For product designers and companies, achieving first time yield is risky, time-consuming, and complicated due to the number of manufacturers available in the network. To make the process easier and help users bring their product to market faster, through the Manufacturing Marketplace, Wikifactory will discuss and help plan the developer's production together with their carefully selected team of manufacturers around the CAD design. The offering has been developed in response to the supply chain crises persisting and interest from product developers for local manufacturing emerging.
The offering will be available across Europe, Asia, and the US for part production with digital manufacturing technologies, including 3D printing, CNC machining, Sheet Metal Fabrication and Injection Moulding.
The marketplace was soft launched earlier this year to test the user experience and ensure the company was providing a service that will go above and beyond the product designer's needs. Now, without leaving the platform, users can:
- Request a quote: The user will simply need to upload the parts they require to configure their quote request within minutes.
- Get a quote within 24 hours: Wikifactory will evaluate the RFQ and send it to the best manufacturers for the individual’s needs and they will receive a quote within 24 hours.
- Assess manufacturers: Once the user has received the quotes, they can access the manufacturers based on the fabrication services they offer, materials they work with, industries they work for, and certificates they hold.
- Receive the parts straight to their doorstep: Once the order has been placed and a quality inspection has been conducted, the manufacturer sends the part directly to the user.
Joel Tortolero, CEO, Wikifactory, said: “When it comes to product development, designers are usually left at the door of MAAS providers because they don't have the skills or knowledge and the manufacturer doesn't have a direct way of communicating with their client. Our Collaborative Manufacturing Marketplace addresses these gaps and helps the developer throughout their journey from design to production.”
By enabling product designers to iterate an idea and take it right through to production with local manufacturers, the platform is not only helping to cut carbon emissions associated with global deliveries, but cutting costs associated with product development whilst speeding up the process. The marketplace allows users to know they're finding the best parts at the most competitive price.
