As methods of industrial manufacturing incorporate 3D printing into the fold, one reoccurring trend consistently appears: the skill and knowledge you bring to 3D printing will impact how successful the technology is at improving a particular manufacturing process. That being said, there are processes that are greatly improved and wouldn’t have been possible without 3D printing. But even those generally require a level of expertise in order to be implemented in a way that substantially improves the overall outcome.
A startup called SyncFab launched a new online platform that sources all the information that an entity would need to manufacture products in their area. Co-founded by Jeremy Goodwin and Andy Tong in 2013, it is based out of Santa Monica and Berkeley, California. SyncFab’s name, if you haven’t guessed, is an abbreviated form of Synchronized Fabrication – a conflation of 3D printing with traditional manufacturing. According to a recent press release, the company described the new platform as “like an eBay and eHarmony catering to designers, engineers, and inventors. SyncFab aims to lower manufacturing costs by making the bidding process more transparent and helping designers take advantage of surplus production capacity at local factories.”
I decided to see for myself by registering my profile. The one thing I always dislike is when a company insists on asking for your phone number, which SyncFab does. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and signed up. You choose what kind of collaborator you are from a list of binary buttons, such as “designer/engineer”, and you’re off…to answer even more personal questions about your address, income, and job title, which I wasn’t expecting. Though it made me feel uncomfortable, I entered it in to be able to explore the free option of the site. Besides this free option, there is a $50 per month plan, and — well I didn’t even look at the other plan.
When you sign up, you get points for collaborating, posting 3D models for the community to peruse, and you can create projects or bid on projects. It mainly seems optimized for California and Boston, and, so, I didn’t really expect to find anything setup for Richmond, Virginia. Still, as the community grows, it may incorporate more designers, 3D printer owners, and manufacturers from a larger area.
“SyncFab is on a mission to return overseas manufacturing to the U.S. and create jobs,” said SyncFab CEO Jeremy Goodwin. “We streamline the word-of-mouth referral system currently relied upon by most designers and entrepreneurs when sourcing fabricators. We also solve a massive marketing problem for local manufacturers who have no advertising budgets and end up letting their factories sit idle.”
“Don’t Just Buy Local – Design & Make Local,” is the call to action propelling the promotion of the “Made in California” factory tour series developed by SyncFab. If you are in California and want to check it out for yourself, contact: [email protected]. “The U.S. is at the epicenter of , robotics automation and CADCAM computer aided design for manufacturing,” Goodwin added. “SyncFab is the platform bringing them together to produce high-quality products locally.” If you are interested in attending an anniversary and soft launch reception, SyncFab will be hosting at the times below in both its Bay Area and Southern California offices.
Berkeley
2:00 – 3:30 pm
Saturday, July 11, 2015
RSVP: https://www.meetup.com/SyncFab-
Santa Monica
2:30 – 3:30 pm
Saturday, July 18, 2015
RSVP: https://www.meetup.com/SyncFab-
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