>>> ..... We should be looking to support our industry and the people that
have worked long long hours to make it viable. I tried to get hold of a
newish academic centre that just got big funding - they weren't home (at
3-00pm and through 3 weeks Easter break) - but they can still get more
funding if they want. What does the average RP company have to do - I'll bet
if you phone most after
> 6-00pm they'll still be there grafting. These RP companies can give as
> much, if not more, to small local companies as the academic centres - in
> fact if the other groups such as the Business Link's and the TEC's were
> turned on and responsive money's could be channelled through this route
> and therefore managed from a co-ordinated body that is supposed to be
> there to help all. However that opens another can of worms - ever tried to
> get any real support and help from Business Link's and TEC's?<<<
>
John,
You hit the point. As an industrial customer in Germany I never had the
chance to contract one of the "fabs at school", because they didnt even
react on my calls for tender within the time I needed.
And I know the other side. Within my years at BIBA, Uni Bremen, we struggled
to get funding for about two students being able to run our machine, and for
us four scientists. It simply did not pay out to spend the time on projects
where you can get 100 USD for one SLA part.
In short: I have the experience that RP research and the activities of a
service bureau are highly incompatible. Therefore, I do not understand what
you are doing there in Britain.
Juergen
PS: Maybe a reason is that in Germany you get SLA parts as easy as a glass
of milk these days; the market here is approaching an US-style competition
situation.
For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
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