Newsletter April 2008

In this issue:

• Forwarding quotes

• Did you know...any part, any size

• A note from Tim Thellin on...Using FDM for assembly aids

• Customer application of the month - custom adapters and holsters

Quote Forwarding

If you save a quote on our system and need approval from your manager or purchasing agent, you can forward the quote to them? Here’s how.

When you input your information on the quoting page, you will see three buttons near the bottom of the page: Order, Save and Forward. Click the “Forward” button. It will take you to a screen that will allow you to upload your files, which is required to receive the quote. After uploading your files, you will automatically redirect to the forward page where you can enter the authorizing person’s e-mail address. Enter the e-mail address and click send. The person will then receive an e-mail requesting authorization with a link to the quote you performed. They can then click the link, view the quote and authorize it without registering as a user. Once approved, you will receive an e-mail notification that the person authorized the quote and the order was placed. Your project coordinator will then call you to finalize the details of your order and in a few days, you will receive your parts.

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Did you know

That RedEye can build any application regardless of size. With more than 80 systems in our facilities, we can split your STL file to build different parts of your application on several machines. Then, we simply assemble and bond the parts. And because we use production-grade thermoplastic materials, your part maintains its durability and accuracy.

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A note from Tim Thellin on Using FDM for assembly aids

When I was a college intern working for a company that manufactured metal office furniture, it was my responsibility to serve as an industrial engineer designing fixtures used in the furniture assembly. I designed the fixtures in 2D fashion and then sent the designs out for CNC machining. In a business like that, where we shipped to order, timing was imperative. New or expanding companies cannot afford to wait for several weeks to receive their new furniture.

This example applies across many industries. Looking back, a technology, such as fused deposition modeling, would have made that process much more effective. Building plastic jigs, fixtures and assembly aids with lightweight thermoplastic materials not only saves time, but is also more ergonomic for employees who have to use them. For example, RedEye produced a test assembly for a company in the medical device manufacturing industry. One of the biggest benefits they witnessed was that their employees were less strained moving the plastic fixtures on and off of the shelves rather than the heavy, metal fixtures.

Sometimes, people involved with the manufacturing process consider rapid prototyping technology a design tool, since the designer is the person that usually works with prototypes. That situation provides an opportunity for the designer to work with the manufacturing team, offering ideas about how to use FDM technology in the manufacturing process for jigs, fixtures and assembly aids. In some cases, the person that designs the application is also designing the fixture, which means you can ensure that your fixture is custom made for your application.

Not only does using a technology like FDM for fixtures and assembly tools save a great deal of time, it also impacts the entire manufacturing process. In addition, because FDM takes only a few days rather than weeks or months, you can create the fixture assemblies as your production ramps up.

If you are considering using FDM for a jigs and fixtures application, consider using one of these RedEye materials for their structural properties: PC/ABS, PPSF or ABS-M30.

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Customer Application of the Month

SURVICE Metrology, a Maryland-based provider of innovative and integrated dimensional measurement (i.e., metrology), 3-D modeling and metrology application development services, to support the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and commercial customers, recently enlisted the help of RedEye for an upcoming project.  SURVICE is developing a new method for the Navy to quickly inspect and assess damage to composite materials found on aircraft.  This is possible by integrating ultrasonic technology along with SURVICE's iGPS laser scanning system.  SURVICE designed custom adapters and holsters for which RedEye created prototypes out of ABS black, a production-grade thermoplastic material.  The created parts were then shipped back to SURVICE in the same day.  As shown in the included photograph, SURVICE has incorporated the prototype parts for everyday use with their metrology equipment.

"We were very impressed with the quickness of the entire process from quote to finished prototype," said Kyle Herr, Metrologist with SURVICE.

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