In the past decade, the world has undergone a massive digital transformation, giving rise to disruptive technologies and inventions that aim to make our lives easier. Increasing the speed and efficiency in production is one of the main reasons digitization has been embraced by multiple industries.
However, the global rush for speed and efficiency somehow managed to elude the on-demand manufacturing industry. In the aftermath, many businesses till date rely on the traditional manufacturing model and are divested of scaling their production processes. This inherent problem was the crucial reason why Xometry was born – to help such businesses embrace on-demand manufacturing to keep up with the pace of development in a cost-effective manner.
The vision that started it all
With a view to digitizing on-demand manufacturing, Xometry aimed to create a convenient web-based marketplace where buyers could find able manufacturers and sellers could find profitable clients to work with.
The vision to create a marketplace for both buyers and sellers was born to combat the lack of consistent pricing and the presence of complex and time-consuming manufacturing processes.
Founded in 2013, Xometry provides various on-demand manufacturing services like CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, 3D printing, injection molding, Urethane casting, laser cutting, and much more. They make anything from a single prototype to millions of parts for their vast clientele ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies.
It offers these services across multiple industries such as aerospace, defense, automotive, education, consumer products, energy, medical, supply chain, robotics, and many other sectors.
The old process
If you’ve worked as a design engineer or a procurement officer, you’re probably well aware of how cumbersome it is to find an optimal manufacturing solution to make custom parts for your product.
The old way would require calling a local supplier network to obtain quotes, emailing them the drawings and CAD files, and then waiting for the quotes. Once the quotes are received, you compare them to select the optimal supplier, and work with them from the production process until they get the job done and send the final parts to you.
How Xometry solves this problem
As we saw in the old process, there’s an abundance of time spent until you get the final product; a vast majority of the time is spent in back-and-forth communication. In the age of digitization where time is as valuable as cost and price, this process slows down the production process due to huge lead time requirements.
To resolve this issue, Xometry has come up with an AI-powered marketplace and an instant quoting platform that saves precious time spent in communicating the requirements to a supplier. Thanks to its computational geometry, you can calculate multiple variables like lead time, and total labor that will be required for your job.
Once you upload your CAD files on the platform, Xometry will find the appropriate manufacturing partner from its massive network of 5000+ manufacturers with matching capabilities and lead time to complete your project.
You’ll also receive highest-quality parts that are vetted and inspected in-house. Xometry verifies the part quantity, material features, finish, and dimensions to make sure everything is in accordance with your requirements.
In a nutshell, Xometry uses the MaaS model (Manufacturing as a Service), wherein a supply chain manager from the company finds a manufacturer with the available capacity and guaranteed capability on behalf of the customer.
The benefits of working with Xometry
Xometry has created a global marketplace for both design engineers and manufacturers to connect and collaborate on different projects and obtain the best possible results.
If you’re a buyer, you can easily get an instant quote on Xometry’s marketplace for on-demand parts and get them manufactured in a considerably shorter time span, as opposed to the traditional process for finding an optimal solution. They can be your best bet if you opt for on-demand manufacturing to embrace a just-in-time approach.
In general, on-demand manufacturing offers customization and ensures optimal production volumes. It saves tons of resources that might otherwise be wasted if not used.
With Xometry, you can also embrace innovation by amalgamating CAD with on-demand manufacturing to create awesome products at a faster rate.
What’s more, if you own a small-scale business, you can use Xometry to get your products ready instead of setting up a traditional manufacturing plant with expensive machines that would cost you a fortune.
A peek into the future
With digitization only projected to go forward as days pass by, the on-demand manufacturing model is bound to grow and eclipse traditional manufacturing. And, Xometry is bound to remain at the forefront of this digital transformation and lead the charge.
Small and medium-sized businesses will have a myriad of opportunities to benefit from the company’s Al-powered marketplace, which will enable them to compete and survive in a cut-throat competition with giant players in their respective industries.
So, the next time you wish to get a part designed in the minimum lead time possible, make sure you give Xometry a try!
https://interestingengineering.com/xometry-the-simplest-way-to-embrace-scalability-using-on-demand-manufacturing
