Pace is now a top quality metric and additive manufacturing for {hardware} growth is a key driver. In {hardware}, day-after-day and week of delay means missed income, misplaced benefit and rising prices. Engineering groups are underneath stress to maneuver sooner, construct smarter and keep resilient in a unstable provide chain. The query is just not whether or not to innovate — it’s find out how to do it with out including threat, overhead or delay.
That’s the place we are available.
The delivery of accessible 3D printing
The primary iPhone was launched in 2007 and instantly reshaped cell telephony, cell computing, digital pictures and music consumption. Quick ahead to 2025 and the newest iPhone continues to be clearly a part of the identical household. The shape is acquainted… however the capabilities are unrecognisably superior.
Additionally in 2007, within the Incubator at Philips in Eindhoven, we had been prototyping one thing of our personal. That prototype formally launched as Shapeways in 2008. Identical to the iPhone, our origins are nonetheless seen in what we do right now. At launch our tagline was “Captivated with creating” — and that continues to be as true as ever.
Again then, what individuals created appeared very totally different: a world away from what we’d name additive manufacturing for {hardware} growth. In 2008 many shoppers customised so-called ‘mild poems’ by means of the Shapeways Creator, or uploaded fashions in-built Blender and Google SketchUp. Designs had been easier, the processes easier — even the renderings appeared fundamental by right now’s requirements. However the essence was there: a brand new means of making, open to anybody.
Classes realized from thousands and thousands of elements
Within the years that adopted we manufactured thousands and thousands of elements, throughout each conceivable class of utility. Simply because the iPhone advanced from a novelty machine into the central device of recent life, our platform grew from an early experiment into an engine that powers severe {hardware} programmes.
Each half that we’ve constructed has taught us one thing about course of management, design for manufacturability and high quality assurance. We realized find out how to function on the velocity of our shoppers, guarantee repeatable output and ship anyplace on this planet. Every iteration sharpened our understanding of the place variability hides so we will get rid of it or account for it. In brief, it’s set us as much as lead manufacturing of the subsequent era of {hardware}.
What started as a platform for makers has advanced and diversified. By means of Thangs, our expertise and fervour continues to be dropped at bear for designers and customers, with a greater expertise than ever earlier than. However we’ve additionally grow to be a trusted accomplice for international engineering-led companies. At the moment as Shapeways we focus squarely on serving to {hardware} corporations carry merchandise to market sooner with much less threat and decrease price.
This implies industrial-grade requirements, dependable documentation, programme-level assist and a group devoted to serving to corporations transfer from prototype to manufacturing with confidence. It means being within the particulars of producing so that you just don’t must be.
The 4 pillars of additive manufacturing for {hardware} growth
Our evolution is anchored round 4 core pillars that straight handle the wants of recent {hardware} companies.
- Manufacturing and provide chain agility
Unstable demand and provide chain disruption at the moment are the norm. Merchandise have compressed lifecycles, with extra SKUs and shorter in-use lives. By means of versatile routing throughout a number of applied sciences and entry to distributed manufacturing choices, we assist corporations reply sooner, cut back stock and minimize lead instances dramatically. - Mass customisation
The explosion of SKUs and demand for customer-specific variants makes conventional tooling inefficient. We allow configure-to-order merchandise with out the burden of tooling or minimal order portions. Digital workflows and digital stock make mass customisation commercially viable. - Lifecycle administration
At each stage of the product lifecycle, we offer well timed options that allow you to deal with your enterprise — from prototyping to short-run manufacturing, scaling as much as sequence manufacturing and administration of spare elements for in-service {hardware}. - Sustainable sourcing
Sustainability is simply sustainable when it’s tied to enterprise objectives. With tool-less manufacturing, materials effectivity and the flexibility to digitise spare elements, we assist diminished waste, smarter logistics and the pliability wanted to handle business and environmental sustainability.
“Make what you want, while you want it, the place it is smart.”
Proof in follow
- Quicker validation: we assist engineering groups compress prototype cycles, lock designs earlier and save weeks of delay
- Digital spares: we allow corporations to digitise long-tail SKUs, doubtlessly eliminating pricey tooling whereas bettering service ranges
- Customized enclosures and fixtures: our workflows assist customised elements that cut back meeting instances and streamline operations
Throughout industries the outcomes are constant — shorter timelines, decrease prices and extra resilient provide chains.
What this implies for producers now
For engineering and operations leaders, the message is straightforward: you don’t want to personal machines to entry industrial grade additive manufacturing for {hardware} growth. Begin with a single programme — whether or not it’s a prototype-to-pilot run or digitising spare elements — and scale as confidence and information accumulate.
Formnext is the right second to discover what that would imply for your enterprise. Meet us there and let’s discuss your subsequent era {hardware} and discover how additive manufacturing might help ease your product growth.
Our management group shall be on the present ground for the occasion. If you’re discovering that conventional manufacturing is now not serving your tasks, e-book time with our CEO or COO to debate a sooner, extra versatile future.
E book at assembly with us right here.
Seventeen years on from our launch, you possibly can nonetheless see our roots — however similar to the iPhone, our capabilities are wildly totally different. The aim stays the identical although: to make creating simpler, sooner and extra highly effective than ever earlier than.
