Paperless Parts is set to kick the 3D printing revolution into high gear with its new smart marketplace for sourcing custom parts. Working with a number of partners, they use proprietary technology tools to provide to their users the ability to submit requests for custom prints and receive instant quotes that are immediately actionable. Their four part process takes product developers all the way from initial request to order fulfillment and promises to not only save time but to make the entire process both more transparent and more secure.
It is exactly this transparency that Paperless hopes to make a hallmark of its service. However, more transparency does not mean less security for developers, who often feel nervous about releasing the files on their hard won creations. As such, Paperless has created a system in which the manufacturers never see the full CAD file until an order is placed. This means that the developer can get a larger number of quotes without risking their work, ultimately allowing them to find the very best offer. As explained by the CEO of Paperless Parts, Jason Ray:
“We are very excited to share the platform with product developers and engineers around the country. Over the course of our beta launch the past few months, we evolved the platform to better integrate with our manufacturing partners, as well as customizing the buyer interface to offer a frictionless experience. We see the platform as an investment in American manufacturing and product development. Supporting the ability for our partners to provide instant quotes to their customers is a paradigm shift in how manufacturers quote today, taking days and even weeks out of the product development cycle.”
In addition to the services that are provided through Paperless, they offer a number of resources for those looking to either advance their knowledge in additive manufacturing or to make the leap into the arena. Currently, they offer free access to 3 eBooks: SLS Design for Manufacturing, Calculating the Cost of Additive Manufacturing, and Laser Cutting Design for Manufacturing.
Currently, the platform has 13 additive manufacturing partners which offer services including SLA, SLS, Multi Jet Fusion, and FDM. Services will be spread across manufacturers such as CAD BLU, a 3D factory that provides complete part building services for jewelry, dental, and a number of other parts; ems-usa, known for their work in aerospace, automotive, military, and consumer products; and interpro, with a history of producing for companies such as Tesla, Honda, and Boeing, among others.
The idea being that offering a variety of carefully vetted manufacturers will help create a robust platform to quickly meet the needs of those looking to prototype or do low volume production runs such that efficiencies introduced do not lead to a restriction on possibilities. In fact, while the company is targeting the elimination of $5 billion worth of inefficiency in the US manufacturing market alone, the real news will come in the form of the new growth that this type of effective matching system provides.
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