Case Study: Lumenium reduces product development time by 25% with Proto3000's Studio System metal 3D printing

Virginia-based startup reduces product development timeline by 25% with metal 3D printing

Lumenium, a Virginia-based startup developing the novel IDAR internal combustion engine, faced slow, costly prototyping using in-house five-axis CNC and wire EDM that limited rapid iteration for parts that must survive high temperatures, 1500 psi combustion forces, and strict dimensional/weight constraints. To speed development and enable complex geometries (like internal cooling channels) while using high-performance metals, Lumenium brought in Proto3000’s Studio System (Desktop Metal Studio System) for in-house metal 3D printing.

Proto3000’s Studio System, using Bound Metal Deposition with AISI 4140 steel and closed-cell infill, allowed Lumenium to produce functional prototypes faster and lighter: the saddle test part showed a 74% cost reduction ($980 → $148), 43% time savings (7 → 4 days), and 39% weight reduction (1,518 g → 933 g). Overall, Proto3000’s solution cut Lumenium’s product development cycle by about 25% and halved design-iteration time, reducing machining complexity, lead times, and accelerating the company’s path to market.

Lumenium