From rapid prototyping to serial production: 10 Online Manufacturing Companies
Online Manufacturing is changing the world of production. In recent years there has been a clear maturation of digital manufacturing services for prototypes, parts, or products from small batches through to larger scales. This has opened the door for more designers, engineers, and creatives all around the world to break production walls that were once hard to climb. At the same time, Online Manufacturing has paved the way for more manufacturers to offer their services to more people, creating new opportunities for more businesses.
10 Manufacturing Companies for all your needs.
If you find yourself reading this article it’s highly possible that you’re already looking to produce or prototype some of your ideas, or have have already done so already – congratulations on reaching this important stage in your process!
In our Wikifactory mission to support designers, engineers, and every product or hardware creator trying to bring their ideas to life, we created this list to describe some of the main available Online Manufacturing companies that offer services on-demand.
Content Table
Wikifactory
→ Collaborative Manufacturing Platform
Wikifactory is the world’s first collaborative manufacturing platform. What does this mean? It means that the services offered don’t only help you produce your final products or parts with quality-assured manufacturers, but also support and connect you with an extended engineering team that can provide you the design for manufacturing (DfM) feedback you need to secure your product’s quality and usability, as well as reduce production costs.
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Wikifactory Marketplace’s Manufacturing Technologies
Why is Wikifactory Marketplace a good option?
- Free online quotes in 24 hours from Quality Assured manufacturers.
- Professional engineering feedback using live chat with CAD viewer.
- Secure Cloud PDM infrastructure to host IP-sensitive files and product data.
- Community of over 140K designers, engineers, and creators who are using smart design and fabrication to prototype and innovate.
Xometry
→ Manufacturing On Demand
Xometry is one of the largest On-Demand Manufacturing platforms that has developed a well-developed service capable of providing instant pricing by analyzing customers’ quotes over the years. Although not 100% precise, it can give you a fair approximation of production costs.
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Xometry Manufacturing Technologies
- CNC Machining
- 3D Printing
- Sheet Metal
- Injection Molding
- Die Casting
Why is Xometry a good option?
- Promise to deliver parts in as fast as 3 days
- Instant quoting with options to optimise lead time or price.
- Precision manufacturing applications across industries.
Protolabs
→ Digital Manufacturing
Founded in 1999 with an online service for injection molding services, Protolabs has since then grown to incorporate CNC Machining and 3D Printing into their services. Their claim is to be the fastest manufacturer of custom prototypes and on-demand production parts with manufacturing facilities in eight countries.
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Protolabs Manufacturing Technologies
- Injection Molding
- CNC Machining
- 3D Printing
Why is Protolabs a good option?
- Design for manufacturability analysis provided within a few hours.
- Accepts broad list of CAD formats to generate requests.
- Online library with resources including guidelines and tips.
Hubs
→ Source Custom Parts
Once known as 3D Hubs as a peer-to-peer network of 3D printing services, since its acquisition by Protolabs it has become a manufacturing-as-a-service provider focused in custom parts. Having a broad range of manufacturing capabilities and support, Hubs pursues to offer production for large and small quantities.
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Hubs Manufacturing Technologies
- CNC Machining
- 3D Printing
- Sheet Metal Fabrication
Why is Hubs a good option?
- Instant quoting for custom parts.
- Promise capacity and lead times 24/7, 365 days a year
- After production, all parts are inspected twice (except 3D printed parts).
Geomiq
→ Manufacturing Marketplace
Working with a network of local and global manufacturers, Geomiq intends to be UK’s preferred online manufacturing service. Geomiq was founded in 2017 in London and has since then created a platform that helps people find manufacturers to fulfill their production needs by incorporating quality inspections and a customer support team that can help when doubts arise.
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Geomiq Manufacturing Technologies
- Injection Molding
- CNC Machining
- 3D Printing
- Sheet Metal Fabrication
Why is Geomiq a good option?
- Track progress in every production stage
- Quality inspection of all parts
- Good Customer Support
Stratasys
→ Additive Manufacturing
Stratasys began as an early pioneer company of 3D printing machines, bringing 30 years of experience working with this technology and their large client base. With the trend towards online manufacturing, they launched Stratasys Direct as their on-demand fabrication services to offer precision machining with over 70+ materials and ISO9001 and AS9100 certified.
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Stratasys Manufacturing Technologies
- 3D Printing
- CNC Machining
- Urethane Casting
- Injection Molding
Why is Stratasys a good option?
- Specialized in 3D printing
- Involved in education and social programs
- Started as one of the pioneer 3D printing companies.
Weerg
→ 3D Parts in EU
Launched in 2016 in Italy to offer faster services in 3D printing and CNC machining, Weerg offers free instant quotes on a wide range of materials and finishings to cover your prototyping and production needs. Built on their own manufacturing facilities, Weerg promises to deliver in time and quality, mainly in Europe.
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Weerg Manufacturing Technologies
- 3D Printing
- CNC Machining
Why is Weerg a good option?
- Comprehensive FAQs and helpful resources page
- Easy “Reorder” button to repeat previous orders
- Delivery within Europe in 1-3 days
MFG
→ Find Manufacturers
MFG is a marketplace with its headquarters located in Georgia, U.S., which aims to facilitate manufacturing for both customers and manufacturers. Founded in 1999, it’s one of the oldest companies in the on-demand manufacturing industry with a big presence in the U.S. market, with 1,000s of suppliers in their network.
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MFG Manufacturing Technologies
- 3D Printing
- CNC Machining
- Die Casting
- Fabrication
- Sheet Metal
- Stamping
Why is MFG a good option?
- Big list of manufacturers
- No intermediaries between manufacturer and buyer
- A big variety of services offered
Shapeways
→ 3D Printing Service
With manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and the Netherlands, Shapeways aims to offer top-quality 3D printing products and pieces for B2C orders. Their ordering system informs customers on the different choices that impact the production process – from the uploading of 3D models through to the expedited delivery of rapid prototypes or production parts.
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Shapeways Manufacturing Technologies
- 3D Printing
- Secondary services are offered through Sales contact (no online quoting)
- CNC Machining
- Injection Molding
- Urethane Casting
- Vacuum Casting
- Sheet Metal
- Machine Tooling
Why is Shapeways a good option?
- Pioneer in 3D printing for B2C
- 3D printing tutorials on their website
- High quality 3D printing
Proto&Go
→ Your Online Manufacturing Partner
Proto&Go is the prototyping department of the I-MAS group, a technological center based in Barcelona. Its goal is to reduce response times to a minimum, offering its customers to receive a quote in 24 hours or less through its online platform. The company prioritizes speedy production with lower interaction through the order process (e-mails, calls) with their clients.
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Proto&Go Manufacturing Technologies
- CNC Machining
- Vacuum Casting
- 3D Printing
Why is Proto&Go a good option?
- Quick process
- Security in “on-time” delivery
- Can request up to 3 quotes for different quantities at the same time
Which online manufacturing platform is better?
Nowadays you might find yourself with this question when it comes to producing your parts or products. We highly encourage you to look into the benefits that each company has to offer, explore their websites, and, more importantly, that it offers the right kind of service for your needs before, during, and after production.
Here’s a list of things you could consider when comparing them:
- Does it offer the manufacturing service I need?
- How long does it take to get a quote from them?
- Does the company offer the material I need?
- Do they offer support during the process?
- Can they offer shipping to my city?
- Do they offer complementary services that can improve my process or product?
- Are there available resources or testimonials supporting their work?
- Do they have additional benefits/features to support my product development journey?
Ultimately only you can decide which service fits you the best and you can even try some of them and decide after you experience the whole service. The manufacturing process from prototypes to serial production also makes an important difference and each platform could offer different benefits that could include sample parts, quality inspection, post-sales support, and more.
Make sure to check those benefits based on the production journey you are at. Whether it is your first time manufacturing a part or you are comparing quotes to pick the best manufacturer for serial production, you should trust the partner you decide to work with.
Wikifactory has a platform with over 140,000 users including designers, engineers, and hardware innovators, so we can proudly invite you to explore our services and read our FAQs by having a look at our website, or in case you would like to contact someone from our team just click on the blue chat icon at the bottom right of your screen.
