From: EdGrenda@aol.com
Date: Wed Dec 03 2003 - 17:07:46 EET
Good Morning:
We've just completed a major update of the Worldwide Guide to Rapid
Prototyping's Service bureau Directory and Database. As in previous updates, there were
thousands of changes. Some of you might be interested in a few statistics.
- There are now more than 640 locations worldwide where RP services can be
obtained, including commercial businesses, academic institutions and government
agencies. There were 587 about a year ago. Some of that increase is due to
better research, but most of it is due to companies that have opened additional
sales offices, or which have been established in the last year.
- There are slightly more than 470 independent commercial entities in the
2003 total. The number of organizations in the US has remained virtually
constant over the last two years. Many organizations have left the US market only to
be replaced by an equal number of new entrants. All of the numerical growth
has been outside the US, and commercial service bureaus outside the US now
outnumber US companies by a substantial margin.
- The dominant technology provided by service bureaus is stereolithography.
Nearly 63% of the organizations provide that technology, but the largest change
was noted for selective laser sintering. SLS increased its penetration by
nearly 7% so that now more than 53% of all organizations are capable of providing
that technology. The penetrations of other technologies remained essentially
unchanged, and very low compared to the two dominant technologies mentioned.
- About 46% of SB's provide only a single technology, but more than 50% can
provide 2 or more, and more than 20% provide 3 or more.
- For the first time we noted reverse engineering services provided by RP
service bureaus, and now indicate them with a special icon in the directory and
in the database. Approximately 13% of service providers indicate they also
provide RE or scanning services.
More descriptive information is available on our web-site.
SERVICE PROVIDERS SHOULD CHECK THEIR LISTINGS AND LINKS. Your listing can be
very valuable to you - but it's definitely worthless if it's wrong.
*** For companies selling to service providers, our Database can save you
hundreds of hours of tedium. As always, registered users can receive this update
at low cost. For more information and pricing, please see:
http://home.att.net/~castleisland/pr_sbdb.htm
Ed Grenda
Castle Island Co.
781-646-6280 (voice or fax)
EdGrenda@aol.com (email)
The Worldwide Guide to Rapid Prototyping
http://home.att.net/~castleisland/
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(c) Contents Copyright 2003 Castle Island Co. All rights reserved.
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