One of the most exciting growth areas for rapid-prototyping, rapid-manufacturing (RP-RM) is in the medical and health field, where physicians, surgeons and dentists are teaming with imaginative companies to create customized medical models, prostheses and implants that are saving lives and restoring quality of life to many patients.
A recent article in the Virginian-Pilot cited […]

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Todd A. Grimm has a clear vision of what it will take for the rapid-prototying, rapid-manufacturing (RP-RM) industry to realize its true — and vast — potential.
Ultimate success, says Grimm, a widely respected RP-RM consultant, speaker and author, rests with the potential for new, innovative uses of RP-RM, such as those embraced by […]

“This part here I could buy cheaper in China,” Rich Carone, CEO of Korvis Automation Inc., says referring to a steel component used in one of Korvis’ products. But – and the “but” is all important – Carone goes on to note that to work with China on short-run manufacturing requires months of advance planning and then still leaves open the question of whether he’ll receive products that meet his exacting specifications.

“It’s just never been clear to me how I can control quality overseas,” Carone says.

The September issue of Popular Mechanics features a special section gazing 50 years ahead to imagine colonization of the moon and Mars.
Editor-in-Chief James B. Meigs and a team of respected staff and outside experts explore the topic and make their best predictions of what is to come.
The one forecast that most caught our attention came […]

Author Vince Poscente doesn’t mention rapid prototyping or rapid manufacturing once in his book, The Age of Speed.
Yet the newly released business book, from award-winning publisher Bard Press, makes clear why the technologies surrounding 3-D printing are destined to revolutionize design and manufacturing in the United States and around the globe.
Poscente’s basic premise is that […]

Go ahead. Mess up. It’s good for your business and it is good for your customers.
That is the underlying message of Todd Grimm’s compelling article in the current edition of Tooling & Production (T&P), where Grimm spells out the many financial and strategic advantages that accrue to companies that aren’t enfeebled by the rigidity of […]

Writing in Design News this month, Senior Editor Joseph Ogando raises the question of whether the term, “rapid prototyping” has outgrown its moniker.
Among the points Ogando correctly makes is that increasingly rapid prototyping machines are being put into service for producing finished or nearly finished product parts – not just prototypes.
“Plenty of users have gotten […]

Despite the many benefits that rapid manufacturing technologies (RPT) afford small manufacturers, only 15 to 20 percent of potential end users globally have availed themselves of these innovative manufacturing processes.
That is the conclusion of Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consultancy, that recently issued a study on the global rapid prototyping equipment market.
While the automotive […]

Rockford, Illinois Seeks To Replace Lost Jobs Using Fresh Manufacturing Technologies

On the surface, Rockford, Illinois appears to be an ideal location for both businesses and families.
Located in the northern part of the state along the Rock River, the city promotes itself as one that offers “the attractions and services of a big city, but with […]