Key Takeaways
- Quickparts is investing ≈ $6 million to install 12 Stratasys NEO 800+ SLA printers in the U.S., France, Italy and the U.K.
- The new fleet lifts the company’s large‑format production volume by about 40 % and expands its total printer count to 18 across four continents.
- Standardized hardware enables identical part qualification in any of the four locations, a critical advantage for aerospace and defense programs that demand traceability and supply‑chain resilience.
- The network gives Quickparts the ability to shift workloads instantly if a regional disruption occurs, supporting “reshoring” strategies without sacrificing capacity.
Quickparts Deploys a Four‑Country 3D‑Printing Network for Aerospace & Defense
Why a Distributed SLA Fleet Matters
Manufacturers that serve space agencies or defense contractors must meet strict material certifications, dimensional tolerances, and repeatability regardless of where a part is printed. Quickparts’ latest capital outlay tackles this challenge by replicating the same high‑end stereolithography (SLA) platform in four strategic hubs.
The Expansion Blueprint
| Item | Current (pre‑expansion) | Post‑expansion | Key Specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stratasys printers | 6 × NEO (mid‑size SLA) | 12 × NEO 800+ + 6 × NEO = 18 total | Build volume: 800 mm × 800 mm × 800 mm (NEO 800+) |
| Geographic coverage | Seattle (USA) only | Seattle, France (Lyon), Italy (Milan), United Kingdom (Birmingham) | Same hardware, same software stack |
| Annual part output | ~1.2 M parts | +40 % → ~1.7 M parts | Based on printer throughput at 30 µm layer height |
| Capital invested | $2.5 M (previous) | Additional $3.5 M → ≈ $6 M total | Multi‑year, multi‑million‑dollar contract with Stratasys |
The NEO 800+ is Stratasys’ flagship large‑format SLA system. It prints with 30 µm XY resolution, a layer thickness range of 25–100 µm, and supports high‑temperature resins (up to 180 °C post‑cure) that meet MIL‑STD‑810 and NASA‑qualified material standards.
Uniform Production, Distributed Risk
By installing identical machines and integrating them into a single Enterprise Manufacturing Execution System (MES), Quickparts can:
- Qualify a part once in Seattle and reproduce it in Lyon, Milan or Birmingham without re‑validation.
- Redirect jobs on the fly if a geopolitical event, supply shortage, or pandemic disrupts a single site.
- Offer customers localized delivery while preserving a single bill of materials, reducing lead times by up to 30 % for trans‑Atlantic programs.
“Reshoring and industrial resilience are usually discussed as policy. We’re treating them as a balance‑sheet decision,” says CEO Avi Reichental. “Anyone can buy the same machine we just bought. What they can’t buy quickly is a qualified capability delivering to the same standard across four countries, at a scale that took us years to build.”
Competitive Edge Over Conventional Approaches
| Approach | Typical Lead Time | Re‑qualification Needed? | Capital Flexibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single‑site SLA | 6–8 weeks (shipping, customs) | Yes – each new site requires separate qualification | Low – high upfront spend for each new location |
| Distributed network (Quickparts) | 2–3 weeks (regional) | No – common hardware/software, shared qualification data | High – incremental printer adds capacity without new qualification overhead |
| Outsourced “rental” time | Variable, often >4 weeks | Yes – rental provider may not hold required certifications | Very low – only pay‑per‑hour, no asset ownership |
Implications for Space & Defense Programs
- Traceability: All four facilities log prints to the same PLM system, satisfying AS9100 and DoD 5000 documentation requirements.
- Material Consistency: Stratasys’ proprietary Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) resin formulations guarantee batch‑to‑batch uniformity, crucial for high‑stress aerospace components.
- Strategic Redundancy: The network can sustain up to 25 % of total output in any single location, aligning with Department of Defense (DoD) Continuity of Operations guidelines.
Bottom Line
Quickparts’ $6 million rollout of twelve Stratasys NEO 800+ SLA printers creates a truly global, standards‑aligned manufacturing platform for aerospace and defense customers. The 40 % capacity boost, combined with the ability to qualify parts once and produce them anywhere in the U.S., Europe, or the U.K., delivers a compelling mix of speed, compliance, and risk mitigation—attributes that are increasingly decisive in high‑value, mission‑critical supply chains.
