Case Study: 3DRap

CTO operations, bare-metal server clusters, custom recursive WMS, and print farm automation scaling global e-commerce.

Role Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Core URL 3drap.it (Sales to 70 Countries)

Print Farm 50+ 3D Printers Monitored Centrally

E-Commerce Base Bare-metal servers, CDN & AWS S3

Project Overview

As the Chief Technology Officer for 3DRap, I engineered, scaled, and secured the digital storefront and workshop systems to process global simracing peripheral orders across 70+ countries. The work spanned bare-metal database clusters, secure cloud delivery networks, custom plugin coding, and shop floor automated systems.

The scope included building custom shipping logic, designing a recursive parts-assembly WMS, hosting an open-source support portal, and integrating custom electronic modules (such as STM chip connections and Chibilogic API drivers). Additionally, I directed live-action promotional cinematics using Formula 3 and rally cars, connecting technical hardware development with branding.

Core Technical Accomplishments

Bare-metal Cluster & Security Engineering: Managed multiple physical servers, handling database setups, Amazon CloudFront CDN caches, AWS S3 backups, and mail quotas. Handled DDoS protection, vulnerability response, and seamless migration steps to optimize uptime.
Recursive Warehouse Management System: Programmed a custom WMS handling multi-part recursive relationships (components made of sub-parts, built from further sub-materials). Included forecasting algorithms and priority targets, styled simply for warehouse workers.
3D Print Farm Automation: Set up centralized job queues to monitor and control over 50 production 3D printers, enabling remote queueing and status reports from both inside and outside the local intranet.
Dynamic shipping & SES integrations: Coded dynamic shipping fee handlers (aggregating size, weight, and delivery zones) and mapped transactional communications using Amazon SES integrations.
Hardware Development & CTO Coordination: Coordinated product lifecycles like the "Vota" steering wheel to maintain release schedules. Collaborated with Chinese manufacturers for SIM racing components and apparel, and integrated custom STM connections directly into Node.js firmware frameworks.
Live-Action Cinema & VFX Trailer: Directed a cinematic promotional trailer utilizing rally cars and Formula 3 cars on tracks, combining visual storytelling, active camera rigs, and VFX composition.
Global Amazon Channel & Tax Compliance: Orchestrated Amazon Seller Central operations across multiple European and global accounts, managing stock logistics. Coded dynamic margin-calculators mapping Amazon's tiered referral and FBA fulfillment fees (based on item dimensions, weights, and marketplace rules). Directed monthly reporting and compliance reporting with the UK HMRC tax system, resolving audit requirements with administrative teams.