Twelve months ago, we returned to a new management team including two of our original founders. This wasn’t in order to turn back the clock, but to reorientate toward the future. While we have long supported B2B manufacturing needs, the relaunch sharpened our focus: helping digital-native hardware teams bring next-generation devices to market, without the friction and limitations of traditional manufacturing. These teams are often rich in ideas, software talent and drive but light on production expertise. In this situation, we offer more than parts. We’re a partner in design, prototyping, production and lifecycle management.

A year of focused progress

In the past year, we’ve executed on a bold, founder-driven plan, starting with buying back the company’s Dutch and US assets. The job of rebuilding from bankruptcy and adding the Thangs platform to our family of companies came next. Each step was intentional and pre-planned, undertaken not just to restore what existed, but to build something more fit for purpose and resilient.

With that foundation in place, we now operate as a focused B2B partner, while Thangs serves a separate but connected purpose: empowering creators to share, sell and manufacture their 3D designs in the consumer space.

Built for fast-moving teams

The ‘new’ Shapeways isn’t a departure from our roots but rather it’s a doubling down on what we do best. We’re now purpose-built to support fast-moving, innovation-focused teams building devices that don’t fit traditional manufacturing playbooks.

These are teams building all conceivable types of devices designed for real-world impact in niche, fast-growing markets. The products are often part of a software/hardware bundle where the teams are digital natives, with deep UX and product-market fit expertise, but little or no in-house manufacturing experience.

Their challenges are consistent:

• They need fast, iterative prototyping.
• They need short-run production without high MOQs.
• They need finishing and light assembly that meets final-use standards.
• They need support throughout the lifecycle — including spare parts and digital inventory.

That’s where we come in, providing high-quality, small-batch manufacturing with design input, finishing options and digital tools to keep pace with the product’s evolution.

From prototype to product and beyond

For the teams we now support, the product lifecycle doesn’t look like it used to. Devices ship faster, iterate more often and scale differently. There’s no capacity to build tooling for a first-gen product that may be updated in six months. And spare parts need to be on-demand, accurate to spec and available years later.

Our platform is designed around those realities:

• Digital warehousing and lifecycle tools – keeping track of every product version, so customers get the right spare parts, every time.
• Prototyping and design feedback – to get to manufacturable, testable parts faster.
• Short-run production – batch sizes from 10 to 5,000, with finishing options like spray painting, vapor smoothing, heat inserts, and light assembly.

What’s next in the plan?

As demand grows, so does our ambition. Over the next year, we plan to expand both our digital toolset and our production capabilities. That includes:

• New digital solutions for file management, collaboration, and lifecycle tracking.
• Additional on-demand production technologies, beyond 3D printing.
• More post-processing and value-added services, including light electronics integration.

The goal is clear: to reduce friction at every stage of hardware development — from early design to last-mile delivery.

Ready to build?

For any team building a next-gen product and struggling to find a manufacturing partner that moves as fast as they do, we’re ready. Whether you’re scaling production or just trying to get your first working prototype in hand, our team is here to help.

The post A year of progress, a purpose refined appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

For starters at Shapeways, people come first. Whether you’re running infrastructure behind the scenes, solving production puzzles, or supporting customers directly the work is hands-on, team-oriented and constantly evolving.

It’s not about hierarchy — it’s about culture, communication, and shared purpose. And that’s something people notice.

“We make sure that most of the time, people are self-directed and can use their initiative, but if they need it, the support is always there.”

explained Antoinette De Gee, HR Generalist and Office Manager in her recent Team Spotlight.

A culture worth returning to

Following the company’s relaunch, most of the Eindhoven team came back — not out of habit, but because they wanted to.

In his Team Spotlight Senior Systems Architect Hans Lambermont said: “A lot has changed over time, which is what basically has kept me here.” Change means challenge, and challenge means growth.

The draw to return was a combination of the work and the environment. Respect, curiosity and collaboration are baked into the way our team operates.

“I think there’s no such thing as a stupid question,” according to  Jeané Bresler, one of our Customer Service Representatives. “The ultimate goal for all of us is to serve the customer to the best of our ability.”

That shared mindset is why so many people chose to return — and why new team members tend to stick around. Service is a powerful force, especially when the output is often so exciting!

Communication that actually goes somewhere

When company values are aligned with the team and the job at hand, they become ingrained. More a collective habit than a conscious decision. Open communication is one of the unbreakable habits for the Shapeways team. Daily huddles, one-on-one chats and quick face-to-face check-ins help everyone stay aligned.

“We need to be open to that communication. That’s really, really important. It needs to be transparent and we need to be able to accept feedback at all times, whatever that means.” Explains Antoinette.

But it’s not just top-down — everyone has a voice and that information has daily positive impacts. Knowing what’s going on at the top strategic level is important, but so too is knowing about the minutiae of the production process.

“It [open communication] definitely helps… when a client reaches out, I can help them better, because I understand what they’re talking about — and what’s possible,” said Jeané.

Growth that feels personal

From front-line operators to technical leaders, our growth is often home-grown. People move through departments, take on new challenges, and grow into roles they didn’t originally apply for, didn’t know they wanted or never thought they’d be perfect for.

Jeané is a great example of someone who has taken that journey: “During my time in distribution, I started to learn the systems and processes and got the opportunity to work a bit more in post-production. Then I moved over to pre-production, doing some planning. And then about three months ago, the job opportunity opened up in customer service. I thought it might be a good fit — I applied and got the job.” Managers and teammates take notice and make space for development because sometimes the right solution (or even the right question) gets lost in the excitement of the now.

Tistou Geenen, our Continuous Improvement Engineer, has also had the opportunity to grow alongside us, starting out while still studying applied mathematics and returning after graduation to work full time. He explained: “I did not really recognize the opportunity that was here for me. It was really the management that reached out and said, ‘hey, we think you would be a really good fit for this’… I had no idea what being a continuous improvement engineer would entail or how that would look. So I needed a lot of guidance at the start. But I definitely got it.”

Stability through change

There are people here who’ve been through everything — the startup phase, global expansion, and now a leaner, more focused version of the company. That continuity creates confidence.

“From startup to grow-up, moving offices, building teams in the US, migrating infrastructure through six different data centers, moving to the cloud, then moving out again. I like that. I like change,” said Hans.

That experience doesn’t mean we’re stuck in our ways. It means we know how to solve hard problems — and still get excited by finding and solving new ones.

Real people, real passion

What unites the team isn’t a single background but a mindset. Our team is diverse in skills, nationality, focus and outlook. But we share some key characteristics.

“We want people who are passionate, who haven’t applied just to apply to a job, but have applied because they really want to come and work for us,” explained Antoinette.

That could mean deep technical experience. Or it could mean curiosity and drive. 3D printing and on-demand manufacturing remains an incredibly exciting area to work in, simply because the problems it can help to solve are so diverse and impactful.

We’re hiring!

We’re growing the team at the moment and looking for new people to join us on-site in Eindhoven. If you’re open-minded, eager to learn, and excited to work in a diverse, collaborative environment — there’s a place for you here.

We want team members who will have new insights, who have new ideas and who will be open to challenge, to change and to championing themselves and their colleagues.

Explore our open roles and apply now:

Account Executive EU (Eindhoven – Netherlands)

Marketing Manager

Part Time Bookkeeper Netherlands/US Support

TAGS:

Careers; 3D printing; team spotlight, HR

The post What It’s Like to Work at Shapeways appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

The company will move into Hal 4 of the historic TX machine factory on Strijp-T, which is undergoing a major transformation. In addition to making the nearly 300-meter-long industrial hall and its underlying basement more sustainable, the building will be topped with three office towers, a central courtyard will be created, various studios will be added in the basement, and a large bicycle parking facility will be constructed. Shapeways will be the third company to move into the TX building starting next year.

Shapeways’ new space in the former Philips factory was originally built in 1957 for the production of precision machinery such as X-ray and television components. The facility features a vibration-free floor and a unique foundation system designed for micron-precision work — originally to support cyclotrons, microscopes, and imaging technologies.

Marleen Vogelaar, Shapeways’ CEO commented: “Any relocation brings the past and the future into focus, reflecting on what has been achieved in one place while being excited by the possibilities in the next. Since the new management team took over Shapeways we have always been looking forwards, seeing the opportunities and potential within the team. The Strijp-T development has a storied past for Philips and we are thrilled to be taking over the mantle of innovation that this site represents. The new facility will be truly fit for purpose and will provide the perfect base to scale our customer solutions and continue our growth.”

Boudie Hoogedeure of the Strijp-T Development Team explained: “Strijp-T focuses on innovative, creative high-tech manufacturing companies. We are therefore extremely pleased and proud to welcome Shapeways to Strijp-T. 3D printing technology is a textbook example of the Make-Create-Innovate business activities that summarize the theme of Strijp-T.”

Shapeways will begin customizing the space to its production and operational needs during Q4 2025 – Q1 2026, with plans to relocate fully in Q2 or Q3 2026. The move will support increased production capacity, streamline workflows and will offer a modern, inspiring environment for employees and customers.

The new facility will facilitate continued growth and provide the capacity to expand the number of technologies and additional services Shapeways brings to market. The sawtooth roof of the new facility combines north-facing windows that flood the space with daylight without increasing cooling requirements, and south-facing solar panels to generate sustainable energy and reduce the amount of grid energy required for operations. 

The lease signing ceremony was attended by Shapeways’ European leadership team, Bob Goevaers, co-owner of the building, and members of the Strijp-T development team.

About Shapeways

Shapeways is accelerating product development and manufacturing with 3D printing and on-demand manufacturing, supported by global fulfillment and rigorous quality control. By deploying regional and agile digital manufacturing technologies Shapeways enables its customers to bring small to medium volume production-grade parts and products to market quickly, and manage them effectively throughout their full lifecycle. The company aims to be a key partner in its clients’ sustainable and resilient supply chain, driving their success, innovation and economic growth. Shapeways offers 12 additive manufacturing technologies and a large suite of materials and finishes to a wide range of customers, from engineers to large enterprises in sectors such as automotive, aerospace, architecture, medical technology, and semiconductors. Shapeways operates according to ISO:9001, IATF 16949, and ISO 14001 standards. For more information see the FAQs and www.shapeways.com

About GEVA Vastgoed

GEVA Vastgoed is a Dutch family-owned company that has been developing, leasing, and managing bespoke commercial properties since 1952. With a flat organisational structure and full control over the entire process from design and construction to long-term maintenance, GEVA delivers tailored solutions across sectors including high-tech, logistics, medical, automotive and food. All properties remain under GEVA’s ownership, ensuring a single point of contact and 24/7 service throughout the lease period. The company prioritises sustainability, employing standards like BREEAM-NL and GPR Gebouw to create high-quality, low-maintenance buildings that support clients’ evolving needs for generations to come.

Press Contact

James Woodcock
press@shapeways.com

The post Past Becomes Future as Shapeways Signs Lease for New European Facility in Eindhoven’s Historic TX Building appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

International culture

Antoinette joined Shapeways with varied international experience — from France with Disney, Estée Lauder, Ralph Lauren, to a Dutch recruitment agency — this variety made her a natural fit. “I knew it was a very international company. And for me, international is super important because I grew up outside of the Netherlands.”

She joined Shapeways as Office Manager and HR Support, the perfect role to build awareness of the whole team and discover what they needed for their continued success.

A natural shift into HR

As the team grew and developed, so did Antoinette’s responsibility. “It felt natural to flow into more of an HR role. And the more I did HR, the more I loved working with people. I’m a very much a people person… and I like to think that I am very empathetic. And I think that’s something that people need a lot of.”

Antoinette’s transition from managing the office to leading HR with a growing team also meant bigger challenges. In this role she could help shape the experience of everyone around her. “I think HR should be a very easy step for people to go to… I don’t like that version of HR where it’s disconnected or deemed to be negative, ‘my goodness, I have to go to HR!’ I don’t think that that’s a good reflection of the role. I want our team to know I am available or will make myself available for them so that HR is integrated day-to-day in the business”

Homecoming crowd

“More than 90% of our current employees were with us before 2024 which is a great statement in itself. With such good retention we are now growing with new team members who are helping us build on our stable foundations.”

Antoinette was one of the many who returned after Shapeways’ bankruptcy and helped bring others back too. “People were pretty much waiting, ‘can we come back and work for Shapeways?’ Every single person that we’ve called back pretty much came home and are still really happy to be here.” So what is it that people were returning to? “I think the international aspect of the culture… the way people communicate… Everybody’s respectful to each other. And people are allowed to be themselves. We thrive on the variety of experiences and outlooks that our team members bring.”

Two-way communication

Antoinette was able to ‘bridge the gap’ between the pre- and post-bankruptcy Shapeways, bringing learnings forward to improve the business. “It’s important to know that you will be heard when you share your ideas.” She is driven by commitment to connect and value everyone’s contribution.

Antoinette stresses the importance of defining and maintaining transparency in communication: “If somebody goes to their manager and says ‘I have a really great idea to set up this system’, and the manager’s like, ‘Yeah, good idea’ that is only half of the communication needed to drive transparency. I encourage our team to ask what happens next? Who takes the next step? What else do I need to know? And what real transparency means is that if the lead thinks it sounds like a good idea, but doesn’t think we’re ready yet, that is communicated back and that the employee knows where they stand. Being on the same page is crucial to our shared success.”

“Everybody’s using English pretty much as a second language and people can be misunderstood”. I see this as a great opportunity to master great communication skills as a team. Things like clarification, recapping meetings, checking in on everyone’s expectations at the start to keep projects and teams on track. These are the skills we use to ensure great communication is at the heart of the business.”

Supporting growth from within

Antoinette takes a proactive, personal approach to helping colleagues grow. “I like to take the time to understand our team members and their goals, beyond just an ‘I’m fine!’ response. We make sure that most of the time, people are self-directed and can use their initiative, but if they need it, the support is always there.”

For Antoinette the success Shapeways has experienced in retaining team members starts with understanding each person in the team. “It’s really important to identify the people who need a pat on their shoulder, … I encourage the managers to recognize individuals, have they looked into who’s done a really good job? Have they expressed the fact that they noticed? I love making these connections and helping the team grow stronger.”

What does it take?

“We like to have people who are passionate, who haven’t applied just to apply to ‘a job’, but have applied because they really want to come and work for us.” Experience matters, but it’s not everything. “If we’re looking for somebody to work in the factory, if that person is enthusiastic and says, ‘I think 3D printing is amazing and I would love to be part of it!’ I’m already interested in this person because of their energy.”

She also values curiosity and openness. “If somebody doesn’t ask me any questions about the company or hasn’t done their research… It shows that they’re not really interested. We have a team of skilled people, great personalities and we are all curious and engaged, this is the kind of thing that stands out at an interview.”

Working together in the Eindhoven facility as a team is another part of what works so well in driving a happy culture. “We need to be here, we need to be close to each other, we need to act quickly, so we can move forward and provide great service and products.”

Looking ahead

“What excites me is the fact that we are focusing on what we’re best at, 3D printing. And I can’t wait to continue our growth and attract more and more clients. I’m excited also to have new employees, new people that we can get to know, and to grow.”

Antoinette is helping shape the company’s values for the next phase of growth. “As we bring new talent into the team it is important that we have good onboarding structures so we can promote our values, how we want them to be interpreted and set examples of the values in action.”

Keeping things practical is part of the formula that Antoinette promotes for sharing Shapeways values. “People need to understand what the value is and how it fits their role. Our values can’t just be written in a handbook, they have to be lived from top to bottom.”

The post Antoinette De Gee — Building Culture, One Conversation at a Time appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

“For the various years I’ve worked here, a lot has changed over time, which is what basically has kept me here,” he says. “From startup to grow-up, moving offices, building teams in the US, migrating infrastructure through six different data centers, moving to the cloud, then moving out again. I like that. I like change.”

The invisible hand 

As Senior Systems Architect, Hans is responsible for the infrastructure that keeps everything running. This can be something of a thankless task, because when you’re as good as Hans is, nobody notices your work. “Infrastructure is something that is typically not seen at all. It’s only visible once it breaks. But when it does break, everything that depends on it just stops. So you have to plan like everything that can break will break.”

It’s not just about patching up problems but more about building resilience. “If I have multiple servers that can do exactly the same thing, and one of them breaks, the other one should be able to take the full load. That’s good. Nobody notices anything even broke. That is a win.”

Hans’ decades of experience show themselves in subtle ways. “We’ve had fiber cuts to the buildings several times. So now, when I see construction happening near where the fiber cables lie, I get anxious… I’ve seen it happen. But that’s why we have failover plans, backup lines, routing protocols. You have to be ready.” 

Readiness and resilience

That long-term thinking is vital now more than ever. Hans played a crucial role in the restart of Shapeways at the end of 2024, balancing the complex technical infrastructure with cost-efficiency and growth in mind. “We needed to reconfigure our cloud offering, moving more in-house but retaining the uptime and stability everyone expects. That was a successful project and that’s what we’re running on today.”

Complexity is sometimes inevitable, but where possible Hans prefers the minimalist approach. “When you’re developing systems that cater to multiple different requirements, you end up adding layers upon layers of complexity very quickly,” he explains. “And then, if there’s a problem, it’s very difficult to find where it resides. So I ask, ‘is that layer really needed’? Cutting complexity makes it easier to diagnose and fix problems — and to prevent them from happening again.”

And as Shapeways looks to scale, Hans’ role becomes even more central. “We’re currently harmonizing the infrastructure across the different parts of the business; scaling-up when needed, scaling back when we don’t. That saves cost but maintains resilience.”

Failing to prepare means preparing to fail

“You always need to plan for growth. If you can handle your current load, can you handle double that? Ten times that? With every scaling step, you need different solutions and it can get costly quickly. It’s a challenge to find the balance of resilience and cost viability.”

Perfection is always just over the horizon, but over time you can get pretty close to it. Hans’ experience in The Netherlands has given him an education in how to do things properly. “Shapeways’ factory in Eindhoven was the gold standard in terms of operations. In the early years, people from the company’s other sites would come here to learn how we do things.” 

That stability, backed by technical maturity, is what underpins the company’s future. “Technical reliability often can’t be seen. It’s work that happens behind the scenes. But the people here — the team, the tools, the practices — are solid.”

Curiosity and cosmology

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Hans’ passion for the big picture — literally— doesn’t stop when he goes home. He’s written custom Linux drivers for his astrophotography hobby, built his own weather station and automated an observatory roof that opens and closes based on cloud cover. “It’s a fun challenge. I’ve been running it for a while now. Some objects are just two small dots in a star field, but if you know what you’re looking at, like a gravitationally split quasar, it’s fascinating.”

So what kind of person is best suited to the herculean task of keeping systems up and stopping problems before they happen?

“Curious people. People who are determined to fix something up to their own standards. Everything we run runs on Linux. We’ve used cutting-edge infrastructure: ZFS on Linux, EBGP routing, Kubernetes, Flux, Terraform… we’re not afraid to change. Change is constant. Expect it.”

And what makes a great day for Hans?“A good day is if I found the cause of an issue and was able to fix it, or if I saw that some preventative measure actually prevented a bigger problem from happening. That is nice.” You can follow along with the Shapeways Team Spotlight series to find out more about the team behind the scenes.

The post Hans Lambermont — bringing resilience to constant change appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Creators on Thangs can now upload models, generate quotes, and create or manage their own listings independently from their dashboard.

This launch brings even greater flexibility to the ways designers engage with Shapeways’ manufacturing capabilities, giving them full control over their PoD offerings with zero setup time or waitlists. The interface and workflows gel seamlessly with Shapeways’  ability to handle production and fulfillment, giving designers more space to design.

For our broader community, especially product teams, startups, and engineers, this marks another step in making our production workflows more open, scalable, and self-serve. Whether you’re validating a design, supporting a creator community, or looking for a manufacturing partner with built-in e-commerce options, we’re continuing to expand what’s possible.

What’s new

• Creators can now set up 3D-printed product listings directly via Thangs
• Shapeways handles production, quality control, and global fulfilment
• Listings are live within 24 hours of review
• No queue or manual onboarding, it’s entirely self-serve

Want to see it in action?

You can join our live sessions (Tues–Thurs) for walkthroughs, design advice, and Q&A with the Shapeways + Thangs team. Topics range through categories like:

• Miniatures, Toys, and Games
• Home + Functional Products
• Electronics Accessories
• Jewelry and Wearables

Learn more or join a session

We’re excited that we’ve been able to create a new home for our former Shapeways shop owners and an exciting opportunity for designers new to our community. With a more modern marketplace,  a supportive community team — and where IP is actively protected — we are excited to support you and your business whether you’re new to our community or a former Shapeways shop owner.

The post Thangs Self-Service Print on Demand is Live — Powered by Shapeways appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Jeané is a Customer Service Representative at Shapeways’ Eindhoven facility, but her path to the role — and the insight she brings to it — is far from typical. “About two years ago we moved to Eindhoven. I have a background in 3D design, so I just found that Shapeways might be a great fit for me. At that time, a role opened up in the distribution center, which I applied for.”

She got the job, but that was just the start. “During my time in distribution, I started to learn the systems and processes and got the opportunity to work a bit more in post-production. Then I moved over to pre-production, doing some planning. And then about three months ago, the job opportunity opened up in customer service. I thought it might be a good fit — I applied and got the job.”

Using experience that touches every part of the production process has allowed Jeané to shape how she supports customers. “It definitely helps… when a client reaches out, I understand the processes. I can give them a reason why something is happening. I feel it’s very important that when communicating to clients, not just to give them an answer but to give them understanding.”

A bridge between the customer and the factory

To many of us, ‘customer services’ is synonymous with people complaining, but that’s not true, explained Jeané. “Most of my time is spent behind the computer answering clients’ requests. But a lot of it is also spent running around the factory, reaching out to team members regarding specific client inquiries or orders, which is kind of fun.”

Every morning at Shapeways starts with an all-hands production meeting where the whole team can give updates and highlight any issues of note, which Jeané sees as critical to her role. “You know who to speak to, who’s doing what. It gives a really good overview of the whole day.” She also joins a brief management meeting to understand what’s happening in other parts of the business. “I’m a very curious person. It’s a good excuse to know what’s happening everywhere with everyone.” This curiosity and Jeané’s technical insight allows her to have a greater impact in her role.

Communication hub

Curiosity is just one part of the job. Communication and empathy are also key. “Putting yourself in the client’s shoes and problem solving is not always easy. Some people want their parts as soon as possible, but that’s not always feasible… you want to find that sweet spot to keep your team happy but also the client.”

And that communication goes both ways. “Sometimes I get an answer from my colleagues, but I don’t fully understand what they’re telling me. I’m comfortable enough to ask for clarification. And they have the patience to explain it so that I can go back to the customer with clear, helpful communication.”

Jeané’s experience and understanding of the production floor gives her an advantage, being able to flesh out answers and provide better context. Sometimes, by advising that a client makes a small change she can show how the rest of the process would be positively impacted.

That ability to translate technical complexity into clear, helpful guidance is what she sees as core to her role. “A lot of clients have their file, they submit it, they want their part, and they just want you to help them quickly. They don’t really care too much about all the intricacies involved in the process — that’s for us to deal with.”

“But some do; you get a feel from a client’s request about what level of information they want. It’s about reading between the lines… what they’re asking might not be exactly what they need to know or there may be additional information that would be useful for them.”

Team and human touch

“The thing I really like most is when you assist someone and they get it… if clients reach out to you regarding a specific project and say, ‘Because of you, our project was such a success’, that’s absolutely awesome. When something like that happens during my day, I go home and say I had such a good day.”

Working at Shapeways, Jeané sees a company where everyone shares a mindset. “I am in customer service, but the whole team really has such a service mindset… everyone has the customer’s best interests at heart. Because we all work towards the same goal, it really helps me in my job.”

And what keeps her excited to come to work every day?

“Mainly, I would say it’s the people. Every day there is something new  to discuss. People are open, fun and interesting.” You can follow along with the Shapeways Team Spotlight series to find out more about the team behind the scenes.

The post Jeané Bresler — Customer service in alignment with production appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

For savvy manufacturers, additive manufacturing (AM) is one of the tools at their disposal. That’s where Shapeways comes in. We custom-make hard-to-source parts with industrial additive manufacturing (AM), giving you an agile, fast, and resilient alternative — no tooling, no minimum order quantities, and no long lead times. If you’re struggling to secure critical components, we’re here to help you pivot, now .

Where traditional supply chains fall short

Global supply chains were built for scale, not speed. They work well when the world is stable,  but struggle when rules change daily. They’re slow to shift, complex to manage, and vulnerable to disruption. They can handle enormous quantities of goods and materials. Scale doesn’t help when a ship blocks one of the main arteries of global trade though. It’s also useless when trying to make a business forecast over 6 months when the rules of the game change daily.

If you are sourcing low-volume parts, or keeping slow-moving SKUs in inventory ‘just in case’ you’re probably carrying too much working capital and taking on too much risk. This is where AM offers a smarter path forward — one that’s leaner, faster, and built for uncertainty – a new supply chain strategy.

Agility by design

AM offers something that traditional manufacturing and the associated supply chains can’t: flexibility. With no tooling and no minimums, you can produce only what you need, exactly when you need it. 

Whether you need small volume production, bridge production or emergency production, Shapeways can be your partner. A partner that enables your business to stay in control of your supply chain, make it more resilient and if need be have the ability to immediately respond to evolving situations, something that even in the most stable times should be the goal of manufacturing organisations.

Shapeways has helped companies across industries including robotics, industrial equipment and healthcare to identify the right areas of their supply chain and transition these over to a robust AM solution. We are able to work with you to identify the SKUs and strategies that make the most sense for your line of business to be sourced with additive. For those SKUs, our solutions deliver greater flexibility, lower working capital requirements, and reduced CO2 emissions — all while quickly implementing robust solutions that deliver supply chain resilience.

Let’s reinvent your supply chain

Shapeways helps you take control of your supply chains by reviewing your SKUs and BOMs to identify strong candidates for additive manufacturing (AM). We analyze part complexity, assemblies, materials, and redesign opportunities to implement print-ready alternatives, enabling fulfillment that reduces inventory and working capital. This process helps create more resilient supply chains that aren’t at the mercy of geopolitical instability or fragile logistics networks.

The result: shorter lead times, reduced costs, lower CO2 emissions, and supply chains that can adapt quickly — without overhauling your entire operation. 

Start today

While AM won’t replace entire supply chains, it can make them smarter, faster, and more stable in the areas that matter most. Shapeways brings both production capacity and deep supply chain insight, so you can start implementing meaningful change today — without disrupting your current operations. 

Talk to our team today to identify which parts can move to additive to reduce your business risk, shorten lead times and cost, while secure your supply chain for the future.

The post Need an Alternative for Critical Parts or Production Capacity? Shapeways Can Help — Fast appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Tistou (or as everyone calls him, Ties) plays a unique role at Shapeways. Officially, he’s a team of one. Unofficially, you’ll find him anywhere and everywhere.

“I have the freedom to prioritise where to take a look at a process or see if we can make something more efficient or automate something,” he explains. “But as soon as that decision is made, I have to work together with the team that’s already doing that process… so in practice, there’s a lot of teamwork.”

Defining continuous improvement

At its heart, his role is about making sure the processes in the factory run as efficiently as possible. That might mean automation, data visualization, or quality assurance — and often all three in the same day. “The end product that we produce is the result of the product going through a set of processes,” he says. “So making these processes go faster, more efficiently, or making sure that they are more consistent or more high quality will all directly impact the end product.”

But what stands out in conversation with Tistou isn’t just what he does, but it’s how he does it. His technical mindset is matched by a clear respect for the people around him. “In my experience, the team usually knows best,” he says. “We’ve had multiple instances that data-wise something seemed like a good idea, but then as soon as you talk with the team… they have at least 10 reasons why it’s not a good idea!”

Those interactions are not roadblocks, instead Tistou sees them as the path to better solutions. “Eventually you come to a process improvement or an automation that really works. So it’s super valuable to include the team in the process as well.”

Practice makes progress

Tistou started at Shapeways while still in school, working in production. After finishing his studies in applied mathematics, he returned full-time and was offered the chance to try something new. “I did not really recognize the opportunity that was here for me. It was really the management that reached out and said, ‘hey, we think you would be a really good fit for this’… I had no idea what being a continuous improvement engineer would entail or how that would look. So I needed a lot of guidance at the start. But I definitely got it.”

Since then, he’s grown into the role and made it his own. “I think you really have to be flexible. Since we are working in the additive industry, every day is different. Every day you have different models for different customers that pose different challenges. That can be super exciting, and that also means that you really have to be on your toes.”

He thrives on it. “I have a little bit of a competitive nature,” he says. “So I can also be competitive against the process. I really like if a number goes up… really seeing that impact, and having the data to see if this is actually working — that’s really a big driver for me.”

One of his proudest examples? “We have some processes that we started work on three years ago… that were done every day by four people. It was also maybe not the most fun work. If you look at it right now, the same process is done by one person in half a day, and it’s fairly enjoyable. And those four people can now focus on something else that really drives us forward.”

Progress must be aligned with people

It’s easy to assume continuous improvement is all about speed and efficiency, but Tistou’s approach is also about culture and experience. “It’s a driver for me, but I think it’s a driver for the team as well. There’s lots of days that I’ll just put on my work shoes and go and work in production… to get a good sense and a good understanding of what is working well, what is not working well.”

“There’s nobody telling anybody, ‘hey, this is how it’s done and there’s no room to have an opinion’. It’s basically the other way around… we want the people that are in the process every day to stand up and say, hey, I think we can do this better.”

That sense of shared purpose runs throughout the Eindhoven site. “We share this big responsibility of getting the product out to the customer every day,” he says. “So even though you might be a small piece of the puzzle… if push comes to shove, and we need you to do something else for a day to make sure that we meet our promise to the customer, then we have to work as a team and make sure that we change things up.”

So what kind of person thrives at Shapeways?

“I think you need to be very enthusiastic and driven to want to learn as much as you can,” says Tistou. “Of course your role is important… but the people that really thrive are the people that also think ‘what’s adjacent to my role, and how can I learn about those processes as well?’”

Every day might look different for Tistou, but the goal stays the same: help the team deliver better parts, faster, while making the process more rewarding for everyone involved. “If you can find something that delivers a better product to the customer faster, but also makes the whole production process more enjoyable… then the team will be fully behind you.”

You can follow along with the Shapeways Team Spotlight series to find out more about the team behind the scenes.

The post Tistou Geenen — Continuous Improvement is a Team Game appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

This launch is intentionally limited so that we can optimize the onboarding experience in the coming quarter. We will expand quickly based on designer feedback. You can see dozens of amazing designs with the option to print directly from Thangs here.

The journey home

Before we acquired Thangs we were clear in our plan:

• Step One: Acquiring Thangs. The Thangs platform offers great discoverability, robust IP protections, and a dynamic marketplace. This was a solid foundation on which to build, with important improvements over the former Shapeways Shops environment.
• Step Two (Today): Early Access Release of Print on Demand, starting with a select group of designers, with manual onboarding to ensure quality and stability.
• Step Three (Soon): Self-service Print on Demand, enabling all designers to sell printed versions of their creations globally.
• Step Four (Future): Enhancing the Shapeways Shop experience using modern technologies to delight users and designers alike— automated, seamless, and accessible to all pre-approved designers. Sign Up Here

Marleen Vogelaar: “We’re really happy to be launching the Print on Demand feature within Thangs already and make good on the ambitions we had from the very start of the journey. We are always mindful that the progress we want to see will take time, and we strive to put our customers first while driving developments forwards. This initial iteration of the Print on Demand button lets us prove out the system, learn from the implementation and ensure that we successfully reach the ultimate goal for this part of the journey: to bring back the full Shapeways Shop experience and strengthen the Thangs community by offering additional means to monetize on their designs and products.”

Quantum Wireframe Sphericon by Make Anything

Our commitment to creators

We genuinely believe the future belongs to creators. Niche is becoming mainstream! Thangs  embraces this shift in market focus by empowering designers to offer easy access to both digital and physical product sales without worrying about inventory, production, invoices, fulfillment and more. Thangs also offers a vibrant marketplace that actively showcases creators’ unique offerings, enhancing discoverability and allowing creators to reach a substantial, educated audience. Have a look at this gorgeous vase from Lofted Goods!

MCM Vase by Lofted Goods

Shapeways as a manufacturing engine for Thangs

Thangs is where creators will connect directly with customers. Shapeways provides the essential infrastructure behind the scenes, ensuring exceptional quality and scalability that lets creators do what they really want to do… create.

Professional technologies such as selective laser sintering (SLS), multi jet fusion (MJF) and metal casting require a level of investment, infrastructure and expertise that means creators have little to no access. With Shapeways acting as the manufacturing engine behind the scenes, creators can immediately offer products and parts in a whole range of polymer and metals materials and finishes — and have access to new technologies added by Shapeways automatically.

Additionally, our industry-leading production standards are trusted by businesses worldwide, so creators can be confident that the parts their customers receive will be shown the same love and attention as the original design.

The next steps

This limited launch offers a tantalising glimpse at what’s to come. In the next stages of development, we will be transitioning from manual onboarding to automatic approval and onboarding for all eligible designers. We’ll also see the reintroduction of the full Shapeways Shops experience through Thangs with enhanced IP protection features and discoverability through its 3D model search engine.

We will have ongoing dialogue with our Shop Owner Council to make sure that creators shape the future of this marketplace and will be working with the group to make sure the Print on Demand feature serves creators and their customers alike. We’re very happy with the progress so far — and there’s plenty more to come!

Former Shapeways Shop owners can reconnect by joining our waitlist today.

Check out what’s already available to print on demand here.Subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with the latest developments here.

The post Print on Demand at Thangs is the next step to building better Shapeways Shops appeared first on Shapeways Blog.