How Long Does 3D Printing Take? Bali Turnaround Times

Made Sandikaya

Aug 20

5 min read

How long does 3D printing take? For most orders at 3D Lab Bali, the answer is 2–4 working days from confirmed order to ready for pickup. The printing itself is far shorter: a small FDM part finishes in 1–2 hours, a larger one in about 4–6 hours (SLA resin takes 2–3 days). That gap is the single biggest source of confusion — machine time is not calendar time. This guide breaks down each stage and how long it takes, what slows a job down, and what you can do to get your parts sooner.

New to the technology? Start with our beginner's guide: what is 3D printing.

The Short Answer: How Long Does 3D Printing Take?

If you just want the numbers, these are the figures we work to:

Quote — 1–4 hours after we receive your file. Complex projects take longer, especially when the object has to be split into several pieces first.
FDM print, small part — 1–2 hours of machine time.
FDM print, medium or large part — 4–6 hours of machine time.
SLA resin print — 2–3 days, including printing, washing, and curing.
Typical complete order — 2–4 working days until it's ready for pickup.
Silicone molding — 2–5 days, depending on mold size and unit count.
3D modeling service — 1 day to 1 week, depending on detail. The rate is IDR 150,000 per hour of modeling.

All of these are working-day figures. We're open Monday to Friday, 10:00–17:00 WITA, and closed on weekends.

Machine Time vs Calendar Time

“How long does it take to print?” is really two questions, and they get mixed up constantly. Machine time is how long the printer runs. Calendar time is how long you wait. The second is almost always longer — not because the work is slow, but because printing is one stage among several.

A typical order moves through this sequence: the file is checked and prepared, a quote goes out, the order is confirmed and paid, the job enters the queue, the object prints, supports come off, the surface is cleaned up, and the result is inspected before handover. For a small part, printing is often the quickest step in that whole chain.

The practical upshot: a part that “only takes 90 minutes to print” can still reasonably be ready the day after tomorrow. The extra time goes into file checks, the queue, and finishing — not into the printer.

Functional FDM 3D printed parts in Bali — 1 to 6 hours of print time per part at 3D Lab Bali

Turnaround by Type of Job

FDM printing (filament). This is the fastest route. Small parts like brackets, clips, or a drill dust collector finish in 1–2 hours of machine time. Larger or taller objects take 4–6 hours. Print time grows with the amount of material and the number of layers — the bigger and taller the object, the longer it takes.

SLA resin printing. Plan for 2–3 days. That figure covers the whole process, not just printing: the print has to be washed, its supports removed one by one by hand, and then cured under UV light before it's safe to use. Those extra stages are why resin always takes longer than FDM, even for small objects. We compare the two technologies in full in FDM vs SLA.

SLA resin 3D printing batch in Bali — printing, washing and curing take 2 to 3 days

Silicone molding. Allow 2–5 days. The master is printed first, then the silicone mold is made and has to cure fully before the first unit can be cast. We cover the details in silicone molding services.

3D modeling from scratch or from a photo. This is the hardest stage to predict: a simple shape can take a day, a highly detailed object a week. The rate is IDR 150,000 per hour of modeling, and we estimate the hours before starting. If you have the physical object in hand, 3D scanning often cuts this down considerably.

What Makes a Job Take Longer

When an estimate shifts, it's usually one of these:

Object size and height — a taller object means more layers, and print time rises with it.
Number of units — ten parts don't take ten times as long, but they still need several print runs if they don't fit in one.
Resin needs extra handling — washing and curing can't be skipped or rushed.
You don't have a 3D file yet — modeling or scanning gets added in front of the print.
The object has to be split — anything larger than the build area is divided into pieces and joined after printing.
Queue during busy periods — sometimes your job waits behind others. We tell you when that happens.
Finishing — sanding, priming, and painting are hand work and can add several days.
Model revisions — any design change after work has started repeats part of the process.

How to Get Your Order Faster

Most delays happen before the printer even starts. These genuinely help:

Send a print-ready file — we accept STL, OBJ, 3MF, and STEP. A clean file can be quoted straight away.
Tell us your deadline up front — if we know the date from your first message, we can sequence the work around it.
Confirm and pay promptly — a job only enters the queue once it's confirmed. For orders above IDR 300,000 we ask for a 50% deposit first.
Choose FDM when the schedule is tight — for functional parts, FDM is almost always faster than resin.
Ask about express service — we do offer it, and availability depends on the queue at the time. Check with us before you come by.
Avoid sending files late on Friday — we're closed on weekends, so those orders effectively start on Monday.

If you haven't ordered before, we walk through the process step by step in how to order a 3D print, and the cost factors in 3D printing cost in Bali.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an order be finished the same day?

For small FDM parts it sometimes can, depending on that day's queue. We do offer express jobs, but availability varies — message us on WhatsApp to confirm before you travel to the workshop.

Why does resin printing take longer than FDM?

Because a resin print isn't finished when it leaves the printer. It has to be washed, its supports removed by hand, and then cured under UV light. That sequence is what pushes the total to 2–3 days even for small objects.

Is 3D Lab Bali open on weekends?

No. We're open Monday to Friday, 10:00–17:00 WITA, at Perum Gading Kencana No.SH-10, Jimbaran. All turnaround estimates are in working days.

I don't have a 3D file yet — how much time does that add?

Modeling from a sketch or photo takes 1 day to 1 week, at IDR 150,000 per hour. If you have the physical object, 3D scanning is usually much faster. Send us a photo first and we'll estimate the time for you.

Working to a deadline? Send us your file or idea on WhatsApp for a free consultation — we usually send a quote with a time estimate within 1–4 hours during working hours. Minimum order IDR 100,000. Contact 3D Lab Bali or read more about our 3D printing services.