Moving Past the Job-Shop Model with
High Velocity Mass Customization (HVMC)
The Most Major Technical Innovation in Custom Manufacturing Since the Introduction of 3D Printing
In the technological world, whether in development or manufacturing, your focus is getting your projects done. You need to get to a finished build that works. Often, the work you're doing requires machined parts, sheet metal parts and things like enclosures. This metal is essential to your project, but not core.
The Status Quo: Job Shops
Since the Industrial Revolution, job shops have been the tried, true and tested way to get custom parts, be it machining, sheet metal or other metal fabrication.
Job shops are extremely common - you’ll find them in just about every city and town. These shops have been the default option because they get the job done.
Are We Reaching the End of the Job-Shop Model?
The business model for job shops has remained unchanged. But there are problems. One of the biggest problems is that it's backlog-based manufacturing. Lead times vary widely. It all depends on the work in their queue. When they’re busy, you wait. That's very problematic for fast-moving companies that need parts now. Project latencies add up to a great expense.
Quality also varies from shop to shop, adding even more uncertainty. Job shops often haven’t caught up to the digital age, with manual quoting and analog means of communication. In the end, the process for getting custom metal parts is far slower and more complicated than it should be.
Variable Lead Times
Inconsistent Quality
Lack Modern Digital Tools
What If You Could Have It All – Custom, Fast, Quality *and* Digital Simplicity?
Imagine if you could have all of the wonderful things about a job shop, but it was lightning-fast.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could find a manufacturer that checks all of the boxes?
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Fixed 2-3 Day Lead Times
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Consistent, Dependable Quality
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In Quantities As Low As One
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Sheet-metal fabrication, precision machining and 3D printing
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Full suite of finishes, graphics and part marking
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Digital tools to make things as easy as shopping online
It now exists. It’s called HVMC. We’ve pioneered it at Protocase, ProtoSpace Mfg and 45Drives.
Introducing High Velocity Mass Customization
High Velocity Mass Customization (HVMC) is a unique system we pioneered more than 20 years ago. This revolutionary manufacturing system was developed by combining lean manufacturing, mass custom methodologies, with machinery and techniques for machining, sheet metal fabrication and electromechanical assembly. By blending quality and speed, HVMC makes custom parts at the highest velocity possible. It’s the full spectrum mass customization you need to get your project done as quickly as possible.
How HVMC Works
It sounds like magic. But under the hood of HVMC is more than 20 years of finely honed processes and systems.
HVMC breaks down custom designs into standardized, repeatable work elements that have been acutely refined. Our specially developed software snaps these work elements into place like building blocks, and creates a custom manufacturing sequence for your specific product.
Then, those work elements are executed within our unique scheduling system with zero latency, so your job gets worked on immediately.
The end result is your parts fly through our facilities at lightning speed, with the quality you’d think only possible from a mass producer.
Save time in every part of your manufacturing process
and meet your critical deadlines.
Comparing HVMC & Job Shops
|
Job Shops | |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Leadtime | Fixed 2-3 day leadtime | Sometimes, if there’s no backlog |
| Quality | Quality approaches mass production | Varies from shop to shop |
| Finishing Options | Broad range of in-house finishes, graphics and marking |
Typically limited |
| Digital Convenience | Online quoting and ordering, design software and more |
Rarely |
HVMC is Fully Digital
We believe designing, quoting and ordering custom metal parts and enclosures should be as easy as your everyday online shopping.
Are you ready to break free from the job shop model?
“I choose to use Protocase because the quality is there, the consistency is there, and we can just open up the box and know that it's going to be right. Hats off to you guys for being able to pull off that turnaround, especially for one-off pieces.”