Shapeways

Shapeways is an industry-leading digital manufacturing services provider for designers and developers of drones and robotic systems. By combining advanced manufacturing with industrial production capabilities, the company breaks through the constraints imposed by traditional tooling and long lead times, enabling reduced project lifecycles, greater design freedom, and faster time-to-market.

In-house production & performance-ready quality

With no minimum order quantity, Shapeways enables design teams to iterate rapidly and transform complex ideas into reality with precision and high quality. Production can be scaled up to meet virtually any demand, with the capacity for runs of 10,000 units or more.

The entire production process is performed in-house with end-to-end control from digital file input to final shipment, ensuring that all parts perform consistently across every run. Shapeways operates facilities in both the US and EU, allowing customs to benefit from on-demand production and rapid turnaround times while eliminating supply chain risks.

Shapeways Additive Manufacturing Process

Shapeways is certified to ISO 9001: 2015 and ISO 14001: 2015, and is currently working towards AS 9100: 2026 certification.

24 million+ parts produced
Over 1 million customers served in 180+ countries
99% on-time delivery
<1% complaint rate

Manufacturing Technologies

Shapeways offers a wide variety of cutting-edge additive manufacturing technologies that provide an array of options for both rapid prototyping and high-performance real-world industrial applications. These methods enable the construction of complex geometries that can be printed as one piece or consolidated in a single build, significantly reducing assembly time.

Options include:

In addition, the company also utilizes an array of versatile traditional manufacturing methods, including:

CNC Machining
Injection Molding
Vacuum Casting
Sheet Metal Fabrication
Urethane Casting

On-Demand Parts Production for Drones & Robotics

Shapeways’ world-class manufacturing services enable you to realize drone and unmanned system components that are lightweight, durable, impact-resistant, and engineered to provide the utmost in performance.

Whether you need to design an innovative new drone platform completely from scratch or create custom drone parts with small production runs to suit your unique requirements, Shapeways can help.

Possibilities include:

Payload mounts
Camera gimbals
Support structures
Airframes
Landing gears
Custom component housings

Additive manufacturing is also ideal for creating alternatives to parts that are obsolete or difficult to find, allowing you to get up and running with minimal delay and cost.

Shapeways solutions offer a wide range of advantages for UAV and robotics OEMs and developers, including:

Reduce Complexity – multi-part assemblies can be replaced with single unified components, reducing failure points and manual labor
Accelerate Development – prototype parts can be delivered in days, allowing you to validate new designs faster and reduce time-to-market
Low-Volume Production – eliminate tooling and setup costs by allowing Shapeways to create limited run and specialized parts
On-Demand Spare Parts – easily reproduce components from digitally stored designs, reducing downtime and simplifying logistics
Resilient Supply Chain – localized manufacturing enables secure production with reduced risk

Industrial drone developer Kespry used Shapeways’ 3D printing services to create production-ready parts for end use from day one. This enabled them to get their Aerial Intelligence Platform to market quickly with the reliability and scalability they needed. Download the case study to find out more.