: 3D Printed End-Use Products
A scale model is one of the most persuasive ways to present a project to investors, a municipality or visitors: it is easier to look at and understand a physical object than a drawing on a screen. A handmade model takes weeks, while with 3D printing models of buildings, sites, parks or even entire cities can be made in a few days. You can read more about this service on the Presentation Models page.
What can be made
- Buildings and city blocks. Using 3D models supplied by architects, we made the site model of the Stasys Eidrigevičius Art Center and the FL Technics hangar model.
- Parks and sites. We delivered the Ilzenberg Manor model from the first idea to the finished product: using satellite images and a virtual 3D tour, we modelled the buildings, vegetation and wildlife.
- Cities and historical views. We recreated the interwar centre of Kuršėnai, and for the National Museum of Lithuania we printed the model of Vilnius 200 years ago.
- Objects not yet built. For the seaport terminal project we produced a model and a 3-minute video presentation.
- Tactile models. At the request of a private client, we recreated a model of an Old Town house in Vilnius for blind people.
How a model is made
- Data. We start from architects' CAD files or 3D models. If there are none, we model from photographs, archive material, satellite images or 3D scanning data.
- Modelling and splitting. A large model is divided into parts so that it can be printed and later assembled.
- Printing. For large surfaces we use FDM technology (PLA, PETG), and for fine details, SLA resins.
- Finishing. The parts are sanded, painted and joined, and vegetation and other details are added.
How large a model can be
From a small house to a city block several metres long. For example, a fragment of the city of Šiauliai, more than 1.6 m long and 1.3 m wide, was printed from white PLA in just a few days. For large-format printing we use Modix Big Meter printers.
3D printing or a handmade model
The advantage of 3D printing is how easy changes are. If the project changes, the digital model is updated and only the necessary part is reprinted. It also allows shapes and accuracy that are hard to achieve by hand. In some cases 3D printing is combined with CNC milling: read more in our article "3D Printing or CNC Milling: When to Choose Which".
Individual project
The price and lead time of a model depend on its size, level of detail and finish. Send your project files, photographs or idea through the order form, and we will suggest the most suitable solution.
Sculptures, Awards, Statuettes: 3D Printed End-Use Products
Award statuettes, sculpture copies and art objects are usually made in small runs, from a single piece to a few dozen. With traditional casting this is expensive and slow, because a mould has to be made first. With 3D printing all you need is a digital model, and the finished product can be ready in a few days. You can read more about scanning, copying and reproducing sculptures on the Furniture, Art and Sculpture page.
Why 3D printing suits awards and statuettes
- Unique design. Every statuette can be created to the client's concept, with no moulds or tooling.
- Speed. When the event date is fixed and the idea arrives late, 3D printing helps you meet the deadline.
- Small runs without a price jump. Making one statuette or ten requires no investment in a mould. Read more in our article "Small-Batch Production Without Injection Molds: When It Pays Off".
- Complex shapes. Reliefs, thin details and unusual forms are printed as easily as simple ones.
Real examples
- For the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists we printed the Lithuanian Exporter of the Year 2025 award statuettes. They were printed with SLA technology in two parts, a frame and a feather, then finished, painted and glued together with engraved nomination plates.
- For the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania we made 16 "Future Village Creators" statuettes with a relief of the outline of Lithuania.
- For the American Chamber of Commerce in Lithuania gala, four golden giraffes were produced.
- For the Surfshark Legends awards, the statuettes were made from two different materials, and the inscription was printed with the most precise SLA technology.
Sculptures and their copies: scanning and printing
When you need an exact copy of an original rather than a new design, we start with 3D scanning. This is how we created copies of the sculptures of three interwar Lithuanian presidents for the Historical Presidential Palace in Kaunas, and a copy of the Veliuona Madonna together with the Jurbarkas Regional Museum and the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art. With the handheld Artec Leo scanner we also scanned a 7-metre-long polystyrene bull sculpture used for producing a bronze positive. For large-format printing we use the Modix Big Meter printer, which produced the sculptures of Hans Egede.
Materials and finishing
- Photopolymer resins (SLA). Suitable for fine details, inscriptions and a smooth surface, which is why they are most often chosen for statuettes.
- Plastic (FDM, e.g. PLA). Suitable for larger sculptures and decorative objects.
- Finishing. We sand and paint the products and, where needed, glue them together from parts. Paint can achieve a silver, gold or bronze look.
- Final product in metal. If bronze or another metal is required, the 3D printed model can be used as a positive for the casting mould.
Large objects are printed in parts and joined so that the seams are not visible. If the product will be used outdoors, we choose the material and protective coating to suit the conditions.
Individual project
The price and lead time of a statuette, sculpture or art object depend on its size, level of detail and finish. Send your idea, sketch or 3D model through the order form, and we will suggest the most suitable technology, material and lead time.
What to Do When an Industrial Part Breaks and You Can't Buy It Anywhere
Sooner or later, every factory runs into the same problem: an assembly or part breaks down, the original manufacturer no longer produces it, no drawings exist, and machine downtime costs far more than the part itself. In these cases, the solution is reverse engineering based on precise 3D scanning.
How the recreation process works
- 3D scanning. The broken or worn part is scanned with a precise 3D scanner to capture its exact geometry as a point cloud.
- Model recreation (reverse engineering). From the scan data, an editable CAD model is created, in which worn or broken features can be corrected to restore the original geometry.
- Material and technology selection. Depending on the load and operating conditions, the most suitable material is chosen – from engineering plastic to metal.
- Production. The part is manufactured using 3D printing or, if needed, CNC machining – depending on the required precision and quantity.
Why choose this approach
The biggest advantage is speed and independence from the original supplier. When there are no drawings, and buying an entirely new assembly isn't reasonable, reverse engineering lets you recreate the exact same part – or even improve it by reinforcing weak points. This is especially relevant for older industrial equipment, specialized machinery, or unique mechanisms.
When this method is a good fit
- When the original part is discontinued or delivery would take weeks or months.
- When no drawings or technical documentation have survived.
- When only one or a few units are needed, making a new mold not worthwhile.
- When you want to improve the part – changing the material or reinforcing the design.
For more on industrial applications, see our article "3D Scanning and Reverse Engineering in the Automotive, Marine, Furniture, and Mechanical Engineering Industries".
An individual assessment
Send us photos and a description of the broken part through our order form – we'll assess whether it can be recreated and propose a solution.
How to Prepare a 3D Model for Printing: Common Mistakes
Even a technically accurate 3D model can cause problems during printing if it hasn't been properly prepared. Most delays and extra costs arise not from the printing technology itself, but from model errors that could have been spotted and fixed before the file was ever sent to production.
The most common model mistakes
- A non-watertight mesh. Holes or gaps in the surface prevent the software from correctly calculating the model's volume and slicing it into layers.
- Overlapping or flipped normals. This can cause the slicing software to misinterpret which side of the surface is the model's interior and which is the exterior.
- Walls that are too thin. Every technology and material has a minimum wall thickness – exceed it, and a feature may fail during printing or break in use.
- Insufficient support planning. Large overhangs without adequate support can deform or fail to print properly.
- Incorrect dimensions or scale. Wrong units (mm vs. inches) are one of the most common reasons a finished part turns out the wrong size.
- Excessive polygon count or file size. An unnecessarily dense mesh lengthens processing time and can complicate slicing.
How to avoid these mistakes
Before sending a model for printing, it's worth checking the geometry's integrity with dedicated software, verifying wall thickness against the chosen material and technology, and thinking ahead about the part's orientation on the printer – this affects both the amount of support needed and the surface quality.
What we do
Once we receive your 3D model, we always check its suitability for the chosen technology before printing and, if needed, suggest fixes or optimizations – both for print reliability and for the final price. If you don't yet have a model, or need to recreate one from an existing part, we can do that through 3D scanning.
A project tailored to you
Send us your 3D model through our order form – we'll assess its suitability for printing and provide a quote.
Small-Batch Production Without Injection Molds: When It Pays Off
Traditional injection molding only becomes economically viable when producing large batches – a mold can cost anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of euros, and making one can take weeks. When you only need a few dozen or a few hundred units, that investment often doesn't pay off. 3D printing allows small batches to be produced without molds – parts are printed directly from a digital model.
When mold-free small-batch production pays off
- Quantities from a single unit to a few thousand. The smaller the batch, the greater the impact of the mold cost on the per-unit price – with 3D printing, the per-unit cost changes far less.
- The product is still being refined. If the design might change after the first batch, a mold becomes an expensive and risky investment – a 3D model can be modified and reprinted within hours.
- Seasonal or limited demand. When a product is made for a single season, event, or limited-run collection, the mold investment usually doesn't pay for itself.
- You need it here and now. Making a mold takes several months – it can easily be 6 months or more from order to first batch. With 3D printing, you can have the first parts in hand within days.
- Complex geometry is required. Internal cavities, lattice structures, or complex shapes that are difficult or costly to mold are not a problem for 3D printing.
When injection molding is the better choice
When a batch reaches tens of thousands of units and the design is finalized, injection molding usually becomes cheaper per unit and allows a wider range of materials. The decision should be based not only on the per-unit price but also on the total investment, timeline, and the likelihood that the design will still change.
Technologies used for small batches
Depending on requirements, we use SLM, SLS, MJF, FDM, or SLA technologies for small-batch production – covering both plastic and metal parts, and allowing consistent-quality parts to be made without additional tooling costs.
An individual assessment
We can only tell you precisely whether 3D printing or injection molding makes sense for your project once we've reviewed your specific quantity, material, and part geometry. Send us your model and the required quantity through our order form – we'll provide a comparison and a quote.
3D Printing in the Automotive Industry: Prototypes, End-Use Parts, and Spare Parts
In the automotive, marine, and rail industries, 3D printing has long outgrown its role as a prototyping tool alone – it is now used as a full production method whenever a precise part, custom tooling, or a hard-to-find spare part is needed quickly. For the transport sector, this shortens development cycles and reduces dependence on large-batch manufacturing.
Where 3D printing is used in the automotive industry
In practice, 3D printing is applied across several distinct situations in the transport sector:
- Prototyping. A prototype of a new assembly or housing can be produced in days rather than weeks, allowing fit, function, and aesthetics to be verified before investing in series production.
- Manufacturing aids. Jigs, fixtures, and assembly aids are often cheaper and faster to print as a custom tool than to machine.
- Small-batch original parts. When the batch is small and an injection mold would cost disproportionately more, 3D printing lets you produce exactly as many parts as needed, with no minimum order quantity.
- Spare parts for older or discontinued models. When the original part is no longer supplied and no drawings exist, it can be recreated through 3D scanning and reverse engineering.
- Customized components. Special interior or exterior solutions, tuning parts, unique brackets and housings.
Why 3D printing suits spare parts
The biggest advantage is that you no longer need to stock thousands of parts "just in case." A part is produced exactly when it is actually needed, even if only a single unit is required. This is especially relevant for older machinery, specialized equipment, or low-volume vehicles whose original manufacturer stopped supplying spare parts long ago.
Materials used
Depending on the part's function, the transport sector typically uses:
- Engineering plastics – for housings, brackets, and airflow guides where low weight matters.
- Metal (stainless steel, aluminum alloys) – for mechanically loaded parts and fasteners.
- Titanium alloys – for highly loaded, heat- or corrosion-resistant parts, where low weight needs to be combined with high strength.
- Rubber and TPU – for gaskets, damping elements, and flexible couplings.
For more on when 3D printing makes sense compared to traditional machining, see our article "3D Printing or CNC Milling: When to Choose Which".
A project tailored to you
Every vehicle part is different, so we can only provide an accurate solution and price once we've reviewed your specific case. Send us your model, drawing, or an old part through our order form, and we'll suggest the most suitable technology and material.
3D Printing Cost: What Determines the Price
One of the most common questions clients ask when contacting us about 3D printing services is — how much will it cost? There's no one-size-fits-all answer, because the final price depends on several factors that together determine the complexity of the project and the resources required.
What determines the price of 3D printing
- Printing technology — different technologies (FDM, SLA, SLS, etc.) come with different costs
- Layer height — a smaller layer height gives a smoother surface but takes longer to print; a larger layer height prints faster but leaves a rougher surface
- Printing speed — a slower speed produces a smoother surface but extends print time; a faster speed shortens print time but can affect surface quality
- Material — different materials vary significantly in price; see our overview of 3D printing materials to compare options
- Model size and volume — larger parts require more material and more print time
- Geometry complexity — intricate shapes, overhangs, and supports increase both print time and post-processing
- Print time — machine time is a direct cost factor, especially for larger or more detailed parts
- Additional post-processing — sanding, painting, assembly, or other finishing work adds to the total cost
- Quantity — printing multiple parts can reduce the per-unit cost
- Precision and tolerance requirements — tighter tolerances may require slower printing or additional finishing steps
- Equipment quality — professional-grade equipment ensures part accuracy relative to the CAD model, a smooth surface, and consistent, identical reproducibility across small-batch production, while also enabling complex geometries to be printed
How to reduce 3D printing costs
- Optimize the model's geometry to minimize material use and reduce the need for support structures
- Choose a material that fits the part's actual functional requirements rather than over-specifying
- Combine multiple parts into a single print run when possible
- Consider whether full precision is truly necessary for every feature of the part
When 3D printing makes sense
3D printing tends to be the most cost-effective option for prototypes, small production runs, and parts with complex geometries. If you're weighing it against other manufacturing methods, our comparison of 3D printing vs. CNC milling can help you decide which approach best fits your project.
Custom pricing
Every project is different, so the most accurate way to find out what your part will cost is to send us the details. Get in touch with us and we'll prepare an individual quote based on your model, material, and quantity.
3D Printing or CNC Milling: When to Choose Which
When planning the production of a part or a prototype, one question often comes up — should you choose 3D printing or CNC milling? Both technologies are widely used in industry, but each suits different situations. In this article we cover the main differences and help you decide which one fits your project.
What's the difference between the two technologies
3D printing is an additive process — the part is built up layer by layer from the chosen material, based on a 3D digital model. CNC milling, on the other hand, is a subtractive process — material is removed from a solid block using a rotating cutting tool until the desired shape is achieved. This fundamental difference shapes the strengths and limitations of each method.
When to choose 3D printing
- When the part has a complex geometry, internal channels, or organic shapes that would be difficult or impossible to machine
- When you need a prototype quickly and cost-effectively, without expensive tooling
- When only a small quantity of parts is required
- When you want to test multiple design iterations before committing to a final version — see our overview of 3D printing materials to choose the right one for your part
When to choose CNC milling
- When the part requires very tight tolerances and a high-precision surface finish
- When you need a part made from metal or another material better suited to machining
- When mechanical strength and durability are critical for the final application
- When producing larger batches where per-part cost matters more than setup time
Cost and lead time
Costs and lead times for both technologies depend on many factors — material, part size, geometry complexity, and quantity. We cover this in detail in our article on 3D printing cost — what determines the price. In general, 3D printing tends to be more cost-effective for prototypes and small batches, while CNC milling becomes more economical at larger volumes.
A combined solution
These two technologies don't have to compete — they're often used together. A part might be 3D printed for early-stage prototyping and design validation, then transitioned to CNC milling for final production once the design is confirmed. Combining both approaches lets you move faster while still ending up with a production-ready part.
Need advice?
Not sure which technology is right for your project? Get in touch with us and we'll help you choose the best solution based on your part's geometry, required quantity, and budget.