MacroFab Case Study
Elemental Machines is the leading technology platform for optimizing laboratory operations servicing research, clinical, diagnostic, and quality control labs around the world. They empower labs with ubiquitous data-driven discovery, development, and diagnostics capabilities, seamlessly linking the physical and digital worlds.
Elemental Machines offers sensors for measuring temperature, vibration, humidity, and other variables, plus an IoT data platform for consolidating data. Customers use their LabOps data to improve decision-making, study asset utilization, ensure regulatory compliance, and more.
In early 2021, Elemental Machines was using the MacroFab platform to build prototypes for new sensors that would then go to another contract manufacturer for full-scale production. After learning more about MacroFab’s capabilities, Elemental Machines moved some production to MacroFab, allowing the startup to accommodate the company’s volume growth.
Before moving production to MacroFab, Elemental Machines was partnering with a standard contract manufacturer that relied on traditional processes and older technologies.
While reliable, capacity concerns crept in, which didn’t align well with Elemental Machines’ fast-growing, tech-savvy business. Elemental Machines had to create a functional tester for the contract manufacturer to use, as the facility didn’t have the engineering capability to build one internally.
Given these issues, Elemental Machines’ VP of Operations and Finance was open to learning more about MacroFab’s capabilities on the production side.
The startup was already using the MacroFab platform for prototyping runs but hadn’t explored beyond this point – the largest order Elemental Machines had made through MacroFab previously was for 275 units.
A MacroFab representative explained to Elemental Machines that the platform really serves as the front-end gateway to a large network of North American-based electronics manufacturers, all of which have all been thoroughly vetted.
The MacroFab team member also shared what the company can do on the engineering design services side, which includes building single-unit or panelized functional testers and providing validation testing.
Through this initial conversation, it became clear to Elemental Machines that MacroFab was the forward-thinking, digitally enabled manufacturing partner that the startup needed going forward. The two sides took the relationship to the next level and moved beyond prototyping.
As part of MacroFab’s initial production quote, the platform committed to building a new functional tester for Elemental Machines. MacroFab’s engineering design services team worked with a third-party company to build the functional tester, allowing Elemental Machines to focus more on new product development.
On top of designing the tester, MacroFab continued to help Elemental Machines with its engineering and design validation tests. The two companies worked closely together to ensure Elemental Machines came up with the best potential products possible before moving them to production. After validating the design for a new temperature sensor, Elemental Machines gave the approval for full scale production through MacroFab’s North American network.
Today, MacroFab is producing thousands of temperature sensors for Elemental Machines that will cover projected demand for the upcoming year. Looking ahead, Elemental Machines is planning to move production for four or five other sensors to MacroFab given the success of the new partnership thus far.
One of the biggest advantages of working with MacroFab is the platform’s flexibility to take on any production volume without requiring customers to make minimum commitments. As a result, Elemental Machines can scale production volumes up and down as needed without worrying about getting deprioritized in any way. The startup can grow and evolve confidently with MacroFab, leaning on the platform to augment its own engineering capabilities and ensure that production stays on track at all times.