Agility and precision are essential to delivering high-quality manufactured products efficiently. At Shapeways, our digital manufacturing engine seamlessly integrates both internal and external capabilities to provide a comprehensive solution that meets the diverse needs of our customers.

Leveraging the Best of Both Worlds

We maintain robust in-house manufacturing capabilities, supported by state-of-the-art technology and the deep domain expertise we have generated over the last 15+ years. However, we recognize that certain specialized equipment, processes, or localized services are better sourced through trusted external partners. These collaborations enable us to offer:

  • Cost-effectiveness: Outsourcing low-volume or highly specialized operations ensures competitive pricing without compromising quality.
  • Access to the broadest possible range of technologies: By partnering with experts in niche fields, we can expand our capabilities quickly and cost-effectively.

This hybrid approach allows us to stay nimble and provide the broadest range of capabilities. We can then focus on delivering the best solutions for our customers’ challenges across small to medium volume production-grade parts & products.

Protecting Your Intellectual Property

Safeguarding our customers’ intellectual property (IP) is of paramount importance. Our processes are designed, and our external relationships are organized, to share only the information required for production. Part files are shared through our platform making the geometry accessible for the local supplier to print. Our vendor agreements demand that all production and model data is deleted immediately after production. This is enforced through the vendor agreement. This ensures that your designs and proprietary data remain secure, even when working with external partners.

Flexible Scaling for Changing Demands

Digital manufacturing moves quickly  shifts in material requirements or emerging technologies. To stay ahead, we continuously assess whether to scale certain capabilities in-house or leverage external resources. This flexibility ensures we always align with customer needs while maintaining operational efficiency as we build a stable and sustainable business for the long term.

Quality Assured Through Every Step

Whether parts are produced internally or through our external network, every product undergoes a rigorous inspection process at our centralized distribution center. By adhering to stringent quality controls, we guarantee that every component meets or exceeds the highest standards before reaching your hands.

Delivering Excellence Through Strategic Partnerships

At Shapeways, our goal is to provide a seamless manufacturing experience that combines the reliability of our internal capabilities with the versatility of external collaborations. This strategy allows us to adapt, innovate, and deliver exceptional value to our customers while safeguarding the integrity of their products.

By continually refining our processes and nurturing strong partnerships, we remain committed to becoming the digital manufacturing engine for manufacturers today and into the future.

Jules Witte

COO