Launch HN: Jiga (YC W21) – Faster custom parts for hardware products Hi HN! It's Assaf and I'm the co-founder of Jiga ( https://app.jiga3d.com ). We make it fast and easy to produce parts for hardware products. You can upload a 3D model (such as STL or SLDPRT) file and get a production quote within seconds. We have a vetted network of manufacturers around the world who can produce your part with 3D printing (plastic and metal), CNC machining (plastic and metal), or sheet metal. It's literally 3 clicks: 1. upload your file on https://app.jiga3d.com . 2. select manufacturing process 3. select quote and order. We built this because we are hardware makers ourselves. I was running a 3D printing manufacturing service before starting Jiga, and we were shocked by how bad an experience it was to get quotes and order parts online, or from machine shops. I spent a significant amount of my time and money on inefficient communication, paperwork, sourcing and quoting. Ok, so now you're probably asking how we're different from other online manufacturing companies? Well, besides being not as fast, they act as an unnecessary middleman. They cut a huge fee, block hardware builders from talking directly to manufacturers and getting professional feedback (such as making sure they can produce that 0.15mm tolerance exactly on that little hole). For examples, take some of our customers: an enterprise that builds jets for the US army, a company that builds a device that enables tractors to be autonomous, a hospital that builds 3D printed ventilation machines to tackle Covid-19 (first parts ordered with Jiga!) or a company that builds robotic arms. These companies start by looking for the right supplier to make their part. They email quote requests with the designs, some suppliers reply after a week, some don’t. They log this data into spreadsheets and folders while making comparisons. Finally after two weeks the supplier is ready to take your order but oh no! They mixed up the email threads and made a mistake - and the wrong part was produced. Worse, when getting into producing more than just prototypes, they have to manage the supply of many different components and timelines, making sure that that they won’t find themselves delaying over some little component and avoiding any miscommunication about parts or revisions. All this inefficiency is not only frustrating but also costly - makers and companies lose millions every year because of miscommunication and delays. We built Jiga to make this process efficient and painless. We handle all logistics (always first class/priority shipping) and make sure that customers are 100% happy with every order that they get. Additionally, we let you read supplier reviews, check their certifications and communicate directly with them. Want to make sure that the supplier is aware of that 0.15mm hole? No problem, reach to them over our platform and they will answer promptly. We make money from commissions on orders based on agreements with suppliers. I’m looking forward to talking to anyone who builds hardware, and to hearing your feedback and ideas and experiences in this space. If you've ever needed parts for things you were making, I hope you'll give us a spin. Have at it, HN! February 8, 2021 at 10:03PM
Women Pioneers at Muni: Adeline Svendsen and Muni’s First Newsletter By Jeremy Menzies To close out Women’s History Month, here’s a look back at one woman whose work to bring Muni staff together in the late 1940s created a legacy that lives on to this day. Adeline “Addy” Svendsen was founding editor of Muni’s first internal newsletter, “ Trolley Topics .” Adeline Svendsen sits at her desk in the Geneva Carhouse office building in this 1949 shot. Trolley Topics was a new venture when it started in February 1946. As Svendsen wrote in the first issue it was created, “to bring a little fun, a little news, and a lot of good will to all our fellow employees in the Railway.” Just two years prior in 1944, Muni merged with the Market Street Railway Company, expanding the small municipal operation into the largest transit provider in the city with hundreds of employees, vehicles of every shape and size, and dozens of facilities scattered across town. The newsletter was meant to help unite ...
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