Case Study: Zero Tolerance achieves 50% production increase and 19–20s cycle-time reduction with Markforged X7 3D printing

Zero Tolerance - Customer Case Study

Zero Tolerance, a Michigan-based plastic injection mold machine shop, faced a time-consuming and hazardous process loading eight brass inserts into a 275º mold one-by-one, producing inconsistent cycle times of about 45 seconds. After receiving a Markforged X7 3D printer through Project DIAMOnD (using Markforged’s Eiger software and Onyx material), Zero Tolerance decided to revisit a previously designed “claw” end-of-arm tool as a lower-cost alternative to robotic automation.

Zero Tolerance redesigned the claw as a hand-held tool and prototyped it on the Markforged X7 (later adding a Markforged Mark Two), printing the part in Onyx. The solution cut cycle times by 19–20 seconds and boosted production by 50%, allowed roughly one million insertions before finger replacement, eliminated the burn hazard, reduced labor and press hours, and spawned multiple claw variants sold to other shops — all enabled by Markforged’s printers and materials.

Zero Tolerance

Steve Michon

President and Owner