Re: [rp-ml] Slow growth

From: Stewart Dickson <mathart_at_emsh.calarts.edu>
Date: Wed Apr 23 2008 - 18:46:23 EEST

Hello, Andrew,

The leverage Z-Corp uses is voiding the warranty and maintenance
agreement for using non-Z-Corp materials in the 3D printer.
Note that I am seeing refilling kits in the stores besides the original
HP ink jet printer cartridges.
http://www.supermediastore.com/inrefkit.html
http://www.atlanticinkjet.com/classicrefill.asp
*P**lea**se click on a Brand:***
Apollo <http://www.atlanticinkjet.com/ink-cartridge-refills-apollo.asp>
Canon <http://www.atlanticinkjet.com/ink-cartridge-refills-canon.asp>
Compaq <http://www.atlanticinkjet.com/ink-cartridge-refills-compaq.asp>
Dell <http://www.atlanticinkjet.com/ink-cartridge-refills-dell.asp>
Epson <http://www.atlanticinkjet.com/ink-cartridge-refills-epson.asp>
HP <http://www.atlanticinkjet.com/ink-cartridge-refills-hp.asp>
Lexmark <http://www.atlanticinkjet.com/ink-cartridge-refills-lexmark.asp>

I think that the crux here is that Z-Corp has always stated that they
haven't the resources to do Research and Development
to improve their own product. The example I quote was when Mike Bailey
at UCSD/SDSC printed out a replica of the 3D Munsell color solid
<http://www.daicolor.co.jp/img/color/colorsystem/munsell.jpg>, which he
sent to the Z Corp engineers, so that he could point out the specific
bugs in the printer software.

The idiotic nature of this situation indicates to me that Z-Corp is
practicing some kind of intellectual protectionism -- reserving all R&D
for either Ellie Sachs at the MIT 3D Printing Lab, or Tim Alexander at
Z-Corp (but, I don't think so.)

The obvious improvement I would do right off would be to substitute the
cheap HP print heads with the Epson, color-fast, eight-color process
print heads and inks.

There has to be some kind of I-P tug-of-war going on between MIT and
Z-Corp which prevents things like this from happening.

-Stewart http://us.imdb.com/Name?Stewart+Dickson
Visualization Research Programmer, Integrated Systems Laboratory
http://www.isl.uiuc.edu/~sdickson
4355 Beckman Institute, 405 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801
+1(217)333-3923
http://emsh.calarts.edu/~mathart/MathArt_siteMap.html

Andrew Werby wrote:
> Stewart Dickson wrote:
>> The cost of R-P machines is dropping constantly, but I think that the
>> cost of operating them is not dropping as quickly.
>> Consider that Z-Corp's -- essentially plaster-of-Paris and Super-Glue
>> -- is still on the order of $100 a liter.
>> Granted that's 1/4 the cost of Stereolithography resin, but it seems
>> that for the benefit of developing countries
>> (and academic institutions) there could be some "Open Source"
>> materials made available.
> [What would be the legal status of those materials? If they duplicated
> a patented system, wouldn't the RP companies have the right to sue?
> What about if they were slightly different? Ink-jet printer
> manufacturers make a lot of their money from selling cartridges; it
> seems to be the same in the RP industry. It seems like they'd want to
> come down hard on anyone "open-sourcing" their consumables, but would
> they have a leg to stand on, legally?]
>
> Andrew Werby
> www.computersculpture.com
>
>>
>> I think that the 3D Systems Thermojet might be the cheapest to own
>> and operate.
>>
>> Are the Michaels Tsenter and Feygin -- Helisys -- still in business?
>> (Paper is possibly not a plentiful resource in Africa, for example.)
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> -Stewart http://us.imdb.com/Name?Stewart+Dickson
>> Visualization Research Programmer, Integrated Systems Laboratory
>> http://www.isl.uiuc.edu/~sdickson
>> 4355 Beckman Institute, 405 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801
>> +1(217)333-3923
>> http://emsh.calarts.edu/~mathart/MathArt_siteMap.html
>>
>> Todd Pederzani wrote:
>>> ahmad ayyaz wrote:
>>>> Despite of all the fantastic features and benefits of Rapid
>>>> Prototyping , the idea could not get acceleration especialy at
>>>> small to medium enterprises level largely in developing countries?
>>>> What you people think the root cause of this? and what you will
>>>> suggest to do in this regard?
>>> I'm no expert, but two factors I'd consider are price and locality.
>>> None of the RP machines are particularly affordable (IMO), and
>>> service may not be available (or at high cost) in their area (or on
>>> a reasonable time frame.)
>>>
>>> Do you have quantitative measurements of the lack of adoption of RP
>>> in the countries? You may get a lot of answers, but I'm not sure
>>> how provable any of them may be (mine definitely included).
>>>
>>> --
>>> Todd Pederzani tpederzani@protocam.com
>>> ProtoCAM Information Technology
>>> 3848 Cherryville Road Phone: (610) 261-9010
>>> Northampton, PA 18067 Fax: (610) 261-9350
>>
Received on Wed Apr 23 17:03:37 2008

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