Quality Assurance aids the move to Additive Manufacturing 2.0

Shapeways, an on-demand additive manufacturing platform, is expanding its robust quality assurance capabilities to meet the stringent production requirements of enterprise customers while also meeting the new expectations associated with additive manufacturing technologies. This next generation of 3D printing represents a tipping point on the path to widespread adoption, which Shapeways is facilitating through its world-class services and support for a diverse range of demanding additive manufacturing applications.

With its end-to-end digital manufacturing platform and established ecosystem of manufacturing partners, Shapeways is uniquely positioned to help accelerate market momentum for what it refers to as 'Additive Manufacturing 2.0.'

Shapeways' expanded quality assurance capabilities are designed to lower manufacturing barriers while increasing the speed with which over one million customers worldwide receive high-quality parts and products.

“Quality is at the heart of all we do—from refining initial designs to delivering final products and every step in-between. We continually enhance our quality systems, which are designed to ensure that we meet our customers’ exact performance requirements, each and every time.”

Aidan O’Sullivan, vice president of operations at Shapeways. 

Next-Generation Additive Manufacturing is Quality-Driven

At each Shapeways ISO-9001 production facility, quality experts adhere to stringent Quality Assurance and Quality Control procedures that cover everything from prototypes to full-scale production of high-performance, end-use parts. An experienced user-application group assists customers in defining design attributes and guiding material and technology combinations that result in the best possible outcomes for a variety of industrial applications in the aerospace & defense, automotive, and healthcare industries.

Additionally, Shapeways meets the growing demand for highly customised products by tailoring its quality management system to a variety of stringent requirements. For instance, Shapeways collaborates with an international manufacturer of custom knee braces to create two products with distinct activity levels. Shapeways identified specific file orientations and stress-testing processes to help ensure the highest levels of product reliability and performance. Additionally, the user-application team recommended that Nylon 11 material be used to manufacture a brace model specifically designed for high-impact athletic performance.

Additionally, Shapeways continues to collaborate closely with customers such as 67 Designs, a developer of rugged iPad mounts for off-roading, to optimise builds and scale production volumes at prices comparable to traditional injection moulding.

Real-Time Visibility, Testing and Traceability

Shapeways' multi-step quality management process incorporates real-time monitoring and alerts, as well as comprehensive testing and quality checks to ensure the reliability and consistency of each part. Tracking updates on all manufacturing and post-processing operations keeps customers fully informed of progress, while complete traceability enables rapid root-cause analysis of issues affecting end-to-end manufacturing flows.

When manufacturing high-quality drone components for several Shapeways industrial customers, the quality team subjected each component to stringent strength characteristics to ensure maximum durability. Additionally, they worked with drone customers to align part design and file orientations with the varied requirements for drone assembly in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Additionally, Shapeways collaborates closely with its global network of technology and manufacturing partners via dynamic feedback loops aimed at optimising operational efficiencies and streamlining preventative maintenance. Shapeways will continue to expand its offerings as it scales operations to meet the ever-increasing demands of Additive Manufacturing 2.0, including the design of new quality control mechanisms for specific industrial applications.