{"id":43564,"date":"2025-08-07T06:30:01","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T10:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/?p=43564"},"modified":"2025-08-13T14:42:23","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T18:42:23","slug":"ss-and-shapeways-reunite-to-bring-am-to-new-customers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/ss-and-shapeways-reunite-to-bring-am-to-new-customers","title":{"rendered":"S and S and Shapeways reunite to bring AM to new customers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In the relatively early days of additive manufacturing, S&amp;S co-founders Tim Sheehan and Mark Sears ran Figulo, a manufacturer of ceramic 3D printers that served both the design community and emerging B2B customers. One of their first major relationships was with Shapeways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, more than a decade\u2014 and several business ventures \u2014 later the two companies are reconnecting. Today, S&amp;S Machine is a modern precision machining company serving a select group of customers in pharmaceuticals, consumer goods and defense. And as S&amp;S looks to expand its capabilities and deepen those customer relationships, additive manufacturing is back on the table and powered by Shapeways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe always had a strong and trusted relationship with Marleen,\u201d says Tim. \u201cSo when we decided to expand into AM again, Shapeways was our first call.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-new-chapter-built-on-trust\"><strong><strong>A new chapter built on trust<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>S&amp;S isn\u2019t chasing scale for scale\u2019s sake. The team\u2019s philosophy is deliberate: fewer customers, deeper relationships, broader capability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s where Shapeways fits in. The idea isn\u2019t to overhaul how S&amp;S works \u2014 it\u2019s to add an invisible layer of capability that helps them say \u2018yes\u2019 more often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve got the ability to machine and waterjet and assemble,\u201d says Tim. \u201cNow we want to be able to say, \u2018Yes, we can do additive too.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their first test jobs with Shapeways are some 3D printed plastic components for a medical device customer. But the opportunity goes further. S&amp;S is exploring ways to integrate additive into its quoting, prototyping and early production offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSometimes I just don\u2019t have the capacity to turn a part around next week, so access to AM gives me another lever to pull.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-from-prototype-to-production-selectively\"><strong><strong>From prototype to production selectively<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While S&amp;S can\u2019t handle high-volume runs in-house, they\u2019re well-positioned to manage the early stages of product development. With Shapeways in the mix, they can offer digital manufacturing from day one \u2014 without overstretching their internal resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf we\u2019re specced in to make your prototype, there\u2019s a good chance we can help you build the first hundred parts too. Additive just extends that runway for us and offers flexibility for our clients.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the possibilities are almost endless, the current focus is on offering AM as a service to their core customers \u2014many of whom don\u2019t even realize yet that S&amp;S has access to those capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sharing-histories-and-futures\"><strong><strong>Sharing histories and futures<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The connection between the two companies has evolved with the industry. Back when Tim and Mark sold Figulo to 3D Systems, the landscape was flooded with hype. The positive and negative lessons from that era have shaped how S&amp;S operates today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve seen a lot in this industry. Shapeways today feels like it\u2019s being rebuilt the right way \u2014 dependable, responsive and built for business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s early days, but the intent is clear: this isn\u2019t just a vendor relationship. It\u2019s a strategic alignment, built on trust and a shared understanding of where the industry is heading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not chasing thousands of customers. We\u2019re building deeper relationships \u2014 and additive helps us do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-are-you-a-machine-shop-or-manufacturing-service-provider-looking-to-say-yes-more-often\"><strong><strong>Are you a machine shop or manufacturing service provider looking to say \u201cyes\u201d more often?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p> Join the growing network of trusted partners integrating Shapeways&#8217; additive capabilities into their offerings quickly and without the overheads. Whether you&#8217;re expanding your prototyping services, filling capacity gaps, or building out digital workflows, we can help you add AM where it counts.\u2028Reach out to <a href=\"mailto:supplychain@shapeways.com\">supplychain@shapeways.com<\/a> to explore what it means to become a Shapeways reseller.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the relatively early days of additive manufacturing, S&amp;S co-founders Tim Sheehan and Mark Sears ran Figulo, a manufacturer of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":208,"featured_media":43565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[510],"tags":[1595,1759],"class_list":["post-43564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-3d-printing-industry","tag-3d-printing-industry-news","tag-shape-ways"],"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SS-Possible-Image.png","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.9 (Yoast SEO v23.9) - 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