Keith,
I guess I will take your bait and write a little bit. I believe that all of
the different RP technologies can make money when handled properly. I would
split my recommendation into two categories. For quick, inexpensive
prototypes
I believe the way to go is the ink-jet-based technologies. I would include
Z-Corp in there as well as Actua, etc... If you are looking for an
"industrial"
prototyper, I think powder-based machines give the most flexibility. I
would
recommend you go for a Selective Laser Sintering machine. I have one of
their
new 2500pluses and the speed at which it can build, combined with the
unparalleled variety of materials available, make it the most flexible
system on the market today (in my opinion). If you want to be one of the
first on the block able to directly make fully-dense metals, you might look
at the LENS machine. We've had great luck with it in a number of different
materials and believe it will be a big winner in the future.
Thus, which one you get should really be determined by the type of market
you hope to go after.
My two cents worth.
_________________________________________________
Dr. Brent Stucker, Director
Rapid Manufacturing Center
University of Rhode Island
Dept. of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Gilbreth Hall, 2 East Alumni Ave.
Kingston, RI 02881
ph: (401)874-5187
fax: (401)874-5540
stucker@uri.edu
web: http://www.egr.uri.edu/ime/RMC
ftp: rmc1.ime.uri.edu (anonymous login)
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-rp-ml@bart.lpt.fi [mailto:owner-rp-ml@bart.lpt.fi]On Behalf
Of Keith Wheadon
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2000 10:34 AM
To: rp-ml@bart.lpt.fi
Subject: survey says....
To: Everybody
I have a question to pose to everyone. I run the SLA department for my
company, and the other day the CEO spoke with me about the future.
Basically,
he told me that if I knew of a market for a different rapid prototyping
process, that he would buy the machine. I love my SLA, and would still keep
that machine around. I was wondering what the general census was from the
RP
community about what other process was making a "boom." I've heard of all
these different processes and techniques, like SLS, FDM, yadda yadda yadda.
Which of all of the other processes is the most useful....and makes a lot
of
money.
Thanks
Keith Wheadon
-- Keith Wheadon Rapid Prototyping Manager Solid Design & Analysis Ph (801)328-8220 email keith.wheadon@sdaa.comFor more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
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