OUR SERVICE TO YOU

Who We Are — Mitchell & Son Additive Manufacturing

Let me start with the basics. We’re Mitchell & Son Additive Manufacturing Ltd, based in Southampton, Hampshire.

We didn’t get here by accident — this is a business born out of solving problems, saving time, and cutting waste. I’m the one behind the tools and the CAD screen, and I’ve made it my mission to close the “spares gap” — when no one makes the part you need anymore.

In simple terms: you bring us your broken, missing, or hard-to-find part — we reverse-engineer it, model it, 3D-print it, and deliver something you can use. Whether you're an industrial client with tooling needs or Joe whose vintage car needs a bracket, we’ve got you covered.

We work with:

• Tradespeople
• Small businesses
• Hobbyists, restorers, and everyday people
• Engineers and manufacturers
• Heritage, classic vehicle, and marine restoration projects

We want to be just as accessible to “the man on the street” as we are to industry. That’s not marketing talk — every customer matters to us.

What We Do: Services & Capabilities

We’re more than just “3D printing.” Let me walk you through what we offer (and why it matters).

🛠 Reverse Engineering & CAD Design

Sometimes you don’t have a file, but you have the old part. It may be broken, worn, or missing. That’s where reverse engineering comes in.

We’ll take that part, scan it or measure it, reproduce the geometry, redesign improvements if needed, and build a proper 3D CAD model. From there, we can tweak, test, and optimize. This is how we resurrect parts that no one makes anymore.

Often, customers tell me:

“I’ve got this lever, this clip, this odd plastic bracket — but I can’t find a replacement anywhere.”

I always say: “Show me what you’ve got — I’ll make you a working copy.”

🖨 3D Printing & Additive Manufacturing

Once the CAD model is ready, it’s print time. And we don’t use your run-of-the-mill hobby printers — we use industrial-grade machines with precision, speed, and consistency.

We offer a wide range of printing technologies and materials:

• Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM / FFF) — good for many functional parts, fast, cost-effective.
• SLA / Resin-based printing — for higher detail, smoother surfaces, small parts.
• Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), DMLS etc. — for more demanding materials or mechanical requirements.
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We stock and work with a variety of materials: ABS, PETG, ASA, Nylon, composite plastics, resins, and more.

Why so many materials? Because different jobs demand different properties: strength, flexibility, UV resistance, chemical resistance, finish, cost. I always choose (and help you choose) the right one.

🏭 Low-Volume Production & Rapid Tooling

Sometimes you don’t just want one piece — maybe you want 10, or 100. Tooling costs kill small runs in traditional manufacturing. But with additive, there’s no huge up-front tooling cost. That’s one of our big selling points.

You don’t pay for hundreds of moulds; you pay for material, machine time, and finishing. We can handle low-volume batches, stepping in before it becomes unfeasible for you.

Rapid tooling means we can produce jigs, molds, fixtures — manufacturing aids that help you build things. These are less visible to the end consumer but absolutely vital to keeping costs down and efficiency up.

⏱ Emergency & Fast Turnaround (Manufacturing 72)

One of our key capabilities is what we call Manufacturing 72 — the idea that some parts are mission-critical, and downtime costs money. If your machine goes down or your part breaks, you may need a replacement fast. We triage, CAD or scan, print, finish, deliver — all in a compressed cycle.

We aim for 3–5 working days for many jobs. For smaller prints (within certain size/material limits), next-day dispatch is possible — especially if everything checks out.

So if your line is halted, or that vintage car can’t move, or your model train’s switch is broken — we don’t just sit there. We act.

✅ Post-Processing & Finishing

A bare printed part isn’t always enough. Sometimes customers want them smoother, stronger, painted, resin-coated, sanded, primed, or polished. We offer post-processing services — but with a fair additional cost (materials, labour).

When I quote, I always lay out what “as-printed” gets you and what the upgrade costs. No surprises.

🌐 Supporting Both Business & Hobby / Individual Clients

This is key: we don’t just cater to big industrial clients. Our structure and pricing are meant to support:

1. Industry / Trade / Manufacturing Clients

• Custom parts, tooling, fixtures
• Replacement parts for machinery
• Low-volume production
• Reverse engineering of obsolete parts
• Fast turnaround for downtime situations

1. The Man on the Street (Hobbyists, Restorers, Home Projects, Model Makers)

• One-off parts
• Restoration spares (classic cars, trains, boats)
• Custom items or prototypes
• Advice, design help, guidance

Because sometimes the person restoring a vintage train or classic car has more passion than capability.

 If they bring me a sample or geometry, I help them bring it back to life.

So whether someone is running a factory or restoring a model, they get treated with the same respect, same care, same standards.

How We Help Industry & Why We're Different

Lots of firms offer 3D printing — so what sets us apart? Here’s where I lean on experience.

🧠 Engineering Smarts + Manufacturing Sense

I come from a mechanical / manufacturing background. I don’t just see “a file to print.” I see tolerances, fits, loads, user scenarios. I know what works and what doesn’t.

That means when I quote or design, I'm not just making something that looks right — I’m making something that functions reliably. That’s why I’ll often suggest slight design tweaks or enhancements: fillets, extra ribs, reinforcing walls, better orientation, material choice.

For you, that means fewer surprises and more parts that work right away.

💸 Cost Savings Over Traditional Methods

When tooling costs, setup, and minimums kick in, many projects die. Injection moulding, for instance, can require £5,000–£10,000 before you even press the first part. That’s not viable for small runs or one-offs. (I talk about that often with customers.)

By contrast, with additive manufacturing, there's no mould to build. No tooling changeover. No massive set-up fees. You pay for your parts, plain and simple. For many jobs, I’ve saved clients thousands.

One example: a customer came to me needing a small plastic clip on a train lever. No part available. I replicated it in CAD and printed it in ABS (or PETG, depending on the environment). He paid ~£200 — compared to many thousands if injection moulding had been needed.

These savings aren’t theoretical. They’re real. And I’ll always tell you what each route costs so you can decide.

🕰 Speed & Flexibility

Industry often struggles when lead times are long. You’re waiting weeks or months. With us, prototyping, iteration, and final runs happen quickly.

Need a change after the first print? Fine — we tweak the CAD and reprint. No need to rebuild heavy tooling. I’ll walk that flexibility into your project.

Also, because we support multiple technologies, we can choose what suits the part best: FDM, resin, nylon, etc. We’re not locked into one method.

⚙ Reducing Downtime & Risk

In industrial contexts, downtime is a killer. A broken part, stalled assembly line — every hour costs.

With our Manufacturing 72 and fast-response service, we aim to be your “on-call back-up.” You won’t be scrambling to find a part overseas. You won’t have a million pounds in tooling for a part you only need five of. You’ll have local support, local turnaround, and dependability.

🛡 Quality, Tolerance & Assurance

I care about quality. When a part arrives all warped or wrong — that’s my reputation at stake.

We inspect parts, check crucial dimensions, test fits where possible, and only ship what meets our standards. If you want drawings, we’ll discuss that in the quote.

Again, I’ll never hide those extra costs — you’ll know what you're paying for.

Real-World Use Cases & Stories

Stories are how people trust you, so here are some we've done (or could do) that show what’s possible:

• Classic car / vintage vehicle spares — a part no longer made, found in scrap heaps, or missing entirely — we recreate it from scratch. Business Growth Service+2mitchellsson.co.uk+2
• Model / train restoration — whether it’s a little clip, lever, or coupler part, we resurrect those tiny bits that normal suppliers ignore.
• Marine / boat parts — fasteners, latches, brackets, anything that’s corroded or weathered.
• Manufacturing / assembly fixtures — jigs, locator pins, test fixtures, holders for bits.
• Emergency replacements for production lines — something breaks on site; we turn around a component fast to keep things running.
• Prototyping for product development — iterate, test, refine, switch to more durable methods later if needed.

For each, the process is the same: show me what you’ve got (drawing, photo, sample), I model it, print it, and deliver it. Sometimes even better than the original spec.

How Our Process Works (From Your Idea to Finished Part)

To set expectations (so nobody surprises anyone), here’s our usual workflow — and where you get input:

1. Initial Contact / Enquiry
   You message, send photos, sketches, dimensions — or even the broken piece.
2. Feasibility & Triage
   We assess size, material, complexity, whether it qualifies for fast-track (Manufacturing 72) or standard run.
3. Reverse-engineering / CAD modeling
   We create the 3D model, send for your approval, accept tweaks.
4. Material & Printing Strategy
   Choose the right material & printing method for performance, aesthetics, budget.
5. Printing & Post-processing
   We print, inspect, finish (as requested), test fit where possible.
6. Final QA & Delivery
   Measure key tolerances, pack, ship, or local deliver.
7. Feedback & iteration
   If minor adjustments needed, we tweak and reprint.

At each stage, you see what you’re getting, know what it costs, and decide what upgrades (finish, strength, etc.) you want. No surprises.

Why You’d Use Us — For Industry & Everyday Users

Let me break down when you’d come to us instead of doing it yourself, or going to a traditional manufacturer.

For Industry / Trade

• You need replacement parts but original parts are obsolete or discontinued.
• Your machinery is down — you can’t wait weeks.
• You want to test or prototype before committing to full tooling.
• The numbers don’t justify injection moulding yet.
• You need custom jigs/fixtures or bespoke tools for your production line.
• You want to reduce supply-chain risk by having a local backup.

In these cases, we act like your in-house backup workshop.

For the Man on the Street / Restorers / Hobbyists

• You have a part for your model, classic car, train, or boat that no one makes.
• You’ve tried directories, old catalogues, salvage, but hit dead ends.
• You want custom or decorative parts — not something off the shelf.
• You want someone who understands mechanical tolerances and will give you something that works, not just looks like it.

In this space, many people are underserved. That’s where we shine — bridging that gap.

Our Commitment & What You Can Expect

When you work with us, here’s my promise:

• Transparency — I’ll lay out what you get for the base price, and what upgrades cost.
• Quality — Parts shipped must pass inspection. No “close enough” standards.
• Speed — Where possible, we’ll push things through.
• Support & Advice — If you’re unsure what material or method you need, I’ll guide you.
• Respect & Accessibility — Your job is just as important whether you order 1 or 100.

Challenges & When We Might Say No (or Reassess)

Because I believe in honesty, here are the limits:

• Structural / load-bearing critical parts (e.g. major structural elements, safety-critical components) may demand metal or certified processes. I’ll tell you if your part is pushing beyond what plastic/3D printing can reliably do.
• Pressure vessels / sealed components — sometimes conventional manufacturing is better.
• Extremely large parts — if they exceed our print chamber capacities, we need to rethink approach or split into parts.
• If the geometry is extremely intricate or thin-walled beyond print capabilities, might need redesign or hybrid approach.

When that happens, I don’t ghost the project. I’ll suggest alternatives, materials, or hybrid methods — maybe a printed shell plus a small metal insert, etc.

Why We Exist: The “Spares Gap” & Customer Pain

Let me tell you why this business matters.

I see it all the time: a machine fails, a bracket snaps, a vintage vehicle has a missing part, restoration stalls. The part’s obsolete. The original maker is long gone. The cost to make a new mould or scour markets is prohibitive. People give up or compromise.

I got fed up with that. That’s why Mitchell & Son exists — to fill the void. If someone calls me saying, “I’ve looked everywhere — there’s no part,” I want to have an answer. That’s the kind of business I want to run.

If I save you £3,000 in tooling, or get your line running again, or let your train restoration project continue — that’s what drives me.

How to Get Started: What You Need to Do

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Okay, I might need you,” here’s your path:

1. Gather whatever you have — parts, photos, dimensions, sketches.
2. Contact via email, phone, or WhatsApp (we use WhatsApp for quick triage on site sometimes).
3. Explain what the part is supposed to do, environment (outdoor, heat, load, UV, moisture).
4. We discuss whether fast-turn (Manufacturing 72) applies.
5. We confirm cost, method, finish.
6. You approve CAD, we print, we deliver.

If you’re unsure about something — material, design — ask. I’ll talk you through it.

Why Choose Us Over Alternatives

• Local UK-based: no long overseas shipping delays or customs.
• Expert mechanical perspective — not just someone pushing print jobs.
• We support small jobs and big jobs alike.
• Transparent pricing.
• You can see what’s being done, ask questions, get design feedback.
• Speed + flexibility + experience = reliability.

Final Word (From Me to You)

I want mitchellsson.co.uk to be more than a website — I want it to be your trusted resource. Whether you're a factory manager needing a lost component, a restorer stuck mid-project, or someone with a custom idea, I’ve built this business so that you’re not alone.

Bring me your problem, no matter how small or weird. Tell me what the part must do, what environment it lives in, what your budget is — and I’ll tell you what we can do that works for you.

Because part of what I believe in is fairness, honesty, and service. And guess what? That’s how I’ve built this business.

 The parts I deliver, the solutions I offer — they’re not just technical, they’re human.

If you’re ready, send me your part or idea. Let’s get it back to life.