― First, could you tell us about your company?

Mr. Leininger: droptical GmbH, headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany, is driven by a mission to revolutionize liquid handling* through innovative technology. Our business began with a simple yet powerful idea: combining precise droplet generation with advanced camera systems to monitor and control dispensing processes in real time.

Today, we specialize in developing compact, affordable microjet dispensers and high-precision technologies for industries such as healthcare, electronics, and chemicals.

*Liquid handling refers to technologies and equipment used for transferring, measuring, mixing, and dispensing liquids.

― What led you to establish the company?

Mr. Leininger: Before founding Droptical, I was involved in the development of 3D printers and add-on applications at a company called L3DS. At the time, we entered into a development agreement with a client in the dental industry that included dispensing processes. However, the equipment available on the market couldn’t meet the client’s requirements for precision and process reliability.

That’s when I began working on a proprietary solution, which ultimately led to the founding of droptical in 2022. Today, our main products are ClickJet—a non-contact dispenser known for its high precision in the nano- to picoliter range, compact design, and intuitive usability—and NanoStrobeX, a camera system for monitoring dispensing processes that detects volume deviations and errors in real time. Both products are fundamentally based on the expertise we developed during the L3DS era.

― What would you say is your company’s greatest strength?

Mr. Leininger: Our mission is to create effective solutions that are accessible to companies of all sizes. We believe that great technology should be easy for anyone to use. That’s why our systems are designed to be plug-and-play*, allowing seamless integration across a wide range of environments—from large-scale manufacturing sites to research laboratories.

From the initial concept design to final product manufacturing, we work closely with our customers every step of the way. By delivering technologies aligned with their needs, we’re helping pave the way toward more efficient and cost-effective production processes.

*Plug-and-play: A technology that allows smart devices to automatically connect to the cloud and become operational without manual configuration, making device setup and management simple.

― How do you use MISUMI in your work?

Mr. Leininger: We use MISUMI in many of our projects. During development and prototyping, we rely on MTO (Make-to-Order) parts and customized components ordered through meviy. One of my personal favorites is MISUMI’s miniature screws.

MISUMI’s extensive product lineup, flexible filtering options, consistently short lead times, and highly reliable quality all support the wide range of projects we undertake. We’ve also built a strong relationship over the years with our local MISUMI sales team, and together we’ve found excellent solutions through close collaboration.

― Do you have any feedback or requests for MISUMI?

Mr. Leininger: At times, I find the product filtering system on the MISUMI e-Commerce site to be complex and difficult to use. Currently, meviy, which allows users to order custom parts based on drawings, and the MISUMI e-Commerce site for catalog products operate as separate services. In the future, it would be fantastic if these platforms were more integrated, enabling users to select the best products through a simpler and more seamless process.

As global competition intensifies, new suppliers and e-commerce services are constantly emerging. In some product categories, MISUMI is not as price-competitive, so I hope to see improvements in that area. While MISUMI already provides excellent support, I wouldn’t say it’s always the best supplier in terms of cost-effectiveness. With Chinese companies entering the European market in recent years, we are inevitably compelled to consider lower-cost offers given the current cost pressures in the market. That said, reliability, lead time, and quality are critical to the success of our projects, which is why we continue to actively use MISUMI.

― Finally, what are your expectations for MISUMI going forward?

Mr. Leininger: I hope MISUMI continues to innovate and further advance its IT solutions. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the product filtering system evolves over the next five years. How will meviy develop? It would be amazing if we could simply upload a basic part drawing and have the perfect MISUMI product automatically generated.

If MISUMI’s proprietary AI could assist in designing units composed of multiple components, it would help us create even more valuable time! I truly believe that integration between services and the use of AI will see major advancements in the coming years—and I hope MISUMI will play a leading role in that future.