Newsletter February 2008

In this issue:

• RedEye adds architectural modeling division to its rapid prototyping and digital manufacturing service
• Did you knowforwarding quotes
• Benefits of FDM for DDM
• Customer Application of the Month

RedEye adds architectural modeling division to its rapid prototyping and digital manufacturing service

RedEye ARC offers durable, interactive 3D scaled models for architects and home builders

At the International Builders Show in Orlando, Fla. Feb. 13-16, RedEye announced the launch of its new division, RedEye ARC (www.redeyearc.com), which serves the architectural industry with 3D scaled replica models of residential and commercial buildings.

"Many architects still use labor-intensive, handmade models to communicate their design to the client" said Jeff Hanson, manager of business development for RedEye. "Our technology can build accurate, durable models in a fraction of the time and cost of the traditional methods."

RedEye ARC uses fused deposition modeling technology an additive fabrication 3D printing process to build architectural models in ABS plastic, including residential and commercial structures. The models are interactive, which means customers can remove floors to view each interior floor plan and its features. Because FDM builds applications from the bottom up, it can build details, such as stone, tile, appliances and fixtures, allowing the architect and home builder to instantly communicate design to clients.

RedEye ARC models serve as communication and sales tools. "Home buyers have a difficult time making such a big purchase simply by reviewing a one dimensional blueprint or rendering," said Ryan Sybrant, architectural development manager for RedEye ARC. "Showing the buyers a scaled model of the proposed plan helps alleviate any concerns they might have about the layout."

RedEye is a business unit of Stratasys, a leading manufacturer of additive fabrication, 3D printing and direct digital manufacturing systems. In addition to architecture, RedEye serves a number of other industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical and business machines. Its use of production-grade thermoplastic materials positions the company as a source for low-volume production, in addition to rapid prototyping.
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Did you know

That if you save a quote on our system and need approval from your manager or purchasing agent, you can forward the quote to them? Heres 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 persons 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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A note from Jeff Hanson onthe benefits of fused deposition modeling for direct digital manufacturing

Whether you are a large, Fortune 500 company or a small, privately owned business, you are always looking for ways to save money, but still get your products to market faster. As the technology continues to evolve, traditional rapid prototyping methods will transition into progressive, cost-effective manufacturing processes. Many RP technologies are well suited to perform manufacturing functions. However, FDM has a key advantage over other technologies, such as SLA and SLS repeatability.

Most of you already know that technologies like SLA and SLS use resins to build your models and parts. The resin is dumped into a vat and heated with a laser to construct your application. When the resin runs low, more is added, but the ratio is rarely the same from one add to the next. In order to ensure part repeatability, operators must refill the vat with the same resin not old resin from a previous project at a consistent ratio. In addition to that, the lasers used in SLA and SLS deteriorate over time, so an application built with a new laser will generate a better quality part. The submission of the same application a few months later could result in a part of lesser quality due to the depreciation of the laser.

FDM technology uses raw thermoplastic materials, which are used in most injection molded applications. The thermoplastic material is fed into the system through a spool, which eliminates mixing materials, and heated to the glass transition or Tg point (the point at which plastic transforms from a solid to a liquid). As the material is extruded, it cools and fuses to the layers below it. Since FDM produces parts with real thermoplastic materials, they are much less susceptible to dimensional changes in comparison to parts built with other additive fabrication technologies.

The repeatability combined with enhanced features, such as Ready Part (a part smoothing process, available on U.S. orders only), is helping FDM quickly move toward an end-use manufacturing technology. Whether you need your part for design verification, form-fit testing or end-use, the ability to start your production with a few thousand pieces, while waiting for tooling, provides a real competitive advantage. Ready Part drastically reduces the need for sanding parts and prepares parts for post-finishing processes, such as priming, plating and painting. That means designers and engineers can save time and resources previously dedicated to those processes.

We understand our customers need to quickly get quality parts to market. With every technology enhancement and every milestone in the FDM technology, we are quickly moving toward serving as your one-stop-shop for manufacturing.
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Customer Application of the Month

The Schneider Electric Sensor Competency Center/Hyde Park Electronics LLC, the global leader in ultrasonic sensing technology, recently contacted RedEye for help with a sensor replacement project. RedEye built prototypes of the retrofit bracket for the SE-SCC/HP using the FC720 material (available on U.S. orders only).

The SE-SCC/HP engineering team used the prototypes for engineering purposes, such as form, fit and function testing. However, according to Stewart Guy, a member of their design team, the sales team quickly grabbed the prototypes for sales purposes after testing was completed. "We've used RedEye quite a bit, so much so that is has become an extension of our engineering and design capabilities.  The quote system is easy to use, the parts come out great and they're shipped to us pretty quickly." said Stewart. "The majority of our parts use the FC720 material because of the amount of small sized details in our products.  Due to the small build layer size and high XY resolution, we are able to achieve those details."
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