Re: [-50.10] RE: RE: Price idea for a resin/plastic model

From: Ron Clemons (rclemons@harvest-tech.com)
Date: Wed Oct 16 2002 - 16:19:56 EEST


As Charles Overy said, successful bureaus are typically set up to service a
target market, rather than trying to be everything to everyone. Oldtime
RPrs remember a few service bureaus that went bankrupt trying to do this.
Just like you don't find Volvo dealers selling $500 junkers, you don't find
many high-end RP bureaus selling low-end models. Also, the successful
high-end RP providers I know are honest craftsmen, not
"camel-hair-coat-trilbie-hat-wearing" swindlers looking to get one over on
you. When your clients get fussy over surface finishing and .002" deviances
it's very difficult to sell anything less.

Certainly there is a need for low-cost concept modelers, machine sales
reflect this. However, it's wrong to demonize companies that have chosen to
focus on high-end, high-quality prototyping. The customers who need and
appreciate this service are very loyal and understand it costs more. They
tend to have a relationship with their provider(s) where price is seldom an
issue because something can always be worked out.

...............................................
Ron Clemons
Harvest Technologies
www.harvest-tech.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Billett Mike" <mike.billett@volvo.com>
To: "'Ron Clemons'" <rclemons@harvest-tech.com>; "'Rp-Ml (E-mail)"
<rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi>
Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 1:10 AM
Subject: [-50.10] RE: RE: Price idea for a resin/plastic model

>
> >...Seems perfectly understandable to me. My dad wasn't so stupid when he
> >said, "usually you get what you pay for"!
>
> But if your dad wanted any old car 6 feet wide and 12 feet long to see if
his garage was big enough and if there was room for the wife, two kids and
the dog... would he be best pleased if the local
camel-hair-coat-trilbie-hat-wearing car dealer suggested he buy the very
latest fully loaded Mercedes Benz...for 100K??
>
> No... I thought not... but then again.. that depends on whether your
father is filthy rich or not. My guess is that if the customer looks
wealthy.. then a few (camel-hair-coat-trilbie-hat-wearing) vendors might try
to sell him the loaded Mercedes Benz.. whilst the honest dealers will show
him the ragged out cars for under $500....
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ron Clemons [mailto:rclemons@harvest-tech.com]
> Sent: den 15 oktober 2002 21:01
> To: 'Rp-Ml (E-mail)
> Subject: Re: RE: Price idea for a resin/plastic model
>
>
> Okay, reality check:
>
> > Any car vs. any car...
> $8999 Hyundai Accent, base model
> $128,950 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, loaded
> -----------
> $119,951 Difference
>
> > Same model cars, different grades...
> $24,950 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, base model
> $49,900 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, loaded
> ------------
> $24,950 Difference
>
> > Any RP technology vs. any RP technology...
> $275 Stair-stepped model, built in .010" layers, +/- .100" tolerance
> $6000 Polished SLA, built in .004" layers, +/- .005" tolerancing
> _________
> $5725 Difference
>
> > Same RP technologies, different grades...
> $600 Bubble-filled SLA from ragged out machine, .006" layers, +/-
.010"
> tol.
> $6000 Near-perfect SLA from new 7000 machine, .004" layers, +/- .005"
> tol.
> ___________
> $5400 Difference
>
> ...Seems perfectly understandable to me. My dad wasn't so stupid when he
> said, "usually you get what you pay for"!
>
> ...............................................
> Ron Clemons
> Harvest Technologies
> www.harvest-tech.com
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bathsheba Grossman" <sheba@bathsheba.com>
> To: "'Rp-Ml (E-mail)" <rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 12:45 PM
> Subject: [-3.60] RE: Price idea for a resin/plastic model
>
>
> > On Tue, 15 Oct 2002, Billett Mike wrote:
> > > However, an observation rather than a moan... whilst I understand
> > > that the complexity of the part and accuracy we require will steer
> > > the cost of the model, also that I was extremely vauge about my
> > > description of the part. I have recieved "ball park" figures ranging
> > > from $275 USD to $6000 USD! Quite a spread wouldn't you say?
> >
> > On the high side, but wide spreads do seem to be typical of the field.
> > Just the other day I had a model quoted by several companies - in each
> > case exactly the same part, built with the same machine, without any
> > postprocessing - and got back figures ranging from $450 to over $1200.
> >
> > One has the feeling that many RP users are not price-conscious, and
> > that as a result some companies operate in fantasy-land.
> >
> > All one can do is avoid them and hope the market shakes down
> > eventually. It's all very well for situations where there is a lot of
> > craftsmanship, but in cases where build hours are a fungible commodity
> > - any working machine is as good as any other - sooner or later a
> > market rate should emerge.
> >
> > -Sheba
> > --
> > Bathsheba Grossman (831)
429-8224
> > Sculpting geometry
bathsheba.com
> > Creative prototyping
protoshape.com
> >
> >
> > For more information about the rp-ml, see http://rapid.lpt.fi/rp-ml/
> >
>
>
> For more information about the rp-ml, see http://rapid.lpt.fi/rp-ml/
>
> For more information about the rp-ml, see http://rapid.lpt.fi/rp-ml/
>



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