Phone Cases 3D Printed On-Demand In-Store: A New Paradigm for a More Sustainable Mobile Future by Red Wolf Technology

Mobile devices like cell phones and tablets continue to advance rapidly, and today’s consumer preferences shift even faster in the modern retail landscape. As new models are released and trends evolve, older electronics are quickly discarded, contributing to a growing global crisis.

Global e-waste is growing at an alarming rate, outpacing recycling efforts by five times. According to U.N. data, the world is generating an additional 2.6 million tonnes of electronic waste each year and is on track to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030 — a 33% jump from 2022.

Utah-based Red Wolf Technology is on a mission to redefine how mobile accessories are designed, manufactured, and sold in retail stores. Their goal is to reshape the way the world creates and consumes these products, reducing industry waste while meeting consumer needs faster.

The startup has partnerships with many of the largest retailers in the world and pioneered an on-demand 3D printing system for retail environments. This system, Primo Print3D, enables customers to purchase and print custom phone cases and repair tools in as little as 15 minutes in-store. Red Wolf Technology aims to build the largest and greenest distributed manufacturing network for mobile accessories in the world, a significant goal in an industry known for generating massive amounts of unsold and discarded inventory each year.

The Primo Print3D in a retail environment.

“On-demand 3D printing reduces inventory waste, which is a big deal,” says Red Wolf Technology Founder Brad Bacigalupi. “Major phone case brands estimate they destroy a staggering 40% of their stock every year — hundreds of millions of cases — because they didn’t sell.”

Combining innovative technology and expertise in engineering, software development, 3D printing, and hardware design allows Red Wolf Technology to create sustainable products on-demand with close to zero waste, reducing environmental impact and creating a better future for all.

Reducing Waste with On-Demand Manufacturing

Red Wolf Technology’s journey began with Bacigalupi’s previous venture, building the first on-demand screen protector machines used in major retail chains. Building on that success, Red Wolf Technology designed their 3D printer, the Primo Print3D, and its accompanying parts library to produce customized phone cases and repair tools to order on-site in retail environments. It’s a streamlined, sustainable alternative to traditional manufacturing — one that’s faster, leaner, and more adaptable to meet customer needs.

“If a customer needs a specific repair jig, we can usually design and deploy it within 24 hours, which is always faster than ordering from overseas,” says Jesse Cervantes, marketing director at Red Wolf Technology.

The Primo Print3D in use at a cell phone repair store.

Instead of stocking shelves with mass-produced items that may never sell, retailers can offer real-time customization. Shoppers can select the exact design, color, and features they want for a phone case and watch it print on-site in minutes. This just-in-time approach eliminates excess inventory, cuts down on waste, and delivers a more engaging customer experience.

“Every product is made with intent,” says Cervantes. “We’re not guessing what someone might buy. We’re making what they’ve already asked for.”

This approach not only meets immediate customer needs but also addresses the growing concern of mobile tech accessory waste.

“Traditional manufacturing is built around overproduction and planned obsolescence,” says Cervantes. “We’re trying to flip that model by producing only what’s needed, right when it’s needed, and helping retailers avoid mountains of unsold inventory in the process.”

A phone case being printed by the Primo Print3D

While Red Wolf Technology operates globally, their impact is deeply felt in local communities. In Europe and developing economies, where device variety is broader, their on-demand system is particularly popular.

"One of our European customers told us they were throwing out up to 70% of their phone cases due to unsold stock," Bacigalupi notes.

To meet growing customer demands, the Red Wolf Technology team knew they needed agile, modern tools to get the job done.

Leveraging PTC’s Onshape for Seamless Collaboration

As a lean startup with a team spanning the U.S., Europe, Africa, and Asia, Red Wolf Technology needed a CAD platform that could keep pace with their rapid design cycles and global collaboration needs. Onshape's cloud-native CAD platform for real-time collaboration was the right fit.

“Speed is everything for us,” says Scott Dayley, senior product engineer at Red Wolf Technology. “With Onshape, we can go from idea to printed product in under an hour. That wouldn’t be possible with traditional CAD tools. Onshape is what makes that speed and flexibility possible.”

CAD models of various phone cases in Onshape.

Before switching to Onshape, the team dealt with the typical challenges of file-based systems: sending designs back and forth, managing conflicting versions, and dealing with software compatibility issues. Onshape eliminates those roadblocks. Its built-in version control allows Red Wolf Technology to track every design iteration without fear of overwriting critical work.

“We never worry about versioning now,” notes Dayley. “If someone makes a change, we can see exactly what was updated, when, and by whom. And if we need to revert or fork a design, it's as easy as clicking a button.”

This capability is crucial for customizing designs for regional phone models and ensuring rapid turnaround times, especially when working with international partners.

“With Onshape, we can have a designer in the U.S. make real-time edits with our customer in Europe, with a super short review and approval cycle,” says Dayley. “It’s like Google Docs for CAD. No more emailing files back and forth or worrying about version control — it just works.”

On a recent business trip to Europe, Bacigalupi and his team met with a major manufacturer diversifying from injection molding parts to now including 3D printing in their product range.

“We were reviewing models in real-time with a factory in Asia, making changes with their engineering team in Europe, then continuing that work virtually with our product testing team in the U.S. It was magic,” he explains.

Dayley adds, "Onshape makes professional CAD accessible and easy, especially for those coming from older, more complex platforms."​

CAD renderings of phone cases Red Wolf has designed in Onshape.

Accessibility is another advantage. Red Wolf Technology’s team often works from iPads, and Onshape’s cloud-native platform allows them to access and edit CAD files from virtually anywhere, without sacrificing performance or functionality.

The team also trains interns and community members on how to use Onshape through free, local programs and 3D printing classes.

“It’s a great platform for teaching and onboarding,” says Cervantes. “We’ve trained dozens of interns on it, and even non-engineers like me can use it for rendering product shots and marketing visuals.”

Whether refining printer components or customizing product templates for specific retail partners, Onshape’s live collaboration and cloud-native infrastructure enable Red Wolf to design faster, reduce miscommunication, and scale their distributed production model with confidence.

Getting Started Through the Onshape Startup Program

At Onshape, we don’t just sell software. We are CAD partners to our customers, supporting the needs of companies like Red Wolf Technology every step of the way. The company’s journey with Onshape began through the Onshape Startup Program, which provides early-stage companies with free access to professional-grade CAD for one year with the option to reapply for additional time.

For a lean team like Red Wolf Technology — focused on speed, sustainability, and innovation — it was the perfect entry point.

Phone case prototypes printed by Red Wolf Technology.

“As a startup, every dollar counts,” says Bacigalupi. “Getting access to a tool as powerful as Onshape without the upfront cost allowed us to move fast and focus on building our product.”

The team quickly realized that Onshape offered more than just affordability. The cloud-native platform aligned perfectly with their distributed model, enabling better collaboration and reducing IT overhead.

“It was about setting ourselves up with the right infrastructure from day one,” adds Cervantes. “Onshape gave us the tools to design at the speed we needed, without the headaches that come with desktop CAD.”

Today, Onshape remains core to Red Wolf Technology’s product development workflow, helping them go from concept to print in record time, while maintaining tight control over quality, customization, and collaboration.

A Sustainable Vision for the Future

By enabling on-demand production of customizable accessories and repair tools, Red Wolf Technology is helping extend the life of devices and minimize industry waste.

With their innovative approach and commitment to sustainability, Red Wolf Technology is not just transforming the accessory market — they're setting a new standard for responsible manufacturing in the digital age.​