Many sustainable ideas look promising on paper. However, the challenges present themselves when moving from the ideation stage to actual production in an industrial environment. This is where The Loop Factory Group can offer their expertise. They help companies test, develop, and industrialize their innovations – making it possible to move from idea to production faster while reducing risks. By combining hands-on development and digital tools like SOLIDWORKS, sketches are transformed into real, manufacturable solutions.
The Loop Factory Group in Sweden was founded on the belief that the shift toward more sustainable materials and processes requires new ways of working.
”We saw early on that many companies want to transition toward more sustainable materials and processes but lack the right conditions to drive development all the way through,” explains Maria Ström, CEO at The Loop Factory. She continues:
”Our role became to create a platform where innovation can happen faster and in a more focused way, without losing the connection to real-world implementation.”
Today, they work with everyone from global industrial players to smaller entrepreneurial ventures. These customers share an ambition to develop products, technologies, and materials for the next generation.
”We don’t just develop solutions; we design them to be produced, integrated, and scaled in an industrial context,” adds Maria.
To support that journey, The Loop Factory operates a pilot lab where prototypes can be built early, tested in real-world environments, and limiting risks before larger investments are made.
From Idea to Production-Ready Tooling in SOLIDWORKS
Their development team consists of seven people working in SOLIDWORKS, within different areas such as product design, tooling design, automation, and mechanical engineering.
The process typically begins with a design proposal from a customer that is adapted and re-engineered to fit the internal production process. After this, 3D models of press and stamping tools are created, along with 2D drawings of individual components, which are then manufactured by external suppliers.
“In some cases, different types of supporting tools are needed in the process to ensure a high-quality final product. We solve this by designing components in SOLIDWORKS, before having them 3D printed in-house,” explains Frederik Lindén, Development Engineer Tooling and CAD at Yangi – a scale-up spun out of The Loop Factory.
This approach creates a close connection between design and production, due to the direct translation of digital models into physical tools.
“Our design decisions in SOLIDWORKS affect almost everything. It becomes the foundation for our production tools.”
“It’s Critical That We Can Do This Work Ourselves”
Before SOLIDWORKS became part of their digital toolset, The Loop Factory faced a clear bottleneck: without an in-house CAD platform, they had to outsource the design and development of tools and products.
With a background in the automotive industry and experience from CATIA V5, Frederik recognized the familiar workflow and saw SOLIDWORKS as the natural next step.
“If we didn’t have a CAD system like SOLIDWORKS, we wouldn’t be able to develop our tools without relying on an external company. For us, it is absolutely critical that we can do this work ourselves,” says Frederik.
With SOLIDWORKS in place, the team can take ideas all the way to prototypes and production-ready deliverables – keeping the critical parts of development in-house and moving faster from concept to output.
More Efficient Engineering and Scalable Development
Across the development workflow, SOLIDWORKS is especially important when the team creates manufacturing documentation for tooling, both in customer projects and in internal initiatives.
“It gives us the ability to work in a more structured way with 3D modeling and design, where we can visualize and iterate solutions early in the development process,” explains Maria, and continues:
“We also use it to design tools and equipment related to new materials and processes, as well as to produce technical drawings that work directly in dialogue with production and suppliers.”
As the number of projects grows, rapid iteration between design and prototyping becomes essential. Here, SOLIDWORKS helps shorten lead times and increase precision, so concepts can be tested, refined, and prepared for production with less rework.
All the Way from Idea to Global Impact
Looking ahead, The Loop Factory aims to further strengthen its role as an enabler in future sustainable value chains, moving beyond the lab and into industrial reality.
“We want to help ensure that new materials, processes, and technologies are not only developed, but also scaled and implemented industrially,” says Maria.
“It’s about taking more innovations from idea to implementation and helping sustainable solutions become the obvious choice, at industrial scale and with global impact.”
The Startup Program Gave Fast Access to SOLIDWORKS
Through the Startup Program, the team got quick access to SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE.
“The Startup Program is a great way to try it out before paying full price,” says Frederik Lindén, Development Engineer Tooling and CAD at Yangi.
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