3d PRINTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE PARTS

Choosing the right 3D printer for printing automotive car parts can feel overwhelming—which is why we created the 3D Printer Selector Tool v1

The 3d printer selector tool below is a simple, guided tool that will help you find the perfect 3d printer for automotive parts in under 30 seconds.

3D PRINTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE PARTS SELECTOR TOOL

1. What's your automotive 3D printing budget? Under $300 $300 - $1150 $1500+

2. What material do you plan to print with?

PLA / PLA+ / PETG / TPU ASA / ABS / PC / Nylon Carbon or Glass Infused Fiber

3. What's the maximum size car part you'd like to print? Up to 7x7x7 inches Up to 10x10x10 inches Up to 12.5x12.5x12.5 inches

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Here’s a breakdown of how each category is defined within the 3d printer selector tool:

💸 1st CATEGORY—BUDGET

Or how much are you willing to spend making custom 3d printed car parts?

Your budget is important because it will dictate the type of car parts you can 3d print.

• Under $300 (Low Budget) – Ideal for entry-level small automotive accessories or auto car parts.

• $300–$1150 (Mid Budget) – A sweet spot for power users who want advanced 3d printer features that allow for more filament and larger size car part prints.

• $1500+ (High Budget) – Perfect for pros, prototypers, or a serious side hustle. A high budget will give you the most flexibly when it comes to 3d printing automotive parts.

🧵 2nd CATEGORY—MATERIALS

Different car parts might require to be 3d printed in different materials which require different hardware capabilities.

Here’s the material categories:

• PLA / PETG / TPU (Flexible & Beginner-Friendly) – Great for fast prototyping and automotive indoor accessories.

• ABS / ASA / Nylon / PC (Engineering-Grade) – Usually requires a 3d printer with an enclosure and higher temps which allow for printing car parts that can handle higher heat.

• Carbon or Glass Fiber (Composite) – Demands tough 3d printer extruders and rigidity for tougher car parts.

For details on which 3d printing material to use for car parts check out our filament selector tool:

📦 3rd CATEGORY—BUILD SIZE

Whether you're printing functional car parts or tiny custom clips, size will eventually become an issue.

For instance, if you want to 3d print a full automotive digital dash display, then you’re going to need a 3d printer capable of printing much larger parts.

• Small – Up to 7" x 7" x 7" – Great for accessories, gadgets, or small automotive parts.

• Medium – Up to 10" x 10" x 10" – Perfect for most functional plastic car parts.

• Large – Up to 12.5" x 12.5" x 12.5" – Required for larger car parts such as digital cluster gauges or custom air intakes.

🔍 WHICH 3d PRINTER?

🟢 Bambu Lab A1 Mini

• Best For: Budget builders printing prototypes and/or small indoor accessories with PLA or PETG

• Price: Usually under $300

• Why it’s great: It’s compact, super easy to use, and perfect for light-duty prints
  👉 View A1 Mini

🟢 Elegoo Centauri Carbon

• Best For: Versatile mid size printing on a low budget supporting a variety of filaments from PLA, ABS, ASA, PC, and even Carbon/glass fiber car parts.

• Price: Avg. $300

• Why it’s great: Lowest cost 3d printer with an enclosed design supporting tons of different filaments.
  👉 View Centauri Carbon

🟢 Bambu Lab P1S

• Best For: Mid-range price for mid sized printing PLA/ABS/ASA Printing.

• Price: Avg. $600

• Why it’s great: Fast, reliable, with extruder, and hot end upgrades for 3d printing carbon/glass fiber car parts.
  👉 View P1S

🟢 Creality Ender 5 Max

• Best For: Massive car part builds up to 15.7” x 15.7” x 15.7”

• Price: Avg. $800-950

• Why it’s great: Super large print area which can be upgraded with an enclosure for printing higher temp filaments.
  👉 View Ender 5 Max

🟢 Creality K1 Max

• Best For: Slightly large 3d car prints up to 11.8” x 11.8” x11.8” ready to 3d print PLA/ASA/ABS/Carbon and glass infused fiber car parts.

• Price: Avg. $800-900

• Why it’s great: Prints advanced materials right out of the box with a slightly larger build plate.
  👉 View K1 Max

🟢 Bambu Lab X1-Carbon

• Best For: High quality 3d prints at mid size 3d car part prints up to 10” x 10” x 10” supporting.

• PLA/ASA/ABS/Carbon and glass infused fiber car parts.

• Price: Avg. $1500+

• Why it’s great: High quality with multi-material printing support and pro-grade results.
  👉 View X1C

🟢 Bambu Lab H2D

• Best For: Super large, high-performance dual extrusion, and high Bambu Lab quality prints.

• Price: Avg. $2000

• Why it’s great: Huge build plate, dual-material capabilities, auto z-offset, and heated chamber.
  👉 View H2D

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