【3D Printing News】The Trend of Diversified Prototyping: The Rise of "Advanced Manufacturing"!
Startup Market Trends
The Rise of "Advanced Manufacturing"
The internet was once the first choice for businesses due to its relative ease of use (e.g., a dedicated website could be created using WordPress), and the cost of establishing such micro-enterprises was only about $3,000. "However, physical products require consideration of many factors, and cost-effectiveness is very important," emphasized the co-founder of Sinterit. When Sinterit was founded in 2014, it was also a startup, and time and money were the two key factors for survival.LOCKY, the startup behind the world's first smart key, faced this difficulty. Prototyping was at the core of most problems. Although ordering parts in bulk helped lower prices, it was too risky for a startup's finances. After having a conceptual image, the most challenging part was producing the first successful sample.
In-house Manufacturing
Traditional prototyping equipment uses CNC milling machines to create prototypes. Outsourcing manufacturers take 1-2 weeks, which is time-consuming, expensive, and difficult to operate. Another option is injection molding or plastic injection, but mold costs are high, and the preparation period can be 2 to 8 weeks. Furthermore, new products need to prevent the risk of concepts being copied. Even with confidentiality agreements, information can still leak, so LOCKY prefers in-house manufacturing. 
Rapid Prototyping
Printing four sets of LOCKY takes only about 18 hours, allowing the keys to be inserted and all functions tested. The Sinterit Lisa can print 16 sets at once. "Obtaining a functional prototype is more likely to secure sponsors and customer orders than beautiful visual renderings," emphasized Sebastian Religa, CTO of the smart key company LOCKY.Due to the simpler operation of desktop 3D printers compared to industrial equipment, production can begin with just basic molding concepts. Even complex parts requiring repeated testing can be completed in a single print without additional assembly, making Sinterit Lisa the optimal choice for LOCKY.
"We decided to use the Sinterit Lisa to create functional prototypes of LOCKY to produce samples with the characteristics of the final product." The ability of desktop SLS 3D printers to rapidly produce and maintain detailed accuracy was the main reason for their choice of this technology. Compared to large machines with similar technology, desktop prototyping equipment is approximately 20 times cheaper, causing them to proliferate in R&D offices.
Does your company have similar development needs? Is your R&D struggling to keep up with new product delivery times? Now, use more diversified desktop rapid prototyping equipment and join the ranks of "advanced manufacturing" after "Industry 4.0."
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