Craft Onyx logo

Rapid Prototyping — Raleigh, NC

A working prototype, in your hands in 72 hours.

The big platforms put a quote bot and an account wall between you and your part, then make you wait on a box from overseas. We run the opposite play: send a sketch, a human DFMs it with you the same day, and your prototype is printed, cut, and finished in one Raleigh studio.

$299
Prototype Sprint
72 hr
to parts in hand
2
iterations included
4
slots per month
3D printer building an ember-orange prototype part on the Craft Onyx rapid prototyping bench

What we prototype

If it fits on a desk,
we can build a version this week.

Enclosures & housings

Snap-fit and screw-together cases for electronics, sensors, and IoT builds — printed in PETG or ABS so you can actually test them.

Fit & form models

Check ergonomics, clearances, and assembly before you commit to tooling. Cheap to iterate: print, hold, revise, reprint.

Jigs & fixtures

Drill guides, assembly fixtures, and test stands for your bench or production line. One-offs welcome.

Appearance models

Resin-look finishes plus UV-printed logos and full-color branding — investor-meeting and trade-show ready.

The timeline

Sketch to part in 72 hours.

No quote bots, no overseas lead times. This is the actual clock on a Sprint.

Day 0

Send files — or a sketch

STL, STEP, 3MF, OBJ, or a napkin drawing. A human replies within one business day. No account, no portal, no upload wall.

Day 1

Proof + firm quote

We run a DFM check, flag anything that will fail, recommend a material, and send a fixed written price. You approve, we build.

Day 2–3

Prototype in hand

Pick up in Raleigh this week, or we ship tracked anywhere in the US. Sprint prototypes finish inside 72 hours — guaranteed by the slot.

The flagship

Prototype Sprint — $299

One fixed price that takes you from rough idea to a part you can test, hold, and show. Built for founders and engineers who need a working prototype before the next meeting — not a parts catalog and a two-week wait.

  • 3D printed functional parts in PLA, PETG, ABS, or TPU
  • Laser-cut and UV-finished appearance parts where they sell the idea
  • Basic CAD tweaks — bring a sketch or a rough model
  • Material consult matched to what the part has to survive
  • Two iterations, so the second build fits better than the first

We hold 4 Sprint slots per month so every Sprint actually hits the 72-hour deadline. Already have print-ready files? Skip the Sprint — à la carte machine time is $95/hr with a $150 project minimum.

Prototype pricing at a glance

Prototype Sprint
$299 flat
Turnaround
72 hours
À la carte machine time
$95/hr
Project minimum
$150
Rush turnaround
+50%
Sprint slots
4 / month
Start a Sprint

Inside the studio

Your file never
leaves the building.

Marketplaces route your part to the lowest bidder and your questions to a ticket queue. Here, the print farm sits across the room from the fiber laser and the UV printer, and the engineer who DFM’d your file on Day 0 is the one pulling it off the bed on Day 2.

That’s why iteration two ships the same week instead of next month — and why you get photos of your parts before they ever go in a box.

Meet the studio →

Materials

Matched to the mission.

Tell us what the part has to survive — heat, drops, flexing, a client demo — and we’ll match the material.

Material Best for Notes
PLA Fit/form models, appearance prototypes Crisp detail, fastest prints, lowest cost
PETG Functional parts, enclosures, brackets Tough, moisture-resistant, good layer adhesion
ABS Durable housings, jigs, fixtures Heat-tolerant, sandable and paintable
TPU Gaskets, grips, bumpers, flexible parts Rubber-like flex, abrasion-resistant
Resin-look finishes Client-ready appearance models Smoothed and finished for presentation
Laser-cut acrylic & wood Flat mockups, panels, fixture plates ±0.1–0.2 mm features, same-week turnaround

Who it’s for

Built for the Triangle’s builders.

A local prototype studio, minutes from RTP and NCSU — not a marketplace routing your files overseas.

RTP & Triangle startups

Iterate hardware weekly instead of monthly. Day-1 DFM feedback from a human, parts by Day 3, and a studio that remembers your project on round two.

Product teams & labs

Jigs, fixtures, enclosures, and test parts without a PO marathon. Lock in specs once and reorder the same part, batch after batch.

NCSU students & first-timers

Senior design, club builds, a first invention — quantity 1 is fine, no account required, and pickup is right here in Raleigh.

Rapid prototyping FAQs

How much does rapid prototyping cost in Raleigh?

The Prototype Sprint is a flat $299: a functional prototype in your hands in 72 hours, covering 3D printed parts, laser-cut and UV-finished appearance parts, basic CAD tweaks, a material consult, and two iterations. Already have print-ready files? À la carte machine time runs $95/hr with a $150 project minimum. Send your file or sketch and you’ll have an exact quote within one business day.

How fast can I get a 3D printed prototype?

A Prototype Sprint delivers in 72 hours: send files Day 0, get a proof and firm quote Day 1, pick up or ship Day 2–3. Local pickup in Raleigh skips the shipping wait entirely.

Why are there only four Sprint slots per month?

Because the 72-hour promise is real. Each Sprint gets dedicated machine time and same-day iteration from one craftsman — overbooking would quietly break the deadline, so we don’t. When a month is full, you’re offered the next open slot honestly instead of being dropped into a silent queue.

What materials can you 3D print?

PLA, PETG, ABS, and TPU on our printer farm, plus resin-look finishes for appearance models. For flat panels and fixture plates we laser-cut acrylic and wood. Tell us what the part has to do and we’ll recommend the material.

What tolerances do 3D printed prototypes hold?

Our 3D printed parts typically hold ±0.3 mm or ±0.3%, whichever is greater. Flag your critical dimensions and fits up front and we’ll orient and tune the print around them. For tighter flat features, laser-cut parts hold ±0.1–0.2 mm.

Do I need a CAD file to get a prototype made?

No. Bring a sketch, a photo, or a part you want to copy the idea from — basic CAD tweaks are included in the Prototype Sprint, and we’ll work through design-for-manufacturing decisions with you. If you do have CAD, STL, STEP, 3MF, and OBJ all work.

Do you work with students and early-stage startups?

Yes — that’s the core of the work. NCSU students, university labs, and RTP startups bring us one-off parts all the time. Quantity 1 is fine (à la carte work carries a $150 project minimum), no account is required, and you can pick up in Raleigh instead of waiting on a box.

Four Sprint slots a month. Claim yours.

Send an STL, STEP, 3MF — or just a sketch. A real person replies with a fixed price and DFM notes within one business day, and your prototype is in hand in 72 hours.