In a fast-growing market, development timelines are becoming increasingly critical for customers. However, all technologies have limitations. For example, the application of so-called additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, in particular, FDM 3D printing, is limited by the materials used and the quality of the part. A significant advantage of AM is the possibility to manufacture parts without the use of molds or tools. The article presents the case of rapid prototyping of a centrifugal compressor using 3D printing with polymer plastics. In this study, the main goal of 3D printing of parts is to develop a structural and functional prototype for testing various centrifugal compressors. AM technologies enable the manufacture centrifugal compressors with less labor and in any configuration. Special attention is paid to choosing the 3D printing technology, materials and assessing the influence of printing parameters on the mechanical properties of the product. The results provide experimental data for a prototype along with recommendations for series production. We also describe a laboratory bench for testing the prototypes. All this will allow the reader to more reasonably interpret these decisions and take into account the specifics in more detail when developing the design specifications for testing centrifugal compressors.