To the list:
I have been observing these comments for quite some time. Economics dictates
that the equipment manufacturers build equipment to suit the companies who will
purchase it. The automotive and aviation industries need larger capabilities
than currently available.Accuracy needs to be improved on larger parts. The RP
industry will really take off when large single unit parts can be made, and
durable, accurate Rapid Tools can be made from them. Granted there are many
uses for small parts but these large industries have the money to advance the
RP & RT industries at a much faster rate.
The solution for small companies is to purchase older equipment and update it
if possible.
lblasch@opw-fc.com wrote:
> This is an open letter to everyone who is requesting that the RP
> machine manufactures design and build a low cost RP modeler.
>
> List the potential uses for this type of device and you will see that
> the market is extremely fragmented. While there are a myriad of
> applications, the specific machine capabilities needed to produce
> acceptable parts vary greatly from one application to the next.
>
> There is no model size, or material choice that can be defined as the
> optimum for any large market segment. (Tell me that I'm wrong)
>
> If for example, a low cost machine (under $2000) was available to
> create "Jewlry", that market would immediatly become saturated with
> "Instant-custom design jewlers" and the competitive edge gained by
> owning the device would be lost. The market segment for such a device
> would tend to be small in scale when compared to the profit potential
> for the manufacturer so that company would need to adapt it's product
> for other uses, or it would fail.
>
> I know that this is just basic economics, but quite often you don't
> get what you ask for unless you ask for the right thing.
>
> Look at the application you want to model rapidly for... is the return
> greater than the investment required to design an RP machine for it?
>
> There are markets galore for machines that can do anything... try to
> define what anything is, and then start working on your own RP machine
> design.
>
> Design suggestion: I want a machine that is accurate to the
> molecular/atomic level and can create any material.
>
> Good Luck,
>
> Larry Blasch
> Sys-Admin for Engineering Services
>
> OPW Fueling Components
> P.O. Box 405003
> Cincinnati, OH 45240-5003 USA
>
> Voice: (513) 870-3356
> Fax: (513) 870-3338
> **********************************************************************
> Disclaimer...The views expressed are personal opinion and not those of
> OPW Fueling Components.
> **********************************************************************
>
>
> For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
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