They spent $3,000 on a MakerBot Replicator 2 and made a promise to each other: If they could get the 3-D printer to pay for itself in one month by completing orders, they would quit their jobs.

The part arrives a few days later in a cardboard package branded with big, bold letters that spell "Fictiv." (The name is a play on the word "fictive," meaning "creating or created by imagination.") By quickly identifying the shops and machines best suited for each job and intelligently routing orders, Fictiv can offer a far shorter turnaround time than that of traditional manufacturers. The service is designed for low-volume prototype manufacturing but it is capable of handling large orders for thousands of parts. For techies like Will Rehlich, Fictiv's quick approach is critical to the innovative process.