Founded in 2016 by Cason Knight—a mechanical engineer with roots in Houston’s oil and gas industry—i-Solids emerged from a simple need: creating custom enclosures for a project that traditional manufacturing couldn’t deliver efficiently. What started as a handful of 3D printers in a home closet has evolved into a full-scale manufacturing facility specializing in aerospace components, orthotics, and prosthetics—industries where customization, precision, and reliability are non-negotiable. Today, i-SOLIDS stands as a testament to how accessible 3D printing technology can transform a small operation into a scalable business, with Creality serving as its most trusted partner throughout this journey.
The Challenges Holding Back Expansion
3D printed samples of i-Solids
Before partnering with Creality, i-SOLIDS’ printing farm faced three core challenges that threatened its growth trajectory. First, inconsistent print reliability and yield rate posed a significant barrier—critical for a production facility operating with tight margins. The business couldn’t afford wasted materials or time on faulty parts, especially when fulfilling orders for hundreds or thousands of components. Second, operational complexity slowed workflows: training new technicians required teaching material-specific processes (such as Kapton tape for ABS or blue tape for PLA), and older machines demanded constant aftermarket upgrades to meet industrial standards. Third, long-term return on investment (ROI) was a pressing concern. As a commercial enterprise, i-SOLIDS needed machines built to last 5–10 years, with accessible spare parts and ongoing support—something many smaller 3D printing brands failed to guarantee. The business also required compatibility with diverse materials (from PLA to polycarbonate) and large build volumes without sacrificing precision, a gap in most consumer-grade machines at the time.
Creality: Balancing Performance, Affordability, and Support
i-SOLIDS selected Creality for its unbeatable balance of cost, features, and long-term reliability—and the decision has proven transformative. Unlike fleeting brands in the 3D printing space, Creality has sustained operations for over a decade, offering consistent support and a vibrant user community. Its machines, particularly the K2 plus, address every pain point i-SOLIDS faced while delivering prosumer-level performance at a consumer-friendly price point.
i-SOLIDS’ 3D print farm
Ease of use has revolutionized i-SOLIDS’ onboarding process. Creality’s PEI textured plates and intuitive interface allow technicians to follow uniform workflows across all materials, eliminating the need for material-specific workarounds. The K2 plus requires minimal setup: the team only upgrades firmware for server integration, and a machine transitions from unboxed to production-ready in just 90 minutes. This simplicity has cut training time in half and reduced human error.
Creality’s hardware also excels in performance. Heated build chambers enable printing with durable materials like ABS and polycarbonates, while large build volumes accommodate aerospace and orthotic projects that once required $100,000 industrial printers. Most importantly, consistent performance across the fleet ensures parts printed on any K2 plus are identical, eliminating the frustration of inconsistent quality across machines.
Data-Driven Growth: 40% Higher Throughput and Unmatched Reliability
The impact of adopting Creality has been quantifiable and game-changing for i-SOLIDS. Print speed has increased by 25–30% without compromising part quality, and when combined with a 98% yield rate and 95% machine uptime, overall production throughput has jumped by 40%. This improvement allows the business to deliver more parts to clients faster, reducing lead times and enhancing customer satisfaction.
Financially, the ROI has been substantial. Creality’s machines eliminated the need for costly aftermarket upgrades, and their durability has kept maintenance expenses low. i-SOLIDS has even reclaimed clients who previously switched to more expensive technologies like SLS or multi-jet fusion—FDM with Creality now delivers the accuracy and throughput these clients need at a more cost-effective price. The multi-color capability has also unlocked new revenue streams, as clients can now design complex, colored parts that were once cost-prohibitive with other technologies.
3D printed samples of i-Solids
Looking ahead, i-SOLIDS is scaling aggressively: the business plans to expand its fleet to 150–200 printers in the next 6–8 months. Creality’s reliability and performance give i-SOLIDS the confidence to grow, knowing its machines can keep pace with demand while maintaining the quality clients expect.
For businesses like i-SOLIDS, 3D printing has evolved from a prototyping tool to a core manufacturing solution. Creality has democratized industrial-grade 3D printing, proving that quality, affordability, and scalability can coexist. As i-SOLIDS continues to push boundaries in aerospace and custom medical devices, Creality remains its trusted partner in turning innovative ideas into tangible, high-quality products.