DE:
For our readers that are not familiar with Quickparts, tell
us a little bit about your company?
Mackie:
Quickparts.com was created out of
the old adage, “There must be a better way.” The product
development cycle is full of bottlenecks, the most painful of
which is the time needed upfront for an engineer to generate a
custom quote for the development of a prototype. As a result,
most companies would simply skip the prototype process altogether.
Realizing
the importance of early-stage design validation, Quickparts was
created to revolutionize the rapid prototyping and product development
industries by providing instantaneous online quotes for low-volume
and high-volume custom-manufactured parts.
By
analyzing the geometry, quantity, material and finish of each
part, Quickparts can generate a custom-binding quote within seconds.
DE:
What sets Quickparts.com apart from other prototyping vendors?
Mackie:
Plain and simple… Instant quoting and quality customer service.
Quickparts was the first company to come up with instantaneous
online quoting for custom manufactured parts.
As
we continue to expand our service offering to include Production
prototypes, we understand that our company’s value proposition
is only as good as the people that stand behind it. That’s
why our associates are just a click, email or phone call away.
We
take pride in making it easier for our customers to buy custom-designed
parts that meet their needs.
DE:
How does the Instant quoting process work?
Mackie:
We’ve really tried to make the quoting process as easy as
possible. Generating a quote on Quickparts.com is a 3-step process.
1.
In order to access Quickparts instant quoting engine, the user
must register online at Quickparts.com. Registration is free
and easy.
2.
Once the user has logged in to QuickQuote, Quickparts’
proprietary quoting software, the user is prompted to upload
a 3D CAD model in STL format.
3.
Once the user has selected the units, manufacturing method,
finish level and quantity, QuickQuote generates a custom binding
quote for your parts.
The
entire process can take as little as 2 minutes. It’s that
easy.
DE:
Tell me more about STL files…
Mackie:
The STL file format has become the Rapid Prototyping industry’s
de facto transmission format. This format approximates the surfaces
of a solid model with triangles.
Almost
all of today’s CAD systems including Pro/E, SolidWorks,
and Inventor are capable of producing an STL file. The conversion
process is as simple as converting the files to STL format in
the Save As menu.
Quickparts
works exclusively off STL files to generate an instant quote.
DE:
Has instant quoting caught on?
Mackie:
Most definitely. Technologies such as QuickQuote and 3D CAD systems
are fundamentally changing the way design firms do business. As
companies begin to realize the time and cost efficiencies of instant
quoting, more and more companies are coming online, literally.
As a result, rapid prototyping is solidifying its place in the
product development process.
Quickparts
specifically has come a long way since being founded on January
1, 2000. In the three years we’ve been in business, sales
have doubled each year and Quickparts currently has over 2,000
customers. To date, Quickparts users have generated over 60,000
quotes.
DE:
Thank you for speaking with us today…our readers will appreciate
your perspective on the Rapid Prototyping industry and the influence
of instant online quoting.
Mackie:
Thank you..
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