Objective3D | BLOG

Telstra Option City built entirely from 3D printing and Additive Manufacturing Technology at RapidPro Things have been pretty hectic at RapidPro of late, especially with the evolution of Telstra Option City, designed by The Face and built by RapidPro utilising all the technologies we have in-house including our engineers expertise and skill to deliver a complex model that sits on a large plinth, rotates and has all the lights and whistles ... literally! The buildings were made using RedEye Australasia's Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) build centre, the signage was built using Objet's polyjet technology, the fine detail including satellite dishes etc utilise ZCorp and EOS SLS parts for fine feature detail and the entire project was painted to precise specifications by our team of painting and finishing experts. To read the full case study, visit our website by clicking here .  Check out the video to see how this complex model of architectural buildings came together...

"Within the next decade, additive manufacturing could make our complicated global supply chain obsolete, replacing it with a new economy based on a high-tech system of local, connected suppliers." Travis Hessman, Associate Editor, IndustryWeek, Jul. 11, 2013 A recent story for MHLNews, highlights 3D printing and the need for 3D printing Service bureaus. Read the articles by following the link below: The Rise of The Printing Bureau   and 3D printing the Supply Chain .  RedEye bureau - able to print on demand in various locations around the world including Australia

Today I noticed an interesting article on Quartz regarding 3D printing patents expiring and how that will impact the market.The article describes how with patents for Laser Sintering expiring in 2014, there will be an influx of cheaper machines making the technology more accessible to everybody. Much like what happened with Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), originally patented by Stratasys before expiring and MakerBot making it's mark.  Several key points were raised and I would like to take this opportunity to explain things from a local Australian perspective. POINT 1: With the end of patents comes an influx of low end machines to the market making home 3D printing more accessible, in this case for laser sintering.  At this point it is important to note that that not all 3D printers are the same. A 3D printer, like those used by bureaus, cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The resulting part will be of a much higher standard and quality than something produced...

China is not always cheaper, especially when it comes to SLS printed parts and prototypes. To test this theory we sent out a CAD file to be quoted by 3 companies in China. We also quoted the CAD file ourselves using RapidPro’s quoting system. The results were surprising … There is a common misconception that if you want something cheap, go straight to China. And while there are undoubtedly many things that are cheaper in China, SLS prototyping is not one of them.    Let me explain …  With so much hype about China being cheaper, we decided to test this theory by getting several Chinese companies to quote on printing a single file in SLS. We looked at time to respond, lead time (excluding freight) and cost. *Click to enlarge So how did we compare…. *Click to enlarge Not only were our costs comparable or cheaper, our turnaround and lead times were much faster, ensuring the customer receives their parts faster and cheaper than if they h...

Have you ever wondered who the Engineers are behind RapidPro? Check them out at our Meet the Experts page on our website. For example: Did you know that Simon is a Six Sigma Black Belt? Did you know that Hugh can craft guitars using CNC?  Did you know that Daniel is an SLS innovator? Read about our expert team by clicking here . 

RapidPro shines at 3D Printing Expo At a recent 3D Printing Expo in Mackay, Queensland, Simon Bartlett, Director and Engineering Manager of RapidPro and Redeye Australasia spoke about the future of 3D printing. In an interview with the ABC, Simon said that Australian mining companies could make their own parts on site in a fraction of the time that it takes get parts manufactured offsite and then freighted in. Simon described 3D printing like Batman's utility belt. “To get through his day he needs to be able call on a number of different technologies or a number of different tools. I think [3D Printing] is definitely a new tool and people are now just trying to work out how it fits in to what they do,” explained Simon to Brock Taylor of the ABC. Read what Brock Taylor, an ABC News reporter, had to say at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-14/3d-printing-to-revolutionise-parts-manufacturing/4753768 Also reported at Australian Mining: http://www.miningaustral...

Rapid prototyping and 3D printing has certainly become more affordable, and with lightning fast turnaround, it is even easier to print one off items with very little notice. One such situation that presneted itself recently was the engagement of our own Operations Manager, Hugh Tevelein, to his lovely Fiance Kirra. Kirra and Hugh wanted to personalise their engagement party envelopes, and with a stable of 3D printing machines at his fingertips, he was able to create this personalised stamp almost instantly. The CAD drawing of the personalised stamp Using  FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) for the handle and Objet polyjet printing for the rubber stamp, RapidPro designed and printed a personalised stamp much faster and cheaper than comparable stamps online.   The rubber stamp and handle Not your average stamp, it is almost 5cm in diameter, completely personalised and suitable for use with a standard ink pad. The finished product Weddings and engagements a...

Last year RapidPro worked with Megafun to create another zoetrope ( you may remember the TY The Tasmanian Tiger Zoetrope at ACMI ), only this time, it was to resemble chocolate! The client was Panny's Chocolate World at Phillip Island and the zoetrope is now on show as part of their delicious Chocolate World experience.  Made using several different rapid prototyping techniques, materials and technologies, all parts had to be durable enough to withstand repetitious angular acceleration and centrifugal forces. A combination of FDM, Objet and ZCorp technologies were needed to deliver the required results, and after one year of constant use, the Zoetrope has withstood the test of time, and continues to amaze children and adults alike. Watch it by clicking on this link: Chocolate Zoetrope  

RapidPro has recently expanded its 3D services to include colour SLS nylon parts and prototypes. Available in several colours including black, blue, red, orange, green and white (see colour palette to the right), the parts are dyed, rather than painted, providing a more durable colour finish. EOS SLS Nylon parts and prototypes are recommended for good overall performance including strength, chemical resistance and cost effectiveness. The dye does not interfere with any of these properties. Of course, SLS parts can also be painted to match any PMS or Pantone colour. Even Lexus used painted SLS parts to produce their "Steps" puppets. See the video here .

RapidPro has just finished up a very exciting week at NMW 2013 where we were pleased to showcase Black Ultem as well as all the processes we carry out at our factory in Mornington. We were able to highlight many of the new advances in 3D printing and Additive Manufacturing as well as the improvements in "Clear" printed materials and overmoulded Objet Connex parts.  Many Stratasys machine owners were also surprised to hear about the discounted corporate rate for 3D printing offered by RedEye Australasia as a way of supporting machine owners when they need materials or services that they do not have in-house. Mention the RedEye Corporate Advantage when you place your next order if you have not been receiving this discount or if you have a backlog of printing that you would like to outsource. It was also a great opportunity to upgrade our promotional material ... some people may be able to recognise the surfer at the bottom of our new poster!!! Please call to discuss y...

Come and see us at the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Expo from 26th February - 3 March 2013 Redeye On Demand Australasia will be on hand in the AIDN showcase to answer your rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing questions. Come and see us to collect your free sample of the NEW Black Ultem - all the properties of ULTEM 9085 in Black - to reduce discolouration during field and functional testing. Like standard ULTEM 9085, the black color material has a V-0 flammability rating. The material is heat resistant up to 160 °C and is inherently flame-retardant. The material’s impact strength also makes it appealing to the aerospace industry, where high-strength, lightweight parts are extremely valuable. Hope to see you at the Airshow!

A recent story by Juho Vesanto on the 3D Printing Industry blog highlights how 3D printing can inspire students to consider a career in engineering.  The latest news from 3DPI reports on Loughborough University in the UK, where the university has launched an initiative that is designed to give primary school children a glimpse into the world of 3D printing with a specific purpose – to get children more interested and involved in engineering from an early age. What could be a better way to do that than with inspiring demonstration and use of 3D printing technologies. Read the full story by clicking here.

CSIRO is pleased to announce a new titanium additive manufacturing facility at their largest site in Clayton , Victoria . The facility, which will host the southern hemisphere’s first Arcam Electron Beam Melting (EBM) facility, will be showcased at an open house event on December 5, offering a rare opportunity to see inside this cutting edge centre. Additive manufacturing is not a new concept and there are several bureaus within Australia, such as RapidPro, however the CSIRO ARCAM facilty will offer complementary technologies to those already provided by RapidPro - specifically Electron Beam Melting (EBM). Arcam Electron Beam Melting (EBM) is an additive manufacturing technology that uses an e-beam to melt and fuse metal powders, layer-by-layer, into 3D parts. The resulting quality of these metal parts is high, as the process is conducted in a vacuum and held at high temperatures during the entire build. “Additive manufacturing is an emerging technology capable...

RapidPro, inc Redeye Australasia, is pleased to announce the arrival of ULTEM 9085 Black! Adding to the already extensive list of medical and food grade thermoplastics on offer at RedEye Australasia, Black ULTEM 9085 brings all the benefits of traditional ULTEM: being lightweight, flame-retardant and suitable for aircraft apparatus, automotive components and military application for : End Use Parts Form, Fit and Function Testing Jigs & Fixtures ULTEM is an ideal material for designers seeking strong, lightweight materials for their digital manufacturing projects, and being available in black, eliminated unsightly staininga nd discolouartyion presne tin teh cream version of ULTEM 9085. ULTEM carries a variety of exceptional thermoplastic propertie including its strength to weight ratio, V-Ø rating for flame, smoke and toxicity (FST), flight certification, and high heat deflection temperature (320° F / 160° C.  ULTEM 9085 is ce...

We are again proud to be associated with the  F1 in Schools™ Technology Challenge. What is the F1 in Schools™ Technology Challenge?  It is the world’s largest secondary school technology program which involves over nine million students from 17,000 schools in 31 nations. Each year the world championship team is presented with the solid crystal Bernie Ecclestone F1 in Schools™ World Trophy.  REA Foundation has been involved in the development of the program since its inception and manages the the program in Australia and New Zealand. Each year the program engages more than 40,000 high school students in Australia and delivers industry-standard technology into schools which is made available to a further 300,000 students outside the program. Students as young as 10 are designing, testing and making miniature F1™ cars capable of 80km/h. But it is not about fast cars. F1 in Schools™ is a holistic action learning program which focuses on developing ...

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Slide fins are set to revolutionise small wave surfing Slide fins are the newest innovation to hit surfing, and they are proudly Australian! Scott Peberdy from Outereef at Phillip Island came up with the idea that it would be easier to carry out slides on a surfboard if there was no fin resistance to the slide, while still maintaining the directional advantages of a traditional fin setup. The result is Slide Fins - spring loaded fins available for either left or right breaking waves. To read the entire story, click here. To watch the slide fin video, click on the link below: 

"R apidPro’s quick response and quality finish are the primary drivers for regularly selecting Simon and his team for these packaging projects. With timing and pressure so tight on this launch, we still undertook his advice on the FDM Beta model and it more than paid back its investment with the client." Michael Grima, Outerspace Design Group. This innovative juice bottle design for the Heinz Golden Circle brand of chilled juice recently won a WorldStar packaging award - Beverage at the gala presentation ceremony in Croatia. Submitted by Outerspace Design on the heels of the bottle’s commercial success; PCA, AIDA awards and Powerhouse Museum Collection piece,  this is the first entry, on behalf of the Australian Institute of Packaging, to achieve a WorldStar distinction in 44 years of the event history. So how did this new innovative packaging come to fruition?  Heinz wanted to grab consumers’ attention at the grocery store. In order to achieve this, Heinz ...

Just a reminder that RapidPro has thermoforming (vacuum forming) capabilities in-house! We have noticed a recent influx in the use of this service and thought we should remind all our customers that this is a quick, affordable solution to packaging trials prior to full production tooling.  RapidPro utilises the Redeye Australasia build centre to produce inexpensive thermoforming tools which are then instantly available for short run production. These tools can be used repeatedly to produce hundreds of short run packaging containers or parts. For a quote email RapidPro at enquiries@rapidpro.com.au or call RapidPro on 1300 559 454 to speak to one of our experienced engineers regarding your requirements.