Industrial FDM manufacturing: frequently asked questions

What does Gramm GmbH manufacture? Gramm GmbH is an industrial FDM contract manufacturer in Deggendorf, Lower Bavaria. We produce functional parts in engineering thermoplastics for industrial customers, from a single part through to large-volume series production. Insert installation, post-processing and assembly are handled in-house, and every order includes an engineering review before production begins. Where are Gramm GmbH's production locations? Our headquarters and production site is at Ulrichsberger Str. 17, 94469 Deggendorf, in Lower Bavaria. We operate a second site at Ottostrasse 5, 93413 Cham. Both are in Bavaria, Germany. Enquiries for either location are handled by the Deggendorf headquarters on +49 991 296 934 80 or at contact@gramm.online. When was Gramm GmbH founded? Gramm GmbH was founded in Germany in 2017 and is registered at Amtsgericht Regensburg under HRB 16030. The Managing Director and founder is Harald Schmid. Full legal details are on our imprint. Which CAD file formats can I upload? You can upload your design in STL, STEP or other standard 3D file formats. If you are unsure whether your file is suitable, send it anyway: file suitability is checked as part of the engineering review, and we will tell you if a different export is needed. How do I get a quotation for a 3D printed part? Upload your CAD file, state the quantity, and add any requirements such as material, threaded inserts, finishing or assembly. Every part is then reviewed by our engineering team for printability and material suitability, and quoted individually. If you would rather describe the application first, use our inquiry form and we will come back to you. Why is every part quoted individually? FDM cost is driven by machine time and material rather than a fixed rate per part, so a price only becomes meaningful once the actual geometry is known. Part size and geometry, material, quantity, print orientation and support requirement, finishing, inserts, assembly, inspection requirements, packaging and delivery all move the figure. Can I order a single part, or only larger quantities? Both. Lot sizes run from 1 to 1,000,000 per order, so a single part, a first article or an initial run is as welcome as a production series. Many customers begin with one part and scale the same geometry to a batch later without changing supplier. Can I reorder the same part later? Yes. During process planning the production parameters and material specification are documented for each part, so a repeat batch can be produced to the same specification as the first. This is what makes FDM viable for spare parts and recurring supply rather than one-off work. Which thermoplastic materials can I choose from? We process 13 engineering thermoplastics in five families: Technical (PLA, PETG), Engineering (PC), Flexible (TPU-82A, TPU-64D, TPU-65, TPU-95A), Reinforced (ASA-CF, ABS-CF, PA6-GF, PPA-CF) and Special (PC-FR flame-retardant, PETG-ESD ESD-safe). Are carbon fibre reinforced materials available? Yes. Three carbon fibre reinforced grades are available, ASA-CF, ABS-CF and PPA-CF, alongside the glass fibre reinforced PA6-GF. Reinforced grades are chosen where a part needs more stiffness than an unfilled thermoplastic gives. Because fibre reinforcement changes how a part behaves along and across the layers, print orientation is reviewed before production. Can you help me choose a material? Yes, material selection is part of the engineering review included with every order. Describe the load the part carries, its operating temperature and its environment, and a suitable grade will be proposed. You do not need to specify a material to request a quotation. Is Gramm GmbH certified? Yes. Gramm GmbH manufactures under DIN EN ISO 9001:2015, certificate number 0426/CI/QM90017, issued by bavaria certification GmbH. The certified scope is the manufacturing, sale and distribution of mechanical components, and the certificate is valid until 13 April 2029. What quality checks are performed on my parts? Parts pass through four controlled stages. The engineering review checks feasibility and optimises the design for FDM. Process planning documents the production parameters and material specification. In-process checks monitor build cycles for dimensional stability. Final inspection verifies parts against the agreed standards before traceable shipment. Is FDM suitable for functional parts? For many functional applications, yes, provided the part is designed and oriented for the process. Layer orientation relative to load direction, wall thickness, overhangs and thermal behaviour all affect performance, and we review these before production. FDM is not right for everything: very fine detail, fully sealed pressure-tight geometry and isotropic strength requirements are better served by other processes. Can you install threaded inserts in FDM parts? Yes. We install heat-set knurled brass threaded inserts, giving your part reusable metal threads that accept standard metric screws and bolts and survive repeated assembly and disassembly. A pilot hole is printed, the insert is heated and pressed in, and the plastic re-solidifies to lock it. Can you manufacture a replacement for a part I have no drawings for? Yes. Send us the original part: its geometry, features and functional surfaces are assessed, an FDM-ready CAD model is reconstructed to reflect the functional intent, and replacements are manufactured in engineering thermoplastics. This suits discontinued, worn and legacy components. Reverse engineering reproduces the function of a part rather than guaranteeing an identical copy, so describe the intended fit and load with your enquiry. How large can a part be? We run three machine classes with build envelopes of 256 mm, 400 mm and 600 mm cubes, across more than 100 machines. If your part is larger than the biggest envelope, raise this in your enquiry so the options can be assessed in the engineering review. Do you deliver outside Germany? Yes. We manufacture in Deggendorf and deliver internationally. State your delivery location with the enquiry so packaging and shipping can be included in the quotation.