Meet Santa Barbara’s Premiere 3D Printing and Prototyping Resource

At STEL, we’re dedicated to innovation and accessibility above all else. Regardless of the project or client, we foster a creative environment where innovators solve real-world problems with practical solutions. It’s for this reason that we’ve launched STEL 3D Labs, Santa Barbara’s premiere 3D printing and prototyping hub. With our influential position in the Central Coast product development community, we provide access to cutting edge technology that yields  innovative and impactful prototypes, enabling efficient delivery of products to market.

The 3D Lab was built to bring product visions to life. It’s why we started 3D printing in the first place, and why it remains an integral part of our studio today. With new technology and expert engineers, we’re streamlining the path to production and reducing expensive iteration cycles.

We Go Way Back

3D Printing within our studio dates back to STEL’s origin. Co-Founders Ryan Olson and Pete Ducato started STEL in their garage with nothing but a 3D printer and a handful of website domains. It was the beginning of our business model, to bring accessible 3D printing to Santa Barbara. We’ve come a long way since then, with our expertise evolving into full turn-key product development, leveraging 3D printing and prototyping from beginning to end.

The tech-driven roots of Santa Barbara allow local product developers to quickly iterate ideas, with in-hand prototypes delivered  in a matter of days. STEL’s additive manufacturing expertise and know-how can help guide process and material selection and even prototyping strategy based on program goals. We are here every step of the way. 

Our lab has evolved from hobbyist level printers, to the professional setting it is today. As we continue to grow, our capabilities and service offerings will provide an even more impactful benefit to our customers.

The lab is built on efficiency. Touting various additive manufacturing technologies, with dedicated prep and post processing stations, STEL 3D labs is the synergy of additive manufacturing with expert designers and engineers.

Inside the Lab

In house, we have 4 dedicated 3D printers, each with their own capabilities for specific project demands. The four printers include two Formlabs stereolithography (SLA) machines, a Stratasys fused deposition modeling (FDM) machine, and a Raise3D Pro2 Plus (FDM) machine.

The high-layer resolution achievable on the Formlabs SLA printers assists engineers in evaluating form, fit, and the more intricate details of design. These printers are perfect for the most complex parts with intricate geometries ranging from concept models to functional models.

The Raise3D Pro2 Plus, one of our FDM printers, is a great value-option for faster turnarounds and quickly evaluating the forms and proportions. 

Lastly, the Stratasys F170 is our most powerful in-house machine, able to use engineering-grade materials and dissolvable supports for dynamic modeling and design flexibility.

3D printing is a critical tool in the STEL studio to put a product concept in the palm of your hand. In product development, speed and accuracy are key, and our process with 3D printing allows us to bring precisely designed products to market quickly. 

Our aim is to help local companies and entrepreneurs innovate products to their full potential by utilizing our in-house printers and expert team of engineers and designers. With our team, concepts are efficiently refined, and ultimately commercialized into real-life solutions. Having a tangible prototype allows for a smooth development process, and we strive to put that prototype into the hands of our clients to enable groundbreaking product creation.

The Power of a Prototype

3D printing is a foundational element of the STEL studio, but by no means the only element. We built our 3D Lab to make the most of our entire product design process, helping to cultivate an ecosystem for creatives in our community and beyond. We’re experts in 3D printing, prototyping, product concepting, and so much more; we are big thinkers; and this perspective percolates throughout our client relationships.

3D printing is a great way for us to begin long-lasting relationships with trusted collaborators. Some of our closest partners have come through the prototyping process, looking to bring their biggest ideas to life.

3D printing is the catalyst for a collaborative partnership. Our engineers can help create an effective prototype, as well as a prototype that’s reproducible in the manufacturing pipeline after it leaves our Lab. We want our clients to come away with something that’s not only innovative, but effective, realistic, and allows them to start bringing their product to life.

We’re a local printer first and foremost, and we’ve found that the most creative ideas come from those moments at the drawing board, together. We’re ready to grow the Santa Barbara product development community, beginning with your idea. Check out STEL 3D Labs to get started. 

At STEL, client relationships aren’t just contracts on a timeline, they are full team integrations. Our partnership with Nomad, a local Santa Barbara business and our very first client, is no exception. As two young, hungry startups, STEL and Nomad have developed a relationship built on innovation, creating products designed to make an impact on the everyday explorer’s life. 

When we started working together in 2015, we had plenty in common. They were dedicated to creating beautiful and rugged tools for the everyday adventurer. And we were dedicated to bringing big ideas to life. We were two companies on the same mission.

01

Our Beginnings

Nomad launched in 2012 with a single Kickstarter campaign. As a small company, they had plenty of big ideas and, more importantly, they had big ideas that could improve people’s lives. Products like the ChargeCard, Charge Key, and others enable people to elevate the efficiency of their everyday routine, building convenience and simplicity into their rhythms. 

These products are the perfect combination of innovation and accessibility, helping people make the most of technology to create even more flexibility and freedom. But, as most innovators know, good ideas are just the beginning. Nomad looked to expand their product line and capabilities, which meant increased production and engineering. They needed seasoned product designers and engineers who could not only build equally sturdy and stunning products but build them in a way that was actually manufacturable; a firm that could fully develop their concepts to bring them to life.

In the world of product design, there are hundreds of firms that can simply make a product. The team at Nomad, however, was looking for someone who could take it a step further; someone who could work with them to design their concept, prototype it, improve it, and produce it. Beyond that, they wanted a partner who understood their values as a company, could mass produce their products efficiently, and hold to industry-leading quality standards.

02

More than a Partnership

At STEL, we value freedom over formality and bringing incredible concepts to life. When Nomad came to us with their design, engineering, and production needs, we saw more than just a project proposal; this was the beginning of a long-standing partnership. Collaborating with Nomad meant an exciting design freedom to bring their ideas off a sketchbook and into our hands. Soon after their launch, STEL took over the development and engineering of Nomad’s products, using our supply chain and factory resources to bring life to their life-improving products.

As a team of designers, engineers, strategists, and leaders, working with Nomad felt like second nature: we all shared the same drive to create an impactful product portfolio. Our teams integrated quickly and seamlessly, and each started to grow in parallel. Because we’d developed such a strong relationship, STEL had Nomad’s trust and confidence to own the entire process from concept sketches to production in order to meet both party’s high standards. From the beginning, this partnership meant we could use our flexibility to quickly iterate new designs for new products. We could use our extensive resources as an independent design firm to help them expand their product line more quickly and efficiently than their internal team ever could. Between STEL’s design and development, and Nomad’s sale and marketing, it’s been a powerful partnership ever since.

Our creative process in developing Nomad’s product portfolio was directly influenced by their founding values: resourcefulness, adventure, and living life in the moment. Maybe it’s something about Santa Barbara, but there were no egos at this table, just two teams wanting to exceed every expectation the industry had for each of Nomad’s new products. Each meeting was an explorative investigation, a way for both teams to find out what works for both the products and their development. Every client is different, and we built our processes specifically to meet their needs in a way that aligned with both team’s sets of core values.

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The Power of Collaboration

Product design firms exist to create solutions to complex problems, to fill holes in clients’ teams and processes. We pride ourselves in serving this function for Nomad, but it’s not what makes our collaboration style unique. We’re a team of dreamers, creatives, collaborators, and professionals who live to share capabilities and possibilities with our clients, and that was the driving factor in our success with Nomad. We provide a full turnkey solution injected with passion for our clients, creating processes and products they can rely on and fall in love with.

Since we began our first project with Nomad’s ChargeCard, our teams and processes have grown even closer together. With every cutting edge idea and new challenge posed, STEL has expanded our service offering to make them possible. Nomad has expanded from just one product to more than 30, ranging from state-of-the-art wireless charging stations to innovative technology accessories and medical supplies. As Nomad grows, so does STEL, and vice versa. This kind of partnership has enabled both of us to challenge each other, test our limits, and rise to the occasion so we can collaborate in a powerful way and create amazing products. 

We bring on clients because we love what we do, and love what they do. We love to solve problems and build on big ideas—and our relationship with Nomad is a reflection of exactly that. Check out our most recent work with Nomad HERE to see what we’ve been up to.

Our mission to give back.

Combating the spread of COVID-19 is no easy task. STEL continues to aid efforts in curtailing the spread of this novel coronavirus on multiple fronts. In-house prototyping machines and 3D printers have been running full clip to simultaneously produce immediate protection for the medical community and expedite the development process for consumer protection solutions. Whether through our own initiatives or with long-term partners like Nomad and KeySmart, the STEL team has been working hard to aid in the fight against this unprecedented pandemic.

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Designing masks for everyday use.

Following the CDC’s call for face masks to be worn in public, STEL partnered with long-time client KeySmart to develop a well-designed face mask for general use. Given the public’s reluctance to wear face coverings on the grounds of discomfort and unattractive appearance, the ultimate goal of this project was to encourage face mask adoption and reduce infection transmission by creating a comfortable, stylish product that people actually want to wear.

STEL leveraged our extensive soft goods supply chain to sample and select the necessary materials to complete this PPE tailored for everyday use. Our robust supplier network has been instrumental in providing a streamlined, quick-turn solution for this essential product.

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Utilizing 3D printers to shield the community.

STEL understands the value of a rapid response during a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. Our team has been working tirelessly to quickly and efficiently produce Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that protect the general public and ease the shortages our medical community is experiencing. Our adaptability and committed spirit of innovation have been instrumental in the successful completion and introduction of designs and products in a matter of weeks.

Always keeping those on the front lines of this crisis forefront in our minds, STEL continues to leverage its in-house capabilities to augment supplies for the severely strained medical supply chain. Using our on-site prototyping and 3D printing assets, we have been producing, assembling, and donating face shields to medical facilities right here in Santa Barbara.

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Procuring masks for donation to local hospitals.

Looking beyond our office walls, we knew there was still more we could do to contribute. Utilizing our extensive supply chain and well-established manufacturing relationships, we continue to actively source PPE to ease the strain on the medical supply chain. We’ve donated thousands of surgical masks, sanitations wipes, and face shields to date to give heroic medical personnel the protection they need.

06

Business as usual.

Despite the many changes this crisis has brought to the workplace, the STEL team continues to be as creative and productive as ever. Working from the safety of their own homes, our engineers and designers are focusing on innovating next-generation products. Our team is using various telecommunication tools to maintain the proven collaboration and communication processes that enable us to deliver products of the utmost quality, on-time and on-budget.

Although timelines are uncertain, STEL understands that these unprecedented times are temporary. No matter how long it takes to put this pandemic behind us, STEL is eager and committed to helping the community in any way we can. We encourage you to reach out to discuss any project ideas you may have and look forward to collaborating.

The Power of Turnkey Product Design

Truly exceptional products are found at the intersection of design and engineering. The unique collaborative process between designers and engineers at STEL has proven to be the key to countless successful designs for a wide range of clients, that not all design consultancies can boast. Each team is crucial to the design process and the realization of a product as they work hand-in-hand to provide synergistic effects unseen at most agencies. 

01

The Best of Both Worlds

Having designers and engineers work closely together under the same roof is an invaluable asset to STEL’s end-to-end services. Most design firms specialize exclusively in one discipline—industrial design or engineering. This sole focus necessitates the critical involvement of multiple outside agencies, resulting in design direction conflicts, responsibility gaps, and severe delays to development timelines. This ultimately translates to a loss in efficiency, a reduction in budget efficacy, and a compromised design process. 

By having both designers and engineers collaborating in-house, STEL can push the boundaries of design without losing sight of product quality and manufacturing. In this way, STEL fosters greater creative dialogue and captures efficiency gains associated with real-time cooperation managed under the same directional umbrella. 

02 | Fluidity of Collaboration

STEL buzzes with a constant hum of collaboration as our team members consult one another for insights and recommendations based on areas of individual expertise. The swivel of a desk chair is all it takes to huddle with a seasoned engineer or pick the brain of an expert designer.

Having both teams commingle within the same workspace allows for a more fluid, open dialogue. Designers can push the envelope without pressing too far, as engineers provide input every step of the way. Engineers can modify designs to improve reliability and ready for manufacture without compromising forms and aesthetics, as designers provide guidance around every challenge.

Every product STEL creates has limitations and restrictions that designers and engineers must consider and navigate around. This requires what sometimes feels like endless iteration between design and engineering, but the process is paramount to attain the absolute best designed and engineered solution. Because interactions between designers and engineers happen organically, as needed, and in real-time, development occurs at a faster pace with fewer expended resources. This streamlined process gives clients better bang for their buck, designing better products within a minimized time frame.

03 | Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Close cooperation between both teams is essential in overcoming design obstacles. Engineers define interface requirements, keep-out zones, and internal space allocations before designers even begin to sketch concepts. Designers keep construction and manufacturing constraints in mind while they perform their concepting work, working with engineers to ensure their designs are feasible from production and cost perspectives. Engineers translate designs into final models and drawings that are ready to manufacture, consulting designers whenever aesthetic changes must be made. Along the way, discussions are had and ideas are bounced between both teams to ensure the common goal of an optimal product is achieved.

Our Philosophy In Practice: Meet Gnarbox

Gnarbox 2.0 houses a powerful internal computer system within a fully enclosed and ingress protected casing. STEL’s engineering team was tasked with finding a solution to prevent the system from overheating under a very strict set of size, power, safety, and environmental exposure constraints. With active cooling and open venting out of the question, STEL’s lead creative director (Marco Vanella) consulted STEL’s team of designers and engineers to find a suitable solution.

Through multidisciplinary brainstorming and collaboration, the team came up with the innovative solution to incorporate an overmolded, finned heat sink into the rugged aesthetic of Gnarbox 2.0. This functional modification was massaged by the team to simultaneously satisfy engineering constraints and add a “signature” design feature.

Getting a product from sketchboard to market is nothing short of a Grand Slam tennis match between STEL’s industrial design and engineering teams. This continual give-and-take process is a crucial pillar of product development, as it allows STEL to efficiently pioneer new designs while holding focus on the realities of reliability and production.