Case Study: 3M’s Kempten Team cuts prototype lead times and reduces modeling time with Shapr3D

3M’s Kempten Team cuts modeling time by 75% and prototype lead times from 4-8 weeks to same-day with Shapr3D

The Kempten plant of 3M, a facility specializing in highly technical ceramic components, faced significant communication challenges and delays in its maintenance and production workflows. Requests for custom parts and repairs were often initiated with vague hand sketches or verbal descriptions, leading to misunderstandings, errors, and a slow, inefficient process. To address this, the team adopted Shapr3D's 3D CAD modeling software.

Using Shapr3D on iPads, the team could create and share precise 3D models in real-time during calls, eliminating ambiguity. This streamlined workflow allowed them to produce custom parts on the same day, a process that previously took four to eight weeks. Shapr3D also enabled the practical use of 3D printing for prototyping. The solution resulted in a 75% reduction in modeling time and a 20x faster turnaround for custom part creation, dramatically improving efficiency and communication.

3M’s Kempten Team