FIMRO harnesses the power of 3D printing with Xometry for miniature models at trade fairs

Our development process begins with extensive brainstorming of potential shapes and sealing methods. 3D printing plays a key role at this stage, allowing us to quickly test different designs before determining the final production materials. Since the final materials are too costly and time-consuming for early prototype stages, we focus on creating small-scale test models in-house, then produce large prototypes through Xometry to ensure convenience and accuracy.

In the past, developing non-standard devices was always complicated by the issue of tolerance matching between externally purchased standard parts and custom-machined components. Xometry's one-stop solution perfectly solved this pain point: they not only handled the complex metal 3D printing and sourcing of components but also delivered a finished product that had undergone precision assembly and adjustment. What we received was a functionally ready component that met our precision requirements. This efficient and worry-free delivery experience is exactly what R&D personnel need.

The Horological Society continuously balances its respect for traditional craftsmanship with an openness to modern innovation. One such innovation is the use of 3D printing, which has become an invaluable tool for prototyping clock components in plastic. By sourcing high-quality 3D-printed parts through Xometry, we should be able to test designs efficiently before committing to metal production. This approach allows us to refine intricate mechanisms like gear assemblies with minimal waste and cost.

Emiel, an aerospace engineering graduate and creator of "The Practical Engineer" YouTube channel, built two magnetic coupling prototypes: magnet-to-magnet and magnet-to-copper using eddy currents. With Xometry's laser cutting service, he sourced copper plates of 3mm and 6mm thickness, discovering that the copper version enables smooth, self-regulating, non-contact torque transfer with 8mm gap capability.

With Xometry, we have found a manufacturing partner that supports our development philosophy. The ability to quickly and precisely order small batches of parts gives us the freedom to iteratively improve our robots. This flexibility is essential to our innovation process.

A student team from University of Maribor developed a stainless steel hose clip for the food and beverage industry, targeting wine and beer fermentation vessels. With Xometry's laser cutting service, they produced 1.5mm thick stainless steel sheet parts featuring elongated teardrop-shaped holes that pinch hoses at two points. The 80 × 45 × 170 mm design requires no lubrication, is food-safe, and grips vessel flanges securely without screws.

The lessons we learned go far beyond mechanics. We reflect on three key takeaways: people are the ultimate success factor — both the team and its supporters; divide and conquer: breaking the project into subsystems prevents chaos and enables parallel innovation; and industry partners like Xometry are strategic enablers, not just suppliers.

We make the design, upload it to the Xometry Instant Quoting Engine. We see the price and delivery time immediately. Previously, we had to contact four or five different places separately. Now, we receive ready-to-assemble parts from a single channel.

With Xometry, we don’t have to go through that,” referring to simplified and faster quoting and manufacturing.

he project had a very ambitious timeline since we had to plan, produce, test and ship our complex machine all within one year. The short and scheduled delivery times from Xometry were a great help in achieving this. We were also really satisfied with the quality of the parts provided by Xometry.

We obtained around 3200 sheet metal parts and they were perfectly within tolerance. As a student team supplied entirely by partnerships, we were especially satisfied with the cost-quality ratio provided by Xometry.

Every day I come in I know I am going to have five or six jobs on Xometry that I can fit into any free space that I might have out on the floor. It is just really nice to be able to have it , because always in the back of my mind, I’m thinking, ‘Oh man, I have no new orders coming in from my current clients, but I could take this job that's right here [on Xometry] and keep busy for a while.’ That is huge for us.