Yeah, buy my jewelry! You guys make me a millionaire by purchasing my
jewelry and I will sing the praises of RP so loud and so strong that no
jeweler would think about not owning RP.
Alright, now that I am awake, check out my gallery at:
http://www.xyzacademy.com/Gallery.htm
Since I started my school for RP jewelry making about two weeks ago, I
joined Polygon, a private network for jewelers. I have already been
contacted by 11 jewelers possibly interested in learning CAD through my
program. I am telling you, the RP revolution in the jewelry industry
and many others will only begin when CAD becomes more accessible.
Steven Pollack
Bill Richards wrote:
> I might be a little behind in responding to this, but I wanted to
> give this some thought.People keep talking about the future of RP will
> be a rapid prototyping machine in every home, as ubiquitous as the ink
> jet printer is today. That will never happen. It isn't so much the
> cost of the machines, the fact that some RP materials are so exotic
> they require specialized handling, the fact that the machines require
> expensive and time consuming upkeep to maintain them, etc. It's simply
> that it isn't practical.Think of another machine we find in the office
> that seems no business can do without: the copier. Aside from those of
> us who have a business at home, I'll bet that no one has a copier in
> their house. It isn't like there is no demand for this -- look at all
> the copier service bureaus like Kinkos, CopyExpress, Mailboxes Etc.
> and such. A lot of public libraries have copiers that one can use for
> free or at least a nickel or two. Everyone has to make a copy of some
> document every now and then! But almost no one keeps a Xerox copier in
> their home.Until the day comes when we have technology that gives us a
> device such as the replicators we see in Star Trek: all you do is tell
> the computer what you want, be it a new shirt or a full dinner, and
> seconds later there it is -- we will never see RP machines in the
> private home. I would urge RP vendors to steer clear of this route for
> now.BUT...!That being said, there is a market there! Mainly:
> hobbyists, model builders, inventors, and as people are finally waking
> up to the fact, ARTISTS! Which, when you think about it, artists tend
> to cover the first three there, anyway. There are always tinkers who
> will want to have something like a prototyper around, so they can make
> the custom items that invariably they will need, or invent. But
> considering the cost, right now, of a prototyping machine, it is
> pretty likely that these people will still go to a service bureau to
> get the prototype made.Until the price on a "fabber" gets below
> $5,000, and the raw materials it needs are cheap and easy to get and
> not toxic or difficult to clean/dispose of, rapid prototyping will
> never get into the private home.The ripest targets for marketing RP
> are the art and jewelry industries! Michael Rees, Steve Pollack, and
> now our newest voice from this sector, Bathsheba, are very good
> examples. Steve is really the first jeweler I have known to actually
> take the plunge into using rapid prototyping as an integral part of
> his business plan.Jewelry is a highly competitive industry. Profit
> margins are tight, and international competition is fierce. They don't
> want to risk meager profits on a technology that might not pan out for
> them. A lot of jewelry companies are looking at rapid prototyping, and
> there are some who are dabbling in it. But the vast majority are
> taking a wait and see position. They want to see someone else
> successfully use rapid prototyping before they take the risk
> themselves.So if you want to sell your machines to the jewelry
> industry, you want to help those that are the early adopters succeed
> at what they are trying to do. Where there is success, business will
> follow! Offer easier financial assistance. Training and technical
> support are a must. On the average, an artist won't be as technically
> minded as an engineer usually is. PROMOTE those that are using your
> machine! Buy some of Steve's jewelry and show your potential clients
> what someone is already doing using rapid prototyping. Grab Michael
> and Bathsheba and pay them to be guest speakers at trade shows to show
> off what they are doing! You've got to say to the jewelers and
> artists, "Look what these guys are doing with rapid prototyping
> technology. You can too!"Start promoting the software that best suits
> the application! Pro-E (few can afford it!), Solid Works, and others
> are fantastic for engineering applications. But for artwork, the
> organic forms that artists create and humans find esthetically
> pleasing, you will need programs such as form.Z and Rhino.Terry
> Wohlers says that our industry is in the chasm. I agree. But there are
> untapped markets we can tap into to carry us through this, we just
> have to make it easier for these markets to use rapid prototyping. You
> might realize a smaller profit in these markets -- but it is still a
> profit!Good luck to all! Bill Richards, Rapid Prototyping Tech.
> Fielding Manufacturing "From Art... To Parts... ...To Parts!"
> 780 Wellington Ave.
> Cranston, RI 02910
> T: (401) 461-0400 x221
> F: (401) 941-2222
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