From the first sample to a small series
One piece to look at, ten to try out, a hundred to sell. We make all three stages in the same building in Rottach-Egern, on the same machines and from the same file.
Three cases that come in regularly
The first sample
A printed housing or a laser-cut part, to see whether the dimensions hold. Usually ready the same day when the file is clean.
The zero series
Ten pieces in the real material, to put into people's hands. This is where things surface that nobody noticed on a single piece.
The series
Up to the low four-digit range, depending on the process. If the quantity grows past that, we say so and help you find a manufacturer.
The six areas
Each with a full material list and file requirements — click through.
Laser cutting
Plywood up to 8 mm, acrylic up to 10 mm, leather, felt, cork. Two machines, two material lists.
Laser engraving
Wood, acrylic, slate, anodised aluminium and stainless steel with marking spray. Photo engravingPhoto engravingA laser knows no greys, only dot or no dot. For a photo engraving the image is therefore broken into a halftone screen. It works best on slate, anodised aluminium and pale wood. too.
3D printing
FDM in PLA, PETGPETGA copolyester and the 3D printing standard for functional parts: impact resistant, stable to about 70 degrees and indifferent to moisture and many chemicals. Where PLA softens in a hot car, PETG…, ASA, TPU, PA and carbon-filled grades — plus resin for the finest detail.
Plotting
Adhesive film for signs, shop windows and vehicles, flex and flock for textiles.
Embroidery
Workwear, club textiles, caps and terry — with textile and thread lists.
Plastic card printing
PVC, composite, magnetic stripe, MIFAREMIFAREA chip family for contactless reading at 13.56 MHz. MIFARE Classic 1K is the most widespread and is enough for time recording and simple access; DESFire EV2 is encrypted and belongs in… and NTAG — from one piece, personalised.
Which area fits your project?
The most common question on the phone. This table answers it for the typical cases — and if your project is not among them, give us a call.
| You need | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A part that is no longer available | 3D printing | Remodelled from a sample or sketch and printed |
| Front panel, bezel, enclosure lid | Laser cutting + engraving | Cut the acrylic and engrave the labelling in one go |
| A shop window sign | Plotting | Adhesive film, durable for years, even on curved substrates |
| A nameplate on a machine | Laser engraving | Anodised aluminium or stainless steel with marking sprayMarking sprayA coating (trade names CerMark, Thermark) applied to bare metal and bonded into it by the laser. Without it a CO2 or diode laser leaves no permanent mark on stainless steel, steel or brass. — permanent |
| A company logo on a work jacket | Embroidery | Survives industrial laundry, unlike a print |
| A loyalty card with NFC | Plastic card printing | Chip encoding and personalisation included |
| A tool inlay for a case | Laser cutting | Foam or felt, cut to fit the tool |
| A sample for a trade fair | usually two or three areas | Talk to us — we put the route together |
How it works
| StepSTEPA vendor-neutral CAD format that carries the design geometry — unlike an STL, which is only a triangle mesh. Anyone who wants us to adapt a part should supply STEP. | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Conversation | You describe what should be made — a sketch, a photo or the broken part is enough |
| 2. Process and material | We propose which area and which material fits, and say where the limit sits |
| 3. Sample | A single piece before a run starts. For laser cutting often in cardboard — minutes of work, settles the fit |
| 4. Approval | You see the sample or a preview and approve |
| 5. Short run | Made in the valley, collected in Rottach-Egern or shipped |
Where we draw the line
A workshop that says yes to everything is not one. We will tell you when 3D printing is the wrong route for your quantity, when a print looks better than embroideryEmbroideryFinishing textiles with embroidered motifs or lettering, for example for workwear, merchandise or club apparel. Embroidery is durable and looks high-quality. tolinax offers embroidery as a service in…, or when your material does not belong in any of our machines. That costs us an order and you one disappointment less.
If it is a device with a circuit board and software rather than a single part, the steps are on the Product development page. There we describe how an idea becomes a housing, a board and a first firmware.
Frequently asked questions
For us typically 10 to 500 pieces. Below that it is a one-off, which we make just as gladly. Above it another process usually gets cheaper — injection moulding instead of 3D printing, offset instead of a card printer, screen printing instead of plotting. We will tell you where the line sits for your quantity.
That is the normal case. Bring a sketch, a photo with a scale or the broken part. Design and data preparation are a separate line item, usually a small one — and the resulting file is yours afterwards.
That is the rule rather than the exception. A front panel is cut and engraved, a trade fair stand gets plotted signs and embroidered polos, a device needs a printed enclosure and a laser-marked nameplate. One contact, one appointment, one quote.
One-offs in stocked material often the same or next day. A short run depends on material procurement and machine time — reckon with one to two weeks. If it is urgent, say so: we plan honestly and do not promise a date we cannot keep.
Both. Files, dimensions and photos are enough for a quote. For unclear materials, customer-supplied workpieces and anything where the feel decides, the trip to Rottach-Egern pays off — five minutes on site save three emails.
There is no price list because there are no standard parts. The price follows material, machine time, preparation and quantity. You get a concrete quote before anything is made — no flat rate, no surprise on the invoice.
Tell us what should be made.
A sketch, a photo or the broken part is enough — we propose the process, the material and the route.
Discuss your project