Wikifactory has opened its Collaborative Manufacturing Marketplace platform, where manufacturers and engineers can enjoy an end-to-end manufacturing ecosystem.

Wikifactory is a platform for building products and the Collaborative Manufacturing Marketplace has been designed for on-demand manufacturing, ideal for digital manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing, sheet metal fabrication and more.

“The Wikifactory platform will help designers and businesses to build long term reputation profiles to facilitate collaboration around product development projects - not just quick, match made transactions,” explained Nicolai Peitersen, co-founder and executive chairman of Wikifactory.

Wikifactory’s Collaborative Manufacturing Marketplace

The Collaborative Manufacturing Marketplace unionises the company’s cloud CAD, PDM and PLM solutions with an online manufacturing marketplace. 

On the Collaborative Manufacturing Marketplace platform, users can:

• Request a quote, which will be received in 24 hours
• Wikifactory will send the request to the best-suited manufacturers 
• Users can then assess manufacturers: Once the user has received the quotes, they can access the manufacturers based on the fabrication services they offer, materials they work with, industries they work for, and certificates they hold
• Parts requested sent directly to the user as requested

WikiFactory hopes that this will allow anyone, anywhere, to build a product design company.

Wikifactory’s Collaborative Manufacturing Marketplace to support SMEs and startups

Joel Tortolero, CEO of Wikifactory, said the company is focused on looking for ways to make collaboration in manufacturing more cost-effective and sustainable in the long-term. 

“When it comes to product development, designers are usually left at the door of MAAS providers because they don't have the skills or knowledge and the manufacturer doesn't have a direct way of communicating with their client,” said Tortolero. “Our Collaborative Manufacturing Marketplace addresses these gaps and helps the developer throughout their journey from design to production. 

“The Manufacturing Marketplace is the integration of years’ worth of core tech development, product and user engagement into a solution that responds to the needs highlighted by COVID-19. The need for virtual collaboration and online manufacturing is here to stay.” 

Tortolero is also looking for ways to support smaller manufacturing groups, such as SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), which are struggling against inflation and rising costs. Bibby Financial Services recently conducted research on the growth of SMEs, where 38% described themselves as ‘breaking even’ and just 57% said they were ‘profitable’.

“Many manufacturing SMEs are already struggling to keep their heads above water and operating on a day-to-day basis, rather than looking ahead to growth,” said Derek Ryan, UK Managing Director of Bibby Financial Services. 

The Wikifactory Marketplace will help SMEs to find more sustainable solutions.

“It’s important that we bridge the technology gap not only within big companies, but for SMEs and startups to rapidly adopt their online and agile solutions to be more nimble against the world’s current fragile supply chain, and become more sustainable as a result,” concluded Tortolero.