Why an Established Factory Is Disrupting Desktop CNC with Kickstarter
Most Kickstarter machines start with a prototype.
VIP link for the Xhorse WM-100:
https://xmachine.xhorse3d.com/vip
This one starts with an entire factory.
In this video I’m in Ningbo, China, visiting Xhorse and Xhorse3D to see the factory behind the Xmachine WM-100 desktop 5-axis CNC machine. And honestly, this was not what I expected.
Xhorse are already well known in the automotive key cutting world, but behind that is a seriously impressive manufacturing operation. We got to see injection moulding, electronics production, SMT lines, key fob production, CMM inspection, in-house motor production, key cutting machine assembly, desktop CNC assembly, packing, export, and the slightly ridiculous but brilliant sight of huge CNC machines making parts for smaller CNC machines.
This is not just a quick look at a Kickstarter product. This is a look at whether the company behind the WM-100 actually has the manufacturing ability to build, test, ship and support a desktop 5-axis CNC machine at scale.
The Xmachine WM-100 is Xhorse3D’s desktop simultaneous 5-axis CNC machine, aimed at makers, engineers, workshops, product designers, prototyping, small production, robotics parts, custom metal parts and anyone who needs a serious CNC machine in a smaller footprint.
In the factory we saw:
• Injection moulding and plastic production
• Electronics and PCB production
• CMM quality inspection
• In-house motor production
• Key cutting machine assembly
• Desktop CNC assembly
• WM-100 production preparation
• Large CNC machines cutting structural CNC parts
• Final testing, packing and export workflow
• Metal parts being cut on the WM-100
We also talk about why Xhorse are using Kickstarter, how the WM-100 connects to their existing precision manufacturing background, and why seeing the factory completely changes the way you look at this machine.
Xhorse WM-100 / Xmachine info:
https://reserve.xhorse3d.com/
Kickstarter pre-launch page:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/xhorse3d/xhorse3d-xmachine-wm-100-desktop-simultaneous-5-axis-cnc
VIP reservation page:
https://preorder.xhorse3d.com/reservation/xmachine-wm-100-vip-reservation
This video is part factory tour, part manufacturing deep dive, and part “how on earth is this much engineering going into a desktop CNC machine?”
As always, I’m not here to just read a spec sheet. I wanted to see the factory, the people, the production line, the quality control, and the machines behind the machine.
Let me know in the comments what you think of the Xhorse WM-100 and whether desktop 5-axis CNC is about to become a serious thing for makers.
Subscribe for more factory tours, maker tech, 3D printing, CNC, lasers, tools, and slightly questionable international travel decisions.
00:00 Intro – inside the Xhorse factory
01:15 Why Xhorse is more than a Kickstarter CNC brand
02:30 Remote, key fob and plastic production
04:20 Injection moulding and in-house manufacturing
07:00 Electronics production and SMT lines
09:00 CMM inspection and precision testing
12:00 Surface grinding, cleanliness and quality control
15:00 Why Xhorse keeps production under one roof
17:30 In-house motor production
20:00 Key cutting machines and Xhorse’s background
23:00 Desktop CNC assembly line
25:30 Why Kickstarter for an established company?
28:00 Customer feedback and production changes
31:00 WM-100 build time, testing and calibration
34:00 The Xhorse launch message
36:00 Huge CNC machines making desktop CNC parts
39:00 Structural parts, bases and spindles
42:00 Packing, export and global delivery
44:00 What this means for the WM-100
47:00 Making real metal parts on the WM-100
49:00 Who is this machine actually for?
51:00 Final thoughts
#Xhorse #Xhorse3D #WM100 #DesktopCNC #5AxisCNC #CNC #FactoryTour #MakerTech #TheRealSamPrentice
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