Objective3D | BLOG

To view or subscribe to RapidNotes , RapidPro's newsletter, please click on the subscribe link in the side bar. This month's edition features a 20% Off special for Plaster Prototyping projects and a great story about getting the best prototypes for your needs and budget! In Brief Prototyping in plaster is the cheapest rapid prototyping technique available. It is cost effective, and an excellent way of presenting a model or mock-up to your clients. Available in full colour, plaster prototypes are built using 3D layering. The plaster is then infiltrated and strengthened with polyurethane. Popular with graphic artists, we have used this technique for architectural testing and display, gaming characters (right), artists marquettes and packaging redesigns. Plaster is a versatile material which can be hand-finished in many different ways. It can be chromed to resemble metal, such as the tap and faucet (right), or sprayed with a high gloss to give the appearance of baked enamel, like ...

It is always great to see projects you have worked on in the marketplace but when you see them with their designers on TV and are being showcased on the ABC's New Inventors - that's exhilarating. RapidPro recently worked with Alex Gransbury from Dreamfarm on a few of the new products he is releasing. Several of which, were featured last week on the new inventors. Alex is passionate about designing innovative kitchen products that will make their way from the second drawer to become items you simply cannot live without. Dreamfarm are also environmentally conscientious and for every item they sell, they plant a tree. With 271,589 trees planted to date, they eliminate unnecessary packing with all their products and are proud to be "Green", just like us! THE INVENTIONS You can check out the segment by visiting: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s2958807.htm or check out the full range of products by visiting: http://www.dreamfarm.com.au/ We proudly produced protot...

Working with VicRoads to produce large scale models of proposed road systems highlighted the importance of hand finishing, an eye for detail and discussing the clients needs and wants with the team at RapidPro. THE PROTOTYPE/PROJECT : VicRoads recently requested several 3D models of a proposed modification to the Western Highway between Ballarat and Burrumbeet in Victoria. VicRoads requested 4 models to be built showcasing the 4 proposals for the new road system. While Vic Roads originally requested the entire project to built in plaster/epoxy, the team at RapidPro suggested combining several techniques to produce the same result, but at a fraction of the price. THE RESULT : These Proposals were subsequntly printed using several Rapid Prototyping techniques including Objet printing. The models were then hand finished to highlight specific areas and items of importance. The finished proposals measured almost 900 x 400 mm and were built in over 50 pieces including the individual trees, r...

The new issue of Curve is available now and there is a really interesting story on the importance of product packaging. Quote from Curve: Most people don't realise that when they buy packaged goods that there is a huge amount of work behind it, from designers to packaging producers. But not Brigitte and Jean Jacques Evrard, the high-profile, multi-award-winning founders of the internationally renowned packaging awards program – the Pentawards. Brigitte Evrard spoke to Curve about the importance of packaging design as a communication tool for global business. To read more, subscribe to curve at http://www.curve.com.au/CurrIssuesDet.html RapidPro is active in the creation of new packaging prototypes for designers, using many different prototyping processes depending on the desired result. From colour 3D printing in plaster/epoxy to fused deposition modelling, objet printing, silicon tooling and short run injection or blow moulded samples, RapidPro is able to tailor a prototyping proc...

A Climate for Change - are you aware of the latest trends in business response to sustainability expectations? RapidPro is! As you may be aware - We have been an environmentally responsible business with Carbon Neutral status for over one year, and we are continually looking at minimising our environmental footprint. This article mentions the importance of sustainability in the development of new products - The latest McKinsey Global Survey (Feb. 2010) found that "more than 50 percent of executives consider sustainability-the management of environmental, social, and governance issues-"very" or "extremely" important in a wide range of areas, including new-product development, reputation building, and overall corporate strategy". Prototyping, packaging and the development of new products is our core business, and we can proudly stand tall among our competitors knowing that we are not only working hard for our customers, but also for the environment!

RapidPro has always been an environmentally friendly business, but with concerns about global warming, the escalation of greenhouse gas emissions as well as our massive water shortages, we decided that it was time to take a fresh approach to our entire operation. RapidPro is proud to celebrate our one year anniversary as a Carbon Neutral business. Aside from tree planting to offset our emmissions, we have also employed new water saving technologies and are recycling even more from the prototyping technologies used in-house. SAVING WATER WHEN PROTOTYPING Objet prototyping uses high pressure water to remove support material required during the building of a prototype. Most commercial 'wash stations' are connected to mains water and the water that is used is simply washed away. Instead, RapidPro has engineered its own wash station which enables the recycling of this water, using 90% less water than conventional parts baths or wash stations. This is a massive saving for the envi...

Your Green Alternative to Traditional Manufacturing Methods Designing for sustainability is a hot topic in today’s engineering world. Design software companies are adding tools to help engineers compare manufacturing methods and materials so they can evaluate their design's carbon footprint, executives are insisting that their operations teams adopt just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing techniques and customers are demanding new products that are eco-friendly. RedEye On Demand's commitment reaches beyond supplying environmentally friendly parts. It extends throughout our offices, manufacturing facilities and distribution systems. Direct Digital Manufacturing "Green" Attributes • JIT Manufacturing • Less Hazardous Materials Used • Low Material Waste Just-In-Time (JIT) Manufacturing DDM is a manufacturing process which creates physical parts directly from 3D CAD files using additive fabrication technology. All DDM parts are intended to be used as the final product itself wi...

Nestlé Purina PetCare Company decreased Build Time by 75 Percent with FDM® Technology Plastic litter jugs are not glamorous products, but to pet owners they are expected to be ergonomic while holding a considerable load. The Nestlé Purina PetCare Company recently redesigned its cat litter jugs using Stratasys Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM®) technology to meet critical deadlines while retaining product quality. The Nestlé Purina PetCare Company (purina.com) was formed in 2001 to create food, treats and litter products for dogs and cats. In April 2009, the company embarked on a redesign of its cat litter jugs. Preparing for Change “This is the biggest cat litter packaging change attempted in years, said Stephen Wurth, designer. “In the past, we’ve changed the materials used to make the product lighter or in ways to save costs, but this is the first big change in consumer-driven design.” “We wanted to improve our existing jug to create a better experience for our customers,” said Wurth. ...

RedEye on demand , leaders in Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), are revolutionizing manufacturing using FDM to eliminate the need for costly tooling. Innovation No 1: Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM) DDM has now become a reality thanks to FDM technology. Parts are built directly from CAD (STL) files in the thermoplastic materials used in manufacturing such as PC and ABS. With RedEye’s FDM technique, it’s easy to produce identical parts in production quantities that you require, with no minimum order requirements. And if a small change is required, it’s as easy as loading a new CAD file and rebuilding the part to the new specs. No wasted tools and shorter lead times. Innovation No 2: Injection Moulding Traditional methods of injection moulding were slow (taking up to 6 weeks to get the mould) and costly. Now with RedEye on demand’s Injection Moulds, you can get a mould within days, and for a fraction of the cost. Capable of producing hundreds of shots, RedEye FDM moulds are accurate, ...