However, that is gradually changing with the advent of companies specializing in 3D printing and on-demand manufacturing.
Let’s look at how on-demand manufacturing is poised to change manufacturing as we know it.
Becauseregular 3D printers are slow and inefficient, cheaper 3D printing services won’t pass muster.
We spoke to one of them, and their approach is surprisingly simple in its effectiveness.
This allows startups to focus on product design and innovation without worrying about manufacturing expertise and supply chain woes.
Let’s take a look at some notable examples of this phenomenon.
That is, powered exoskeletons imbuing the wearer with superhuman strength and agility.
The real world, however, is a bit more practical.
Weighing in at just 4.2kg, Skelex’s exoskeletons are passive devices designed to make lifting industrial tools effortless.
The idea is similar to that of a hard hatexcept this industrial safety gadget reduces workplace injuriesandboosts productivity.
Unfortunately, it took years and countless cases of head injuries before the hard hat was taken seriously.
And that’s just a cheap and uncomplicated hunk of injection molded plastic.
Skelex’s exoskeleton, however, is rather complicated to make.
That’s primarily because small orders for complex exoskeleton assemblies aren’t the best combination for cost-effective manufacturing.
This allowed it to offer highly customized exoskeletons even in small batches.
That’s a godsend for a small firm juggling infrequent orders with constant customization.
And that makes Skelex’s exoskeletons one step closer to becoming the hard hat of the modern industrial world.
This is where Xometry’s on-demand manufacturing services and expertise came through for Scewo.
Cyber athletes push the envelope of human ability to its very limit.
But sometimes, these athletes need a bit of help from engineers.
Formify’s bespoke mice are instrumental in improving the critical APM metric.
However, the traditional injection molding approach isn’t exactly conducive to making custom gaming mice.
The molds used in the manufacturing process cost in the region of a few hundred thousand dollars.
That’s probably why none of the major gaming mouse brands offer their products in different sizes.
Well, not unless they are okay charging a few thousand dollars for the privilege.
Formify worked around this limitation by replacing the traditional injection molding manufacturing process.
This allowed Formify to deliver miceprecisely customized to the hands of cyber athletes.
Meanwhile, Hubs' low volume design, prototyping, and manufacturing expertise kept costs under check.
This is a shining example of how commercial 3D printing has allowed previously unviable business models to flourish.
And when they run out of snails, they get pretty serious about competing in the Tour de France.
Cyfac’s offering, dubbed the Paradox, didn’t cut any corners.
This is important as the race involves challenging terrain spread across frame-busting sections of rough gravel and cobbled roads.
These are mechanical demands that even traditional carbon fiber bike suspension components cannot deliver.
That’s whyCyfac turned to flexible titanium bladesfor the suspension swing-arm components.
And making manufacturing accessible undoubtedly benefits everyone.
