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

From: Don Wilde (Don@PartsNow.com)
Date: Sat May 24 1997 - 01:41:13 EEST

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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