Larry,
Actually, I think the 10,000 items you mention can be handled by RP
sufficiently to meet the desired function, too. The problem is the cost/benefit
ratio. Why would anyone pay more for a commodity item that someone else
can make so much cheaper? You need to find a production and business model
where RP does something that those 10,000 items don't:
A product that cannot be made any other way;
Possibly from materials that are difficult or expensive to be formed any
other way;
Replacements for parts or products that are no longer made;
Custom products for a unique set of performance characterstics (such as
fit to an individual or fit to a unique situation, requiring a production
volume of 1 to a few).
I agree very much with your point that a need exists to learn to take
advantage of the way things are made by RP, rather than trying to make things
by RP that mimic other production methods. In that regard, I think
industry probably is still learning injection molding, which is quite a
different way of thinking about how to design a form than by turning on a mill. RP
needs to make that kind of difference and change the way a product is
designed from the outset. That's when the real revolution will begin.
Brock Hinzmann
lblasch wrote:
>
>Michel,
>Steve,
>List,
>
>There may be many products that one could produce using RP machines as
the
>manufacturing process, you only need to look at the plastic-ware isle of
any
>department store to find 10,000 different designs of containers for
storing
>things...these tend to be one or two piece products, and RP can handle
them
>rather well.
>
>The big problem with personal manufacturing is dealing with assembly and
fine
>tuning of a product to acheive the desired function. Products that do
not
>require this activity could and would be the first step in adopting such
a
>fabrication device at the supplier or even the consumer level.
>
>Question: Would you buy a car made by a process that required you to
return to
>the manufacturer for all repairs? What if you move away, trade in the
car?
>
>There are custom car builders now that hand build to your specs. but it
takes
>time and costs a lot and replacement parts are a problem.
>
>The existing manufacturing processes would be more likely to incorporate
RP as a
>production method if the materials and properties of the RP parts were
>exploited. We are presently trying to get the RP machines to replicate
existing
>materials and processes much the way PLASTICS were applied in the
1950-60's.
>
>Instead of designing the products and or parts to be made with RP, we
try to get
>RP parts to replicate other processes. Once engineers discovered that
there were
>different design methods and processes that needed to be used when
working with
>plastics, the plastic market exploded.
>
>The way a manufacturing process is applied is much more important then
what it
>can do.
>
>Sincerely,
>Larry Blasch
>System Administrator for Engineering Services
>
>OPW Fueling Components Voice: (513) 870-3356
>P.O. Box 405003 Fax: (513) 870-3338
>Cincinnati, OH 45240-5003 USA
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