Re: Is this true.........?

From: DOUGLAS M WHITE (WHITED@cliffy.polaroid.com)
Date: Tue Dec 09 1997 - 16:26:16 EET


     At Polaroid we are using RP in our Research & development groups.
     
     Our model shop has been down sized & the time to make the 1st one is
     critical.
     
     Usually the 1st one is a sketch,data base or proprietary. Nothing that
     can be sent out.
     
     We use the RP (mostly on complex parts) to get the "touchy feely"
     models to the engineers.
     
     We run about 45% of possible run time (24 hr, 7 days).
     
     
     Many times we wait for the data to get done. "Don't tie up the machine
     we need these in the A.M."
     
     The unit we have has been a great success & we are going to purchase
     another unit (different type for more flexibility).
     
     A home run for us would be an RP machine that would get us engineering
     materials, but what we do today is still like a triple.
     
     We still CNC a lot of parts.
     
     Doug W

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Is this true.........?
Author: "Elaine T. Hunt" <elaine.hunt%ces.clemson.EDU@prdnet.polaroid.com> at
INET
Date: 12/8/97 2:12 PM

How common is this for most industry?
     
""As a general comment on what I have seen thus far, it appears difficult
to justify the cost of rapid prototype parts unless they are going to
result in high volume production or are high tech enough to warrant
special materials and/or have difficult geometry that would be
expensive to manufacture. Anything that could be used to dispel these
notions,
especially that of high cost, would help sell the RP technology to a
broader range of industrial customers. It is difficult to inspire
interest in a service that could cost several times more than the cost
of conventional machining, even if you can get it done in a fraction of
the time. Add to this the fact that most RP products have either
strength or accuracy limitations, and the choice is usually to wait a
few days longer and get it made out of aluminum in the shop.""
     
     
*******************************************************************
Opinions, suggestions, and other controversial matter VOID where prohibited.
******************************************************************
Elaine T. Hunt, Director
Clemson University Laboratory to Advance Industrial Prototyping
206 Fluor Daniel Bldg. Clemson, SC 29643-0925
864-656-0321 (voice) 864-656-4435 (fax)
elaine.hunt@ces.clemson.edu
http://chip.eng.clemson.edu/rp/persall/elaine.html
     



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