Turning an idea into a real plastic component can feel mysterious if you have never worked with manufacturers before. The good news is that once you understand the steps, it becomes a structured, repeatable process.
If you have ever searched online for how to get a plastic part made UK, you have probably seen everything from consumer 3D printing gadgets to mass production injection moulding. This guide cuts through the noise and walks you through the full journey, from first sketch to finished part in your hand.
Attwood PD specialises in rapid prototypes and low to high volume production in both plastic and metal, so the perspective here is firmly practical and manufacturing led.
The big picture: from idea to production
Before diving into the detail, it helps to see the whole route at a glance.
- Define what the part must do.
- Capture the design (sketches, CAD, or reverse engineering).
- Choose a suitable plastic material.
- Select the right manufacturing process for your quantity and lead time.
- Build prototypes to de risk the design.
- Optimise for manufacture (DFM) and refine the CAD.
- Move into low, then higher volume production.
You do not have to do all of this alone. A good UK partner will support each step, especially around material choice, design for manufacture and process selection.
Step 1: Clarify what your plastic part must do
Before asking anyone to quote, get clear on a few essentials. They will drive almost every technical decision that follows.
Ask yourself:
- Function: what does the part actually do day to day
- Environment: will it see heat, UV, chemicals, impact, vibration, food contact or medical cleaning
- Durability: is this a disposable item, a service part, or a safety critical component
- Aesthetics: does it need a premium finish, specific colours, or to match existing products
- Tolerances: are you happy with millimetres, or do you need tight fits and seals
- Quantities: how many parts do you need for
- early prototypes
- initial launch
- steady state production
- Budget and timeline: when do you need parts on the bench, and what are your cost constraints
Having written answers will make your first conversation with Attwood PD or any other manufacturer far more productive.
Step 2: Capture the design – sketches, CAD and reverse engineering
Once you know what the part must do, you need a design that can be manufactured.
Typical starting points:
- Rough sketches plus dimensions
- A hand made mock up or 3D printed prototype from a hobby service
- Existing parts you want to improve or combine
- A full CAD model that just needs manufacturing input
If you do not yet have CAD, Attwood PD or another product development company can create the 3D model and technical drawings for you. That usually includes:
- Creating a parametric CAD model in a professional package
- Applying realistic wall thicknesses and draft angles where needed
- Adding assembly features, such as clips, bosses, ribs and snap fits
- Designing for whatever process you are most likely to use (3D printing, CNC machining, vacuum casting, injection moulding)
Good engineering input at this stage often saves thousands of pounds later, by avoiding awkward geometries or unmanufacturable features.
Step 3: Choose the right plastic material
Material choice is one of the biggest levers you have over performance, cost and longevity. A few of the most common engineering plastics you might consider are shown below.
| Material | Key properties | Typical uses |
|---|---|---|
| ABS | Tough, good impact, easy to mould and finish | Housings, enclosures, automotive interior parts |
| Polycarbonate (PC) | Very high impact, clear grades available | Lenses, guards, protective covers |
| Nylon (PA) | Strong, wear resistant, good for moving parts | Bushes, gears, under bonnet components |
| Polypropylene (PP) | Flexible, chemical resistant, low density | Living hinges, consumer products, packaging |
| Acetal (POM) | Low friction, dimensionally stable | Precision mechanisms, clips, fluid components |
| TPE or TPU | Flexible, rubber like feel | Seals, gaskets, overmoulded grips |
For regulated sectors such as medical, food or aerospace you may also need specific grades and certifications.
A development partner like Attwood PD will typically propose a short list of candidate materials based on your requirements, often starting with what is best for prototyping and then confirming what will be used for mass production.
Step 4: Pick the right process for where you are in the journey
There is no single best way to make a plastic part. The smartest route is to change process as your project evolves.
To get a plastic part made UK efficiently, think in three stages: concept, validation and production.
Stage 1: Concept and early functional prototypes
At this point quantities are low and change is expected. You want fast learning, not perfect unit cost.
3D printing (additive manufacturing)
- Ideal quantity: 1 to 50 parts.
- Common technologies:
- FDM: good for quick, robust concept models.
- SLA: very fine detail and smooth surfaces, excellent for appearance models.
- SLS: tough, functional nylon parts with no support structures.
- Typical lead time: a few days for most parts.
CNC machining of plastics
- Ideal when you need production grade materials and tight tolerances.
- Excellent for clips, snap fits and parts that must mimic injection moulded performance.
- Ideal quantity: 1 to 100 parts.
Vacuum casting (urethane casting)
- Uses a master pattern (often 3D printed) to create silicone tools.
- Ideal quantity: 5 to 50 parts.
- Great for simulating injection moulded parts in appearance and feel.
Stage 2: Design validation and pilot runs
Once the design is close, you want to test with real customers, regulators or investors.
Rapid injection mould tooling
- Aluminium or soft steel tools made to injection moulding standards.
- Ideal quantity: from a few hundred up to several thousand parts.
- Unit cost is much lower than CNC or vacuum casting at this stage.
- Lets you prove the design, material, and manufacturing process in one go.
A company like Attwood PD bridges this gap by offering both rapid tooling and the earlier prototype processes under one roof or one managed service. That avoids the classic problem of redesigning everything when you switch supplier.
Stage 3: Low, then high volume production
When demand is proven, you can invest in more durable tooling and robust production lines.
Production injection moulding
- Hardened steel tools designed for long life.
- Ideal quantity: thousands to millions of parts.
- Highest up front cost, lowest cost per part.
- Excellent for stable, long term products.
Low volume and bridge production
Not every project jumps straight to millions of units. Attwood PD focuses on low to high volume production, so you can:
- Start with lower cavitation tools to keep cost manageable.
- Run smaller batches as demand grows.
- Move to multi cavity or fully automated solutions when volumes justify it.
Process comparison: which route fits your quantity and timeline
Here is a simple comparison to help you decide your first step.
| Project stage | Typical quantity | Best fit process options | Lead time (typical) | Unit cost trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concept only | 1 to 10 | 3D printing, simple CNC machining | Days | High |
| Functional prototypes | 10 to 100 | SLS or SLA 3D printing, CNC, casting | Days to 2 weeks | Medium high |
| Design validation | 100 to 1,000 | Rapid injection mould tooling | 2 to 6 weeks | Medium |
| Initial production | 1,000 to 10,000 | Aluminium or steel injection tooling | 4 to 10 weeks | Medium to low |
| Mature high volume | 10,000 plus | Multi cavity steel injection moulding | 8 plus weeks | Lowest |
If you are unsure, tell your manufacturer how many parts you expect per year and how long the product will be on the market. They can then advise you on the most cost effective path.
Step 5: Design for manufacture (DFM) so parts run smoothly
A technically clever design that is hard to make will cause headaches later. Design for manufacture is the discipline of shaping your CAD so it suits your chosen process.
For injection moulded parts in particular, DFM usually covers:
- Wall thickness: keeping walls even to avoid sink marks and warping.
- Draft angles: adding small tapers so parts release cleanly from the tool.
- Radii: rounding internal corners to reduce stress and improve flow.
- Ribs and bosses: stiffening parts without making them too heavy.
- Gate and ejector considerations: leaving space for how the plastic flows in and the part is pushed out.
- Assembly features: clips, snaps, screw bosses and alignment features.
Attwood PD’s engineers routinely review customer CAD and suggest tweaks to cut cycle times, simplify tooling and improve yield. The same mindset applies to CNC machined and 3D printed parts, though the design rules differ slightly.
Step 6: Prototyping and testing – fail quickly, learn fast
Before you commit to tooling, build prototypes that genuinely test risk.
Common approaches include:
- Appearance models to evaluate look and feel with stakeholders.
- Functional prototypes to test strength, fit, snap fits and seals.
- Environmental tests for heat, cold, fluids or cleaning cycles.
- Assembly trials to check how your part interacts with other components.
The goal is not perfection; it is to surface problems while change is still cheap. A good manufacturer will help you interpret test results and roll improvements back into the CAD.
Step 7: Moving into production in the UK
Once the design and material are proven, making the step into production should feel like a controlled evolution, not a risky leap.
Key tasks include:
- Finalising the CAD and drawings for tooling.
- Agreeing quality requirements, inspection methods and sampling plans.
- Building and proving the tool, often with a T zero or first off trial.
- Completing a production part approval process if your sector requires it.
- Setting up repeatable production, packing and logistics.
Working with a UK based partner gives you:
- Easier communication and faster feedback.
- Site visits without long haul travel.
- Shorter shipping times and simpler logistics.
- Tighter control of intellectual property and quality.
If you choose a partner like Attwood PD that covers rapid prototyping, CNC machining, 3D printing and injection moulding, the same team can support you from first prototype through to ongoing production.
What really drives cost and lead time
Whether you are trying to get a plastic part made UK for a start up idea or a major engineering programme, a few factors consistently drive cost and lead time:
- Part size and complexity: larger parts and complex geometries mean more machine time and more expensive tooling.
- Tolerances and finish: tight tolerances, special textures or colour matching all add cost.
- Material choice: high performance or certified materials cost more and may have longer lead times.
- Quantity and call off pattern: small, irregular batches are more expensive per part than steady, predictable demand.
- Change level: every design change after tooling is cut carries a cost.
Being open about your budget and timescales lets your manufacturer propose options that balance these factors sensibly.
How Attwood PD compares to online only platforms
If you search for ways to get a plastic part made UK, you will find large online platforms alongside traditional engineering firms. The choice often comes down to the balance you want between self service and engineering support.
Broadly speaking:
- Online portals are great when you have fully optimised CAD, fixed specifications and just want instant prices.
- Engineering led partners like Attwood PD are better when you need help with design, DFM, material selection, or a path from prototype to production.
Attwood PD’s strengths include:
- A single team that understands rapid prototypes, CNC machining, 3D printing and injection moulding.
- Experience with both plastic and metal, so multi material assemblies are considered together.
- Focus on low to high volume production, not just one off parts.
- Hands on, UK based engineers you can speak to directly from day one.
For most real world projects, particularly in regulated or demanding sectors, that combination of support and flexibility is worth more than the cheapest price on day one.
Practical checklist: your route to getting a plastic part made in the UK
Use this quick checklist as you move from idea to production.
- Write down what the part must do, where it will live, and how many you need.
- Gather sketches, existing parts or models and agree a first CAD design.
- Discuss suitable materials with an experienced UK manufacturer.
- Choose an initial process (3D printing, CNC or casting) for early prototypes.
- Test those prototypes for function, fit and appearance; capture feedback.
- Apply DFM improvements and prepare for rapid injection mould tooling.
- Run a pilot build to validate design, material and process.
- Confirm quality plans and move into ongoing low to high volume production.
If you follow this route, you are not just learning how to get a plastic part made UK once; you are building a repeatable method you can apply to future projects.
Next steps: talk through your project with Attwood PD
Whether you are at the napkin sketch stage or wrestling with an existing design that will not quite work, Attwood PD can help you:
- Turn ideas into robust CAD and prototypes.
- Select the right plastics for your application.
- Choose a manufacturing route that fits your quantity, budget and timeline.
- Bridge smoothly from rapid prototypes to low, then high volume production in the UK.
If you are ready to move, share your drawings, CAD or even just a problem statement and we will help you plan the most efficient way to get your plastic part made in the UK.
