Catalyst has been providing rapid tooling and short-run molding for over a decade.  In fact, our STAT and SPRInT rapid tooling systems were some of the earliest technologies for quick-turn, insert-type tools and are the basis for many competing processes today.

Ironically, we did not start out as a rapid tooling company.  The original Catalyst business model offered rapid design and development services only, specifically industrial design, mechanical design, and prototyping.  We were frustrated by development cycles that took entirely too long to produce results, so we started Catalyst to speed products to market quickly.   What we soon discovered, however, was that no matter how much we compressed the design cycle, when it came time to make more than a few parts (especially plastic ones) we had to wait....and wait....and then wait some more.   So, we started experimenting with the traditional tool making process and began breaking it down bit by bit--streamlining each process, standardizing, commonizing, and continually analyzing the most efficient ways to quickly produce plastic parts that were very near production quality.

Initially, the Catalyst rapid tooling process existed only to support our internal development services, but then a few clients started asking us to build rapid tools for them if they provided part files.  Before we knew it, all of our tooling capacity was being consumed by outside projects.  We quickly came to the realization that there was a real need for complex quick-turn tooling and short run production and someone needed to be offering that service. And that someone was Catalyst.

That was 1999, and the world has changed a lot since then.  Many technologies and competitors have came and went over the years.  As pioneers in the industry, we have continued to push the envelope on what rapid tooling could and should be.  Many rapid tooling vendors will limit your part design and resin choices to fit their inflexible process.  We are the guys that clients turn to when the other prototype mold builders turn them away because their part designs are too “hard”.