RE: RP vs. RM (was: 3D Systems Upgrades SLA-500 At No Cost)

From: Tim Caffrey (tcaffrey@proex.com)
Date: Sat May 24 1997 - 02:26:53 EEST


You really are shameless, aren't you? You're wrong, though; I did not "jump ship" from Motorola. Never been employed there. Nor was I doing any form of research. I was working in a cost center that had to justify its existence by acquiring orders and delivering products for a diverse clientele company-wide. These clients paid for labor and materials, and if they weren't getting value for their bucks, they went elsewhere, and we went away. But they didn't, and we didn't. FYI, this company is the market leader in its niche, and is doing quite well. So...guess again. (HINT: You make some parts for them, too.) The reason I "jumped ship" was for reasons entirely personal, and has absolutely nothing to do with the service bureau vs. OEM-based RP issue.

As for the title of your mail, I fail to see this as RP vs. RM! I never characterized it that way. I see them as complementary to one another, a smooth transition and opportunity that melds together into a total "rapid solution" service.

I don't mind self-promotion that much. What I find disturbing is self-promotion that is divisive. If you have to insult some other sector of this industry to promote yourself, you deserve to be called on it.

(please let this be the last mail on this subject, please let this be the last mail on this subject...)

Tim Caffrey
Plant Manager
Plynetics Express-Schaumburg

(847)925-9900
(847)925-9901 FAX
tcaffrey@proex.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Don Wilde [SMTP:Don@PartsNow.com]
Sent: Friday, May 23, 1997 5:41 PM
To: Tim Caffrey
Cc: rp-ml@bart.lpt.fi
Subject: RP vs. RM (was: 3D Systems Upgrades SLA-500 At No Cost)

Hi, Tim -
        TNX for joining in! OF COURSE I'm promoting my company, which I
believe in. I'm happy to admit that I'm biased and virtually shameless,
and every time I get involved in a flame war (however polite), I get more
inquiries about our services. I think you reinforce one of my points when
you say that you've jumped ship for a service bureau yourself. If the
company you jumped from is also in Schaumburg and starts with an 'M', we
make parts for THEM too!
        As far as big corps doing research in non-core technologies, they
usually do it to their own detriment. Today's markets are so fierce that
the only way most can sustain such efforts is to eventually get up the
food chain to where they are sucking blood from the Feds, i.e. DARPA,
CIMTECH, cost-plus contracts, etc.
        I will concede that the 100-level corps can lose a few RP
machines in their budgets and the support troops and generals to maintain
them cost-effectively. I seriously doubt that capability exists in
today's Fortune 1000 level world, nor should it. There just isn't the
DEMAND from one design department to support it. This is why service
corps such as your own exist and prosper. With FTP and FedEx, there is no
need for in-house RP or RM until the RM becomes an integral part of the
manufacturing, as I was discussing before.

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 V_=_=_DW ===--- Don Wilde [don@PartsNow.com] [http://www.PartsNow.com ]
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