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Written by: John Nanry, Fast Radius co-founder and chief manufacturing officer

Manufacturing involves a lot of waiting. Historically, getting a part made has meant encountering a long list of mini roadblocks—waiting for the production report, getting questions answered, or undergoing long, rigorous validation processes. These delays may only take an hour here or a day there but they add up, slowing down production.

Now, there’s a better way. Cloud manufacturing puts all data in a single system with transparency on all sides, giving engineers the information to make decisions faster. Access to historical data and easy iteration helps level up the quality of designs, and digital production processes remove dependencies in the project plan.

But designing faster isn’t just about streamlining work. That’s one benefit, but cloud manufacturing also unlocks greater agility and independence than ever before, from prototyping to production. Today’s fast-moving world demands manufacturing innovation. Cloud manufacturing offers an answer, letting us make better products—without waiting.

A New Manufacturing Mindset

In the past, isolated prototyping and production processes meant that developing a product could take months or even years. But cloud manufacturing unifies these steps under one platform, creating unprecedented agility. The best results come when prototyping and production are connected, and now they can be.

With cloud technology, you can easily iterate on and optimize designs, enabling you to speed up production, create better products, and quickly fix issues that arise in volume production. Cloud manufacturing lets you test designs as you go, resolving issues early on and avoiding delays later.

Digital processes also shift the traditional structure of manufacturing relationships. Through cloud platforms, engineers have more freedom and independence than ever. Cloud manufacturing creates transparency at every stage, enabling you to access data when and how you want it. Rather than waiting on slow-moving manufacturers to get design feedback, you can get it instantly through the platform.

Digital manufacturing allows you to stop being limited by others’ timelines and take a self-serve approach. This process rewards engineers and makes production easier—facilitating a growth mindset that enhances productivity and pushes our industry forward.

Creating Better Products

Rapid iteration, accelerated production, and centralized knowledge management all serve the same goal: making better products. The long timelines and strict constraints of traditional manufacturing prevent big ideas and innovative thinking, trapping companies in the same costly production cycles. Cloud manufacturing presents an alternative path.

I’ve seen this transformation firsthand. Using digital technology like additive manufacturing, companies can shrink lead times for on-demand production and easily make design updates to move to manufacturability faster. The cloud also stores your parts virtually—meaning they can be ordered easily, from anywhere with an internet connection.

Additionally, the Fast Radius Cloud Manufacturing Platform offers a centralized location for engineering knowledge. Extensive engineering expertise is codified into this hub of manufacturing solutions—a repository that is instantly accessible to engineers everywhere. The system analyzes your parts and identifies potential problems early based on insights from this accumulated knowledge. In the cloud, it’s easier than ever to build on past innovation.

Engineers’ expertise, discernment, and unique perspectives are still essential elements to manufacturing. The cloud just lets you focus on what you do best.

Changing the Standard

Better days are ahead in manufacturing. With cloud capabilities, we can take full advantage of our engineering expertise and innovation. Cloud manufacturing centralizes product knowledge and accelerates production timelines—enabling us to step back and consider what’s next.

Digital platforms and cloud manufacturing aren’t meant to replace engineers. Our workforce will always need bright, curious problem-solvers. Rather, new technology lets you truly be engineers—encouraging you to think big, embrace innovation, and, above all, stop waiting.