Case Study: Christopher Tool and Mfg. Co. achieves 97% faster laser-marking setup and consistent zero-defect parts with Stratasys 3D printing

Christopher Tool and Mfg. Co. - Customer Case Study

Christopher Tool and Mfg. Co., a family-owned precision machine shop since 1951, faced slow, inconsistent laser-marking setups because each part required a custom fixture to hold it immobile during marking. The wide variety of parts meant vices, blocks, or magnets were used ad hoc, increasing setup time and risking mislocated or missing marks. To address this, Christopher Tool turned to Stratasys technology, deploying a Stratasys F370 3D printer and ABS-M30 material to produce custom fixtures.

Using Stratasys 3D printing, Christopher Tool now produces tailored holding fixtures quickly—sometimes cutting setup from 10–15 minutes to about 30 seconds (a setup time savings of up to 97%)—and replaces days-long machined fixture production with hours-long prints. The Stratasys solution lowered fixture cost, improved marking consistency and overall output quality, and helped the company meet its zero-defect goal.

Christopher Tool and Mfg. Co.