"The recent "Made in America" executive order will continue to drive demand for domestic manufacturing. Since the pandemic began, reliance on offshore suppliers and manufacturers has led to significant supply chain disruptions. Domestic manufacturing decreases transportation costs and time, and with improvements in technology and automation, quick-turn domestic manufacturing will allow our customers to bring competitively priced products onto the market faster." // Rich Stump, Chief Commercial Officer, Fathom

RapidDirect’s rapid prototyping and on-demand manufacturing capabilities are competing with the likes of global manufacturing marketplace Xometry and online manufacturing platform Hubs, which was recently acquired by on-demand digital manufacturing provider Protolabs. Like these companies, RapidDirect is seeking to democratize and streamline the on-demand manufacturing process for its customers by providing a one-stop-shop for their rapid prototyping and mass production needs.

Essentially, RapidDirect’s instant quote platform removes the outdated and tedious back-and-forth file exchange process and long-winded email chains, and replaces these processes with a faster, simplified ordering experience. As a result, manufacturing lead times are significantly shortened and overall customer experience is improved.

Additionally, users no longer need to log into multiple tracking systems in order to place or monitor their orders, as they can do this all within the instant quote platform.

The company ensures the quality of the parts it manufactures through the installation of a range of professional inspection equipment, including coordinate measuring machines, projectors, and height gauges. RapidDirect also boasts a strong supplier and manufacturing network to provide its customers with competitive prices and fast delivery, and offers 24/7 technical engineering support.

RapidDirect’s rapid prototyping and on-demand manufacturing capabilities span CNC machining, 3D printing, injection molding, sheet metal fabrication and much more. The firm has two factories located in Shenzhen which cover more than 3,000 square meters and house state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment.

The company is looking to solve the current pain points of rapid prototyping, such as efficiency, pricing, lead times, and a lack of transparency in the manufacturing process, with RapidDirect’s instant quote platform, you can experience a user-friendly interface, design for manufacturing (DfM) analysis, and efficient order management.

"Summit's focus on customers during the design, prototyping and low-volume production stages of a product's life cycle perfectly aligns with Fathom's unique customer value proposition. We're excited to work with the Summit team to explore opportunities to even better serve its customers through Fathom's comprehensive digital manufacturing platform while also providing Fathom's existing customer base with expanded domestic quick-turn precision tooling and molding capabilities." / / Ryan Martin, Chief Executive Officer, Fathom

Based on artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, the platform analyzes the design data of uploaded CAD files and then automatically generates a quote from which customers can place orders. The instant quoting engine allows manufacturers to receive quotes at any time of day, and gain immediate access to all of RapidDirect’s prototype machining services.

With the Summit acquisition, Fathom is strongly poised to lead the digital manufacturing revolution and answer on-shore demand with expanded domestic injection molding capabilities.

Hayley is a Technology Journalist for 3DPI and has a background in B2B publications spanning manufacturing, tools and cycling. Writing news and features, she holds a keen interest in emerging technologies which are impacting the world we live in.

RapidDirect launched its instant quote platform in June this year, pitched as one of the first-ever platforms to offer instant quotes for multiple prototyping services. Customers can select from four major manufacturing services – 3D printing, CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, and injection molding – to bring their prototype designs to fruition.

Essentially, RapidDirect’s instant quote platform allows customers complete access to a wide range of prototyping and on-demand manufacturing services, and shortens the preparation stage from days to within a minute. Furthermore, the platform enables customers to download, manage, and edit their quotes in a single place, while shortening turnaround times, boosting efficiency, and saving costs.

ABOUT SUMMIT TOOLING & SUMMIT PLASTICS: Founded in 1996, Summit Tooling. and Summit Plastics (collectively, "Summit") is a leading provider of high-quality plastic injection mold design, precision mold-making and close-tolerance injection molding.  Specializing in small-to-medium prototype injection molds, Summit primarily serves customers in the medical and packaging end markets through a fleet of over 30 CNC, EDM and injection machines outside of Chicago in McHenry, Illinois. To learn more, visit www.summittooling.com.

RapidDirect, a leading rapid prototyping company in China, is seeking to bridge the gap between physical and digital production systems for rapid prototyping and on-demand manufacturing with its instant quote platform.

The data-driven platform shortens the preparation stage of the prototyping process from days to less than a minute, allowing designers and manufacturers alike to upload their designs and choose from a range of suitable manufacturing options. From this, customers can instantly receive real-time information regarding price, materials, and finish options, enabling them to order various parts more quickly and freeing up engineers for other manufacturing projects.

ABOUT FATHOM:  Fathom is one of the largest digital manufacturing platforms offering on-demand manufacturing in North America.  With more than 100 large-platform industrial-grade 3D printing machines and a national footprint with more than 200,000 square feet of manufacturing capacity across five facilities, Fathom seamlessly blends in-house capabilities across plastic and metal additive technologies, CNC machining, injection molding & tooling, urethane casting, and design and engineering.  Founded more than 35 years ago, Fathom is at the forefront of the Industry 4.0 digital manufacturing revolution serving clients in the technology, defense, aerospace, medical, automotive and IOT sectors.  Fathom holds ISO 9001 and AS9100 Rev D certifications and is ITAR registered.  To learn more, visit www.fathommfg.com.

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The company provides rapid prototyping services for clients in a whole host of industries, ranging from aerospace and automotive to medical and consumer goods. The firm is also ISO 9001:2015 certified for its management system, which ensures its products and services meet both regulatory requirements and those of its customers. To complement this, RapidDirect’s team of 10 quality inspection personnel, 10 technical engineers, and 15 sales engineers, are on hand to assist manufacturers with their orders.

Using RapidDirect’s instant quoting system, users are able to download, manage, and edit multiple quotes in one place, and are provided with lead times and bulk prices upfront. Customers can also compare the prices of different materials and technologies in order to make faster and more informed design decisions.

New customers to RapidDirect’s instant quote platform are currently able to receive 15 percent off their first orders until 20th October 2021, using the coupon code RD3DIND. Customers can get an instant quote here.

In fact, RapidDirect claims that manufacturers could save up to 30 percent of their budget by using the instant quote platform, and increase their efficiency by up to a third.

HARTLAND, Wis., Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fathom Manufacturing announces the acquisition of Summit Tooling and Summit Plastics, a leading precision tooling and injection molding services provider specializing in small-to-medium prototype injection molds for the domestic market. This acquisition will greatly expand Fathom's domestic injection molding capabilities.

"Summit's focus on customers during the design, prototyping and low-volume production stages of a product's life cycle perfectly aligns with Fathom's unique customer value proposition. We're excited to work with the Summit team to explore opportunities to even better serve its customers through Fathom's comprehensive digital manufacturing platform while also providing Fathom's existing customer base with expanded domestic quick-turn precision tooling and molding capabilities." / / Ryan Martin, Chief Executive Officer, Fathom

Through the platform, customers are kept up to date with the progress of their order by automated email notifications at each stage of production, right up to delivery. The all-in-one order management feature provides users with real-time order tracking at their fingertips, while delivering transparency throughout the manufacturing process.

Besides, the platform integrates automated DfM feedback into each rapid prototyping workflow, allowing users to easily make adjustments to their order at any point during the process. The automated DfM analysis feature helps to ensure better production design, faster turnaround time, and, ultimately, higher quality products.

"Since my wife, Michelle, and I founded Summit 25 years ago, we have been committed to providing outstanding quality and customer service to build the business into a leader in the design, engineering and construction of molds and precision components. We've now reached an inflection point in our growth trajectory, and we believe Fathom is the perfect fit in terms of both culture and customer value proposition to help take Summit to the next level." / / Dan Martin, President, Summit

Working with Fathom provides comprehensive access to the most relevant equipment and expertise in digital manufacturing, engineering, and prototyping.

“We understand that there is currently a big gap in the rapid manufacturing space in terms of quotes,” said Leon Huang, CEO of RapidDirect. “The need to shorten the product development cycle and reduce investment risks while saving costs continues to increase by the day. The rapid prototyping industry is also marked by a cumbersome quotation process. Prototyping customers find it difficult to get price quotes of multiple manufacturers in a short period for price comparison.