Objective3D | BLOG

“If you’re thinking of Rapid Prototyping as useful for one-off components only, then you’re missing the big picture." Rapid Prototyping is no longer confined to one-off parts, expanding into Direct Digital Manufacturing and the capabilities of rapid prototyping technologies like FDM are rapidly expanding this once specialised industry. S imon Bartlett, Senior Engineer at RapidPro works first hand at RedEye On Demand’s Australasian build centre. “Fused Deposition Modelling was originally popular with the prototyping sector for custom one-offs, but that is just the tip of the iceberg.” “FDM technologies can be used for Injection Moulding, Bridge Tooling, Paper Pulp Tooling, Blow Moulding, Direct Digital Manufacturing, Jigs and fixtures, “Go or No-Go” gauges and fully functional parts.” F DM is used when accuracy is paramount, and with large build platforms, repeatable, accurate build software and hardware as well as a broad range of thermoplastic materials, low volume manufacturing ...

The possibilities are endless with rapid prototyping technologies. Aside from functional tools, injection moulds, blow moulds and highly accurate parts, FDM is also suitable for building lifesize replicas, like the model of Thomas Jefferson recently created for the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian was putting together an exhibition for the National Museum of African American History called Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: Paradox of Liberty . They would obvioulsy have loved to use the statue on permanent display at Monticello, the Thomas Jefferson Museum in Virginia, but that was not practical or possible. Instead of using traditional modelling techniques, such as rubber molding and casting, the statue was instead scanned and built in three sections (four parts) using FDM technology and materials. The full scale replica was then finished and painted to look like the original bronze statue. Not only is this an excellent example of rapid prototyping technology and ...

Sometimes we need to outsource certain finishes to make sure your project looks as good as possible. When we do this, we find experts in their given field to ensure you get the best result for your project. Chrome plating is one of these surface finishes, which is an inexpensive way of turning cost-effective plaster prototypes into polished metal look-a-likes. The company we use for this service is The Bronzing Studio www.thebronzingstudio.com.au . They will metal plate just about anything ... even dim sims! You don't need to spend top dollar for a prototype or form model to be machined out of metal and then polished when there are finishing techniques like this available. To discuss how RapidPro can help you with your next project, call us on 1300559454 or write to us at enquiries@rapidpro.com.au .

This month's ZCorp newsletter showcased some truely amazing architectural models that had been designed and printed by various people from around the world. Here are just a few of the models: Christmas Castle Created by: JWP Design; Designed by: John Penn Printed on Z650 with zp150 & Z-Bond 90 OMSK Dormition Cathedral Created by:CYBERCOM (Russia)Modeled by: Nikita Istratiy(using 3DS Max)Printed on Z650 w/ zp150 & Z-Bond 90 Shinryo Team S Plant Courtesy of Shinryo Corp. Printed on Z650 with zp150 The Cathedral of Christ The Savior Created by: CYBERCOM (Russia); Modeled by: Ilya Trubchatkin (using 3DS Max) Printed on Z650 with zp150 & Z-Bond 90 These 3D architectural models highlight the capabilities and possibilities for printing 3D models using ZCorp plaster composites on the Z650, just like the ZPrinter used at RapidPro. A versatile and affordable model solution, architectural models, similar to those shown above, can be built ...

Get a behind-the-scenes look at how FDM 3D printing helped create Chipotle’s popular Back to the Start animated short film. Fast-forward one minute into the movie to hear Bob Thorne, special effects supervisor at Artem Ltd., explain how his team shaved almost a week off a tight production timeline by using the RedEye technology to create just one character. There is no limit to the end use of 3D printed parts. To see the full film, click on the link below:

vW Maps and RapidPro have produced an accurate, detailed three-dimensional model of the Beechworth wine region. Made with 3D printing technology, the model maps the locations of vineyards, the official wine region, the roads, rivers and wooded areas. The topographically-accurate base shows the rolling hills that help distinguish the region’s wines. Cartographer Martin von Wyss of vW Maps said the geography of the wine region comes alive in this format. “Seeing and touching the landforms makes it easy to understand how wind, rain, and temperatures affect the grapes. Clearly the qualities of the wines differ thanks, in part, to the varied topography. The road rises as you head eastward, up into Beechworth, and undulates from Mount Pilot in the north through Beechworth and up to Mount Stanley in the south.” The full-colour terrain model was printed by specialists RapidPro of Mornington, Victoria, using additive manufacturing technology, also known as rapid prototyping or 3D ...

China is a rapidly growing manufacturing powerhouse, with many companies choosing to go offshore to save on manufacturing, tooling and prototyping costs. Whilst manufacturing in China seems cheaper, the old adage "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth" applies. What may look cheaper on paper, could ultimately end up costing companies much more in the long run. Using an Australian prototyping bureau, such as RapidPro, takes the guesswork out of this possible mine field. We liaise for you, using companies and connections which we have developed over time. Companies that we trust. We also act as a Quality Control Agency, making sure that your parts and prototypes meet your requirements and specifications. We make sure that your parts are delivered on time and that your quote is inclusive (with no hidden costs after the project has commenced). By contacting RapidPro, you get all the benefits of offshore manufacturing, with the reassurance of dealing with an Australian-based co...

Plastic bottles are rapidly becoming a waste problem. Jesse Leeworthy, a talented Swinburne University Honours student, decided to do something positive about this growing problem for his final year project, and the result is Ishke. In Brief: Product Name: Ishke Product Field: Water purifying dispensing system. Product Conception: • Every single gram of plastic ever produced still exists, taking 1,000 years to biodegrade. • 214 million kilograms of plastic are expended in the bottling of 89 billion liters of water each year. • Plastic water bottles have a devastating effect on the environment, marine wildlife and on human health. • In many cases 1 litre of bottled water costs over 1,400 times more than tap water. Despite all this, the popularity of bottled water increases by 10% every year. Ishke aims to reduce the amount of plastic water bottles effecting our health and environment by presenting a sustainable and convenient alternative. The Ishke Solution: The Ishke system is designed...

Will 3D printing revolutionise manufacturing? By Peter Day With the creation of many products, including building materials, now possible at the touch of a button, will 3D printing sound the death knell for mass production? In a way there is nothing new about 3D printing. For several decades it has been called "rapid prototyping": a quick way of making one-off items from fused plastic or metal powder, using expensive computer-controlled lasers that are at the heart of the "printers". But now 3D printing is coming into its own, and is being taken seriously as a manufacturing process by very big corporations. Read the entire article here .

Well Done Joss ! It is a credit to this innovative Australian Company that their Supercar features in this month's issue of Top Gear. The prototype of the JP1 was on display at this year's Melbourne Motor Show, as showcased in a story by Performance Drive (July 2, 2011). Now Top Gear are giving this Aussie Supercar it's due credit. RapidPro proudly built the wind tunnel prototype which featured alongside the full size vehicle at the 2011 Melbourne Motor Show. The wind tunnel model was built using RedEye Australasia's Australian FDM Build Centre. The model was made from ABS-M30, with a sparse fill interior. This ensured minimum cost for maximum return. The ABS-M30 prototype was then finished by JOSS to look like the full sized Super Car. The total size of the completed prototype was 1000x400x300mm. It was built in six parts which were then chemically welded to ensure accuracy and strength for the extremes of wind testing. To read more about JOSS visit their website , an...

Check out this 3D printer which uses the Sahara sun instead of a laser! Markus Kayser's "Solar Sinter" is a working 3-D printer that uses the sun's rays to sinter solid objects of out desert sand. Markus Kayser - Solar Sinter Project from Markus Kayser on Vimeo . "In this experiment, sunlight and sand are used as raw energy and material to produce glass objects using a 3-D printing process that combines natural energy and material with high-tech production technology," he writes. Sintering is a technical term for "melting powder into solid objects," and selective laser sintering is a common 3-D printing technique. Kayser realized that the world's most powerful laser is right above our heads, and to conduct his experiment at maximum sintering strength, he dragged his rig out into the Sahara Desert near Siwa, Egypt, and got to work. The results aren't going to win any industrial design awards: the sintered sand congeals in craggy layers tha...

From an impressive line-up, Curve has highlighted just a few of the twenty-eight Gold IDEA winners for 2011. To view the winners click here: Curve Online Here's one that stood out to us: Poetree by Margaux Ruyant, from the DSK ISD School of Design in Pune, India, won Gold in the student category. So what is it? Well, ashes are placed in the Poetree urn and covered with soil. The family takes the urn home, or to a desired location and plants a tree in it. The tree and urn are planted, and over time all that is left is the ceramic top and tree, a living, permanent memorial to your loved one. Well done Margaux, it is a wonderful, thoughtful idea with an environmental edge.

In a recent article on imaterialise , a FDM printed modular coffee table was featured. The Module, designed by celebrated designers WertelOberfell–Platform is printed in one piece on a Stratasys FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) Maxum machine. The coffee table is based on fractal growth patterns in trees and designed specifically to minimize waste. Individual Module coffee tables can be intertwined in order to get just the size of table you need. To watch the build click on the link below. The machine used in the video is the Stratasys FDM Maxum, one of the largest 3D printers in existence with a build volume of 600 x 500 x 600 mm. Redeye Australasia has a Maxum on the premises and can make large scale prototypes in a single piece within Australia, reducing waiting time for parts to a maximum of a few days. The Stratasys 900MC in RedEye's American Build Centre is capable of building prototypes as large as 914 x 610 x 914 mm and can supply them direct to Australia through the Australa...

The promise of 3D printing has finally taken off with the development of a drone that takes just a week to create. The plane parts took just two days to design and a further five days to print, making "Sulsa" as it is called, a one-week plane. And customising future variants of this ready made design would take only minutes on automated design software, says Jim Scanlan of the University of Southampton. Describing the Sulsa's maiden flight, Scanlan said, "We have witnessed some technomagic today. It's very hard to believe this aircraft was just a pile of dust last Friday." Read the whole story at New Scientist .

We recently stumbled across this project on a Slovenian 3D prototyping website. 3Dt.si had built a model of the Soraya 46, a luxury cruiser, for a boat show. Their pictorial story accurately highlights the benefits of ZCorp plaster composites as form models and the amazing finishes that can be achieved. Take a look below. 1. The Cad Drawing 2. The ZCorp Plaster model in two parts 3. The completed model proior to painting and finishing 4. The Finished model ready for the show. Well done 3DT.si. This story really showcases teh strength sof ZCorp plaster 3D printing for models, architectural building and any other project where clients woudl like to see what the finished item will look like. To see if 3D plaster printing is suitable for your next project, call RapidPro on 1300 559 454.

We would like to congratulate Adam Weaver from Convert Studio's, one of our valued client's, for making it into the top 15 finalists in this year’s Launch Pad 2011 Design Awards. His Tip Stool design (pictured) will be judged alongside 14 other worthy products next week, with the winner to be announmced during a VIP night in Sydney. Launch Pad is an Australian Design programme which helps emerging designers get their name out to both national and international audiences. Click on the following link to view the finalists online. You can view the finalists in person at Saturday in Design , August 19 and 20. For more details click here . Congrats Adam - we will have our fingers crossed!

Check out this video. It is a 3D printed ZCorp skateboard that is solid enough to be used as a functional prototype. As you watch this, remember - this is made from plaster! RapidPro also uses ZCorp printers to create rapid prototypes in plaster composites. They can be printed in full colour, up to a build size of 380 x 250 x 200 mm in a single build or larger when built in pieces. Plaster is the most cost effective prototyping available, so call to see if it may be suitable for your next project.

Outerspace are celebrating industry recognition at the AIDA last Friday night. In the Housing & Building Category, the Desert Eco Adapt Advanced urinal cartridge won a Good Design™ accolade for its broad compatibility and ease-of-use. The Quest duō also won a Good Design™ accolade in the Business & Technology category for its unique versatility. The Outerspace Packaging Division was excited that the Golden Circle juice bottle for Heinz won both a Design Award™ in the Consumer category and a place in the Powerhouse Museum collection. Products were assessed by an international panel on form, function, quality, safety and sustainability. RapidPro is proud to work alongside Outerspace during the prototyping phase of their projects. For more information on Outerspace design visit their website at: www.outerspacedesign.com.

Whilst this is not a service RapidPro currently offers, it would be nice. Check out this article that recently appeared on Mashable and The Age online . British taxpayers will no doubt be tickled to know that the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the UK government’s leading funding agency for research and training in engineering and the physical sciences, has produced this video about chocolate printing. As the scientists explain, consumers who download a piece of software will easily be able to sketch the kind of chocolate they’d like to make. Then they can send the 3D CAD file to a machine in a local shop and pick up their chocolate 10 minutes later. Of course, as we all know, printing doesn’t always go as smoothly as advertised. And a jam in this case could be especially messy. It's quirky, but clever!

This is an article to interesting to miss. Manufacturing, 3D Printing and What China Knows About the Emerging American Century by Mark P Mills Read the story by clicking this link FORBES . So what do you think? Email us your comments at: enquiries@rapidpro.com.au