We turn working designs into manufacturable reality.

Too many good hardware ideas stall between engineering and production. Designs look great on paper, but break down when they hit fabrication. Quotes come back high. Lead times stretch. Revisions pile up.

We bridge that gap.

Built on real manufacturing experience

Gradient Layerworks was founded by Mac McKane after 20 years working across the full manufacturing stack, combining hands-on production experience with Lean Six Sigma Green Belt process improvement principles.

That experience matters. We’ve seen what works, what fails, and where projects quietly go off the rails.

We don’t just make parts. We help teams make better manufacturing decisions.

How we work

We collaborate early to reduce downstream friction.

That means:

Flagging manufacturability risks before production
Recommending processes based on real constraints
Explaining trade-offs clearly
Iterating intelligently when designs need refinement

Manufacturing should be a partnership, not a transaction.

What we do

Prototype & Production Support
- Functional parts built with production realities in mind.
Design for Manufacturability (DFM)
- Reduce costly iteration by reviewing designs through a manufacturing lens.
Manufacturing Systems Support
- Help teams build scalable processes as products move toward production.

Who we work with

Hardware startups moving toward production
Engineering teams who value collaboration
Product teams frustrated by quote shock and long lead times

If you’re building something real and want fewer manufacturing surprises, we should talk.

Based in Kirkland, WA

Serving the Seattle tech community and beyond.

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