Voodoo Manufacturing Launches 3D Printing Services

In 2013, Stratasys’ acquisition of MakerBot sent waves of consternation through the maker community. The ripples of that acquisition continued through the following year and eventually resulted in a reorganization of MakerBot with founder Bre Pettis moving from CEO to “Innovator” at Bold Machines, Stratasys’ innovation workshop. Other members of the MakerBot team also moved on to new projects, including Max Friefeld.

Friefeld was part of a small company named Layer by Layer that was acquired by MakerBot to leverage a form of digital rights management for additive manufacturing (AM) developed by Friefeld and his team. Friefeld has since moved on and is now the head of Voodoo Manufacturing, a new AM service bureau and consultation firm.

Voodoo Manufacturing produced the carbon fiber wings for this smart dress. Courtesy of Voodoo Manufacturing.

While there were always options for service bureaus, the last few years has seen an explosion of small businesses offering 3D printing services to any company without the desire to own an AM system in-house. In order to be successful in a saturated market, startups have to offer something different to grab attention (and business) away from more established service bureaus.

Voodoo Manufacturing has taken a three-pronged approach to attracting attention. Rather than beginning operation with a printer or two, the company has around 100 Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) systems ready to go. This allows the company to provide services for both large and small orders, with the company claiming it can handle volume runs of up to 10,000 units.

The company has also unveiled a simplified submission process. Customers can simply drag an STL or OBJ file onto the company’s website, and the information is transmitted directly to Voodoo Manufacturing’s print team. Clients can also set up orders to be transmitted directly to the service provider, cutting down on communications time.

In addition to a streamlined production service, Voodoo Manufacturing also offers design consulting. According to the company, the design staff includes seasoned CAD veterans that can help polish existing CAD files or develop existing designs.

The company has been busy, even prior to its official launch. It recently assisted Intel and Chromat develop and print a smart dress design. The dress reacts to adrenaline levels in the wearer, noting increased amounts of sweat and quickened breathing, and responds by unfurling carbon fiber “wings.”

Below you’ll find the intro video for Voodoo Manufacturing.

Source: Voodoo Manufacturing